Marrakech – After two action-packed Arab Cup quarterfinal matches yesterday opposing Morocco to Syria and Saudi Arabia to Palestine, the tournament resumes today with the second set of quarterfinals.
Jamal Sellami’s high-flying Jordan team is set to face Graham Arnold’s Iraq at the Education City Stadium in Ar-Rayyan, Qatar.
Jordan are coming off a strong group stage outing with three wins in as many matches. Sellami’s side first toppled the United Arab Emirates 2-1 in their tournament opener before defeating Kuwait and Egypt 3-1 and 3-0, respectively, topping Group C with nine points.
Iraq also kicked off their 2025 FIFA Arab Cup campaign with two wins over Bahrain and Sudan but fell 2-0 to Algeria in their final Group D fixture, finishing second behind The Fennecs.
The winner of today’s match will progress to face Saudi Arabia in the last four.
Match Details:
- Fixture: Jordan vs. Iraq
- Competition: FIFA Arab Cup– Knockout Stage, Quarterfinals – Single Leg
- Venue: Education City Stadium– Ar-Rayyan, Qatar
- Date: Friday, December 12
- Kick-off: 3:30 p.m. (GMT+1)
🇯🇴 🆚 🇮🇶
📅 | الجمعة 12/12
🕕 | 05:30 مساءً
🏆 | كأس العرب (الدور ربع النهائي)
🏟️ | ستاد المدينة التعليمية#معك_يالنشمي pic.twitter.com/dYlgJcXDu6— Jordan FA – الاتحاد الأردني لكرة القدم (@JordanFA) December 12, 2025
How to Watch
The match will be broadcast on beIN Sports HD, Dubai Sports, Abu Dhabi Sports, and Kuwait Sports. It will also be available for streaming on TOD.
Jordan Team News
Today, the Jordanian players have a chance to equal their country’s best-ever finish at an Arab Cup: a semi-final appearance in 2002.
After a perfect group stage, Sellami, Jordan’s head coach, warned against overconfidence as his team prepares to face a difficult opponent, stating the group stage wins are now history.
“The group stage is now part of the past. We had a meeting last night with the players, and there is an acknowledgment that the most important opponent in front of us is ourselves,” the Moroccan tactician said.
Sellami also stated that facing Iraq would be a great test for his side ahead of what will be Jordan’s first-ever World Cup appearance in 2026.
Sellami hopes his star forward, Ali Olwan, will deliver once more today. The Al Karma SC winger has scored in all of Jordan’s games in the competition and now stands as the tournament’s top scorer alongside Saudi Arabia’s Mohamed Kanno with three goals each.
On the injury front, Jordan will be without defender Saleem Obaid. The center-back sustained an injury against Egypt and is expected to miss today’s clash.
Iraq Team News
Unlike their rivals today, Iraq have yet to book their spot for the 2026 World Cup. Arnold’s side will participate in the intercontinental qualifying playoffs in March, where they will face off against the winner of Bolivia-Suriname to secure their trip to North America.
The Arab Cup is a chance for Iraq to test itself against top teams from the region and, ideally, receive a confidence boost ahead of the pivotal March international break.
Historically, no team has won the Arab Cup as many times as Iraq. The Lions of Mesopotamia have been crowned champions four times—in 1964, 1966, 1985, and 1988.
Arnold’s team, in its last meeting with Jordan on June 10, came out on top 1-0. The Iraqis will hope to replicate that performance tonight to reach their first Arab Cup semi-final since 2012.
Iraq report no injuries, but right winger Hussein Al-Saedi will miss today’s match due to a suspension. The Al-Shorta player was sent off with a direct red card after only five minutes of play during Iraq’s final group stage match.
- Score Prediction: Jordan 2 – 1 Iraq
