Hamza Al Dardour scores four in Jordan's Asian Cup rout of Palestine

Updated: May 17, 2023, 06:24 am
Forward Hamza Al Dardour's four goals powered Jordan to a 5-1 victory against Palestine in their Group D game in Melbourne.
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Hamza Al Dardour scored four goals and set up another as Jordan kept their Asian Cup hopes alive with a 5-1 win over Palestine in Melbourne's Rectangular Stadium on Friday.

Ray Wilkins' team now have three points from two matches after having lost against Iraq in their opener. They now take on defending champions Japan on Jan. 20 hoping to book their second successive quarterfinal appearance in the tournament.  

Palestine looked the more organized early in the match, but it was Jordan that made the breakthrough in the 33rd minute when midfielder Yousef Ahmad gathered Hamza's pass in the area and sent a long, curving strike into the top corner of the net.

Hamza scored himself just over a minute later when he met midfielder Abdallah Deeb's cross in front of goal and slid it inside the far post.

Jordan's Yousef Ahmad scored his team's opening goal of the evening against Palestine.
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The forward scored his second goal in the stoppage time of the first half when he raced into the box and met a Saeed Murjan cross, volleying past Palestine goalkeeper Ramzi Saleh.

Hamza completed his hat-trick in the 75th minute when he burst onto a Deeb pass and sent a low shot into the net, then brought up his fourth five minutes later by beating Saleh with a low strike from just outside the box.

Palestine scored their first ever Asian Cup goal when midfielder Jaka Hbaisha competed a set piece in the 85th minute to the roars of almost 10,000 fans.

Jordan share the Group D lead with three points ahead of the match between fellow leaders Japan and Iraq later Friday in Brisbane. Palestine is now eliminated after two losses.

Midfielder Abdulhamid Abuhabib had Palestine's best chance of the second half in the 50th minute when his shot from just outside the box forced a desperate save by Jordan custodian Amer Shafi.

Palestine also missed a chance in the 4th minute when midfielder Hisham Sahli fired a powerful strike from well outside the area that Shafi leapt to push over the bar.