BY OUR MAN AT THE LUSAIL
FORGET the North London Derby—the real heat was in the desert last night as Morocco and Jordan turned the iconic Lusail Stadium into a five-goal funhouse.
In the same golden bowl where Lionel Messi lifted the World Cup three years ago, we saw a new set of kings crowned in a match that had more twists than a seaside donkey ride.
The Atlas Lions eventually prowled away with a 3-2 victory after extra time, but only after Jordan had given them the fright of their lives under the Qatari lights.
The 89,000-seater venue—looking more like a spaceship than a footy ground—barely had time to settle before Oussama Tannane decided to break the internet. Just four minutes in, the Moroccan magician spotted Jordan’s keeper wandering and unleashed a 50-yard guided missile from his own half.
GOAL! It sailed over a back-pedalling Yazeed Abulaila and into the net, leaving the Jordanian stopper clattering into his own post in despair.
But Jordan, who have made this stadium their second home after reaching the Asian Cup final here, weren’t about to roll over.
The second half became the Ali Olwan show. He headed a leveller just after the break before coolly slotting a 68th-minute penalty to put the Jordanians 2-1 up. For twenty minutes, the “Nashama” fans were making enough noise to be heard back in Amman.
With the clock ticking towards the 90, the Moroccan sub pounced on a rebound to force extra time. And he wasn’t finished. In the 100th minute, he ghosted into the box to poke home the winner, sparking scenes of absolute bedlam in the stands.
Jordan thought they’d equalised again late on, but a VAR handball call—the kind that makes every Premier League fan groan—saved the Moroccans.
As the rain lashed down on the Lusail turf, Morocco lifted the trophy, proving that when it comes to drama in Doha, the Atlas Lions always have the final roar.
