Badou Zaki raises Jordan's ambitions and reveals the secret of the "golden generation"
Could he be a worthy successor?
Badou Zaki believes his new Jordan side have everything they need to keep developing and winning. The "Nashama" head coach insists their recent run of success was no fluke, but the product of a sweeping overhaul and the rise of a special generation of players.
Zaki takes charge after fellow Moroccan Jamal Sellami steered Jordan to the 2026 World Cup. Before that, Hussein Ammouta had led them to the finals of both the 2023 Asian Cup and the 2025 Arab Cup.
Speaking to FIFA's website, Zaki called the Jordan job "a new chapter and a new challenge" in his career. He admitted his delight at taking over a team that has made history in recent years.
The Moroccan pointed to how clearly Jordan's progress has shown in the national team's level and results. His aim, he said, is to build on those gains while keeping the team's identity intact and shaping an organised, balanced side ahead of the challenges to come, chief among them the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia.
He has watched Jordan closely for a long time, Zaki explained, which has given him a strong grasp of his players' technical, tactical and individual qualities. The current phase, he noted, is about judging the readiness of every player and weighing up his options without disturbing the team's stability.
Why has Jordan taken such a leap? Zaki put it down to a "comprehensive renaissance" that coincided with the emergence of a "golden generation" of players. He also credited better infrastructure, the spread of academies, a wider pool for the national teams and a focus on age-group tournaments.
Jordan's first World Cup, in his words, was "a successful and honourable campaign by all measures". Facing giants like Argentina, Austria and Algeria handed the players vital experience and showed they can compete at the highest level.
Nine changes to the squad came down to one thing. Zaki confirmed his picks rest on technical and physical readiness and the needs of the team, stressing that the door is open to everyone, with performance, fitness and the ability to serve the country the key criteria.
Talk of the 2030 World Cup can wait. Zaki refused to be drawn, insisting the focus is firmly on the 2027 Asian Cup, before adding that the team has the qualities and experience to reach World Cups regularly if it keeps working, developing and staying the course.
Seeing Jordan at the 2030 World Cup would mean a great deal to him, Zaki concluded, especially with Morocco among the hosts. Even so, he underlined the need to take each stage as it comes and move forward "step by step".
