JEDDAH, 21 January 2003 — Jordan’s Al-Hussein became the first team to exit the Arab League Soccer Tournament for Prince Faisal Cup in the first round when they succumbed to their second straight group defeat yesterday.
Al-Hussein, needing a win to stay alive in the event, were thrashed by Al-Afriqi of Tunisia 3-0 in a match largely dominated by the Tunisian outfit.
With Al-Afriqi switching to the high gear from the word go, the Jordanian team were left with no option but to defend. Though they were more than a match for the Tunisian side on numerous occasions, but the tide of the match was surely and slowly dictated by the fast-moving Tunisians.
Afriqi had to wait till the 34th minute for their first goal, scored by Tarek Al-Tayyeb. The team switched ends with Afriqi holding a slim edge. Though Afriqi once again enjoyed territorial advantage, they had to wait till the 79th minute to add another to the tally, with Al-Tayyeb once again on the mark. Then Adel Al-Sullimi’s curler from a set piece in the 85th minute, beat Hussein’s goalkeeper to complete the rout.
With Afriqi and Al-Ahli of Jeddah both winning their first matches, their group engagement will be academic with both the teams qualifying for the next phase. The teams, however, will battle for the honor of topping the group.
Today, Al-Ittihad take on Al-Wehda of Syria in the first match, while Malab of Tunisia and Mariekh of Sudan play the second match. Mariekh will have to win to stay in fray.
