After the quarterfinals of 18, Jordan team unexpectedly broke through successfully and qualified for the World Cup for the first time in history. The coach of the team from Morocco, Jamal Serami, has made an indelible contribution. The coach who took office in 2024 is unknown in football, but his name will also be recorded in history as Jordan team succeeds.
Player career: He has been in Europe for a short time
Serami was born in 1970 and was once a Moroccan international. When he was a player, he played in the midfield and played for many Moroccan teams including Raja Casablanca. He also traveled to Europe from 1998 to 2001, representing the Turkish giant Besiktas. In the domestic arena of Morocco, Serami won many major events, and in Besiktas, he also won the 2000 Turkish Super Cup with the team.
At the national team level, Serami played for the country from 1994 to 2001, and was selected for the 1998 World Cup roster for the Morocco team. He is a strong player in the team’s midfielder.
In 2004, after two years of playing for Moroccan team Fis, 34-year-old Serami chose to retire and ended his career as a player. Although he has not played for the top five league teams, he has had experience traveling to Europe, participated in the World Cup, and won honors in many domestic competitions. Serami’s player career is also very successful.
Coaching resume: Becoming a famous Moroccan coach
After three years of precipitation, Serami began his coaching career in his parent team Rajacasablanca, and appeared in the coaching position as an assistant coach. Since then, he has become the head coach of the Moroccan team Hassania and has also worked as an assistant coach for the Moroccan national team for three years.
Before coaching the Jordan team, Serami’s work resume was concentrated in Morocco, but his achievements were very brilliant. In 2009 and 2012, he led the Hassania and Rabat leagues to the league runner-up respectively. At the national level, he also led the Moroccan A team (a national team composed of local players of the Moroccan League) to the 2018 African National Championships..
In the 2022-2023 season, Serami, who coached Rabat League again, was elected the best coach of the Moroccan League. At this time, he agreed to the invitation of the Jordan Football Association and officially took office the position the following summer, serving as the head coach of the national team for the first time in his coaching career.
In an interview with FIFA, Serami said bluntly that he had been preparing for coaching overseas, and the ambition of the Jordan Football Association is the main factor that attracts him to join.
In fact, Serami is under a lot of pressure to take office in Jordan. Amota, who he replaced, is also a Moroccan. He led the team to the finals in the Asian Cup held in early 2024, and defeated the Korean team 2-0 semi-finals, which is even more classic. Amota’s resignation was not due to poor performance, but his decision to accompany his family after the contract expired. Therefore, for Serami, he needs to continue the good foundation that Amota has laid for the team, and also strive to prove that his strength is not inferior to his predecessors. Obviously, it will not be easy to do this.
Accepted the office midway: Successfully rushing to the World Cup
Serami, who led Jordan to the World Cup for the first time in history, took over the team in the mid-term of the World Cup. His predecessor Amota laid a good foundation for the team and led the team to the top 18 games. After Serami took over, he led Jordan to several friendly matches, and then embarked on the sprint stage of the World Cup qualifiers in September.
In the first round of 18, Jordan drew 1-1 with Kuwait, and then the team won its first victory against the Palestinian team. In the following games, Jordan performed normally and lost to South Korea at home, but also won a big victory against Oman.
Earing 2025, Jordan’s World Cup qualifiers have entered a smooth journey. After defeating the Palestinian team at home, he tied the South Korean team away and gradually saw hope of advancing to the World Cup. After defeating Oman 3-0 away, Jordan has secured the World Cup qualification. Although he lost in the last round at home, the result of this game will no longer have any impact.
In the end, Jordan, ranked 62nd in the world, became the only six Asian teams to go directly to the World Cup under the leadership of Serami. There are no star players in the team. Except for the forward Tamari who plays for Ligue 1 Rennes, most of the players play in Asian teams, and even two players play in the Malaysian League. But it is such a team that has realized its dream of rushing to the World Cup. Next, preparing for the World Cup will become Serami’s next mission, and next year’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico will show his work results over the past year.
(Bumps/EastFang Buliang)