Here’s a guide for the quarter-finals games that are occurring today: Egypt-Jordan and Morocco-Algeria.
EGYPT - JORDAN
Egypt ensured itself first place in Group D by winning two games out of three in the group stage. Seven goals were scored by the team coached by Carlos Queiroz and only one was conceded in the three matches, on Day 3 in the draw against Algeria. Only Morocco maintained a better defence in the first stage of the tournament (no goals conceded in three games), while Qatar and Algeria conceded only one goal as well.
Despite struggling on Day 2 against Morocco, Jordan managed to go through the tournament, thanks to the victories against Saudi Arabia on Day 1 (1-0) and against Palestine on Day 3, after scoring five goals in the final 90 minutes of its group stage. Yazan Al-Naimat is Jordan’s top scorer so far in the competition, by marking two goals in three matches; only Seifeddine Jaziri, from Tunisia, has done better so far.
The match between Egypt and Jordan is the first scheduled for the day, starting from 3:00 pm local time at Al Janoub Stadium, in Al Wakrah.
MOROCCO-ALGERIA
Morocco ended up being first in Group C by winning all matches played so far: three winning against Palestine (4-0), Jordan (4-0) and Saudi Arabia (1-0). Morocco is the team with the best shape in the tournament: in fact, it’s been 1268 days - almost three and a half years - since they lost a competitive game (excluding penalty shootouts). The Moroccans attempted more shots than anyone else, with 78 attempts, followed by Egypt (75) and Tunisia (72). By scoring nine goals in three matches Morocco established itself as the highest scorers of the group stage; also it is the only team in the tournament that has not conceded a goal yet.
Algeria ended up in second place in Group D, with the same amount of points as Egypt (7) and the same goal difference (6-6). The victories against Sudan (4-0) and Lebanon (2-0) ensured its qualification to the next round after Day 2; the draw with Egypt (1-1) did not change the situation in the Group. Algeria scored the same amount of goals as Egypt, with 7 marks in three matches: only Morocco had a better score in the group stage, with 9 goals in total.
The match between Morocco and Algeria is the second scheduled for the day, starting from 7:00 pm local time at Al Thumama Stadium, in Doha, Al Thumama district. The winner will clash in the semifinal stage with Qatar.
