Ehsan Haddad has a message for anyone expecting Jordan to crumble under World Cup pressure: don't hold your breath.
Jordan's captain says his team's fuelled by pride, not nerves, as they prepare for their historic World Cup debut against Austria on Tuesday in Santa Clara, California.
“We're participating for the first time in our history. It's a great source of pride for us. This is pride more than pressure. It was the dream to be here,” Haddad told reporters on Monday.
The 31-year-old defender, who plays his club football for Al-Faisaly in Jordan, insisted the team's confidence is high. “We have self-confidence. The pressure that we used to feel got us here. So let us see where it's going to lead us to.”
Jordan qualified for the World Cup for the first time by scoring 32 goals in the Asian qualifying campaign. Their strong counter-attacking style has drawn comparisons to the disciplined Asian sides that have already impressed in this tournament.
“The results they achieved are really encouraging,” said Jordan coach Jamal Sellami, referring to the strong opening matches from Japan, South Korea, Australia and Qatar. “It's all positive, positive motivators for the players or for them to perform.”
But the step up to the world stage is massive. Most of Jordan's squad play in domestic clubs or elsewhere in the Middle East. Only winger Mousa Al Tamari, who plays for French side Stade Rennais, has European club experience.
Austria, by contrast, return to the World Cup after a 28-year absence and are eager to make an impact. They boast a squad packed with players from top European leagues.
“There are great players historically who aren't here today. This is a source of motivation for us to give it everything we've got,” Haddad said.
Jordan are in Group J alongside Austria, Algeria, and defending champions Argentina. Their second match is against Algeria, followed by the daunting task of facing Lionel Messi and Argentina.
Sellami acknowledged Austria's strengths — strong midfielders, good in attack and dangerous in the air — but said he has a game plan he'll stick to. “We're going to fight, we're going to be patient for 90 minutes, and we're going to stick to our game plan,” Haddad added.
Jordan are seeking to become the first team to reach the knockout stage in a World Cup debut since Slovakia did it in 2010. Haddad said his team feels privileged to be at the tournament when traditional powerhouses like Italy failed to qualify, but they aren't here just to make up the numbers.
“We're going to fight,” he said. “We're going to be patient for 90 minutes, and we're going to stick to our game plan.”