Childhood Dream Come True - Part 1
For every boy that has played football, it is their dream to attend the World Cup.
For me, that dream has come true.
I got to the chance to be a photographer with the Jordan Football Association, to document the Jordanian national team’s journey in the world cup from the stands.
I will not share with you the details of how I got the job. I will save that for when you ask me in person.
All I will say is that it required the following: sharing your interest and desire with the world, the support of your close friends and family, years of building relationships with others, a bit of luck, and a lot of determination, persistence, and risk taking.
This was a mini-story of success, and a story I will hold on for the rest of my life.
The story I want to tell is a story of what it means for a small proud nation from the Arab world to qualify and experience the world cup for the first time.
Right before the final game against Argentina
Nearly every kid in Jordan played and plays football on the street.
Whenever I think about it, I can feel the warm asphalt on my hands diving for a ball when I was a goalie, or when I was reaching with my legs for the ball stuck under a car. We would play Goal Ingleezi, “English Football’, which meant that you would play two teams against one neutral goalkeeper. If we couldn’t afford or didn’t have a ball, which usually is the case, we would play with a crushed Pepsi can. You’re always looking for the baleela, putting the ball between someone’s legs, and you’re always so scared of the shammali, the left footed sharpshooter or power-driver. The chubby guy is almost always on goal, and there is always one guy on your team that will never pass, deserving of his glory in dribbling heroics towards the goal, or selfishly looking for validation instead of the obvious pass.
Half of my core memories from my childhood pertain to football at school. Whether that was the coliseum like feeling of playing against classes in front of the whole school surrounding the field, celebrating every goal with our entire hearts with an eruption of 11 year olds yelling their hearts out, or the rushing feeling of adrenaline and endorphins scoring my first goal during a tournament. There was nothing like playing football with your classmates and friends, regardless of where you were.
Me, 2nd from the bottom right, with our “Fastlink team”. I remember each player’s personality on the field. The guy with the gloves, of course, is the goalkeeper. The other two big guys, defense.
The same goal you see in the previous photo, many years later.The cheer of the entire school during the football matches still ring in my ear.
The entrance to the school where my love of football formulated.
Regardless of if you lived in a neighborhood with wide streets, with tight streets, or with no streets at all, there is a collective memory that most boys in Jordan have, all revolved around playing football. Every man who played will say that they were the best when they were a kid. Every man who played will say that they would pass by anyone and everyone with the ball. Every man will say that they played for the national team’s youth squad, but then got injured, and so had to continue with life and eventually work selling Hyundai car parts, as he takes a drag from his cigarette, a habit he’s had since the aforementioned youth squad days.
This obsession isn’t only for playing football, but also for watching football.
Our entire childhood was based off an anime show called “Captain Majed”. All our moves would be inspired by this boy, who apparently is called “Captain Tsubasa”. I must deny this claim. His name is Majed.
And of course, the Real Madrid and Barcelona clasicos from high school will be memories cemented in my head forever.
But the Jordan national team is a different feeling. The names of Abdullah Abu Zimi’, Amer Shafee’, Anas Zboun, Mohammad Khamis, and Hassouneh Al-Sheikh ring in our collective memory as men of legendary status.
I remember watching the football games on our huge televisions. I remember all our losses. Our loss to Japan to penalties, where they changed the side of the field during the shootout in 2004, and our loss to Uzbekistan in 2011 in the Asian Cup. And then most recently, our most successful stints, our loss to Qatar in the Asian cup, and our loss to Morocco in the Arab cup.
There were many victories, such as when we won against Uzbekistan in 2013 for the 2016 World Cup qualifiers, but it felt like we are always almost there.
But growing up with the growth of this team, people my age and older will understand the heartbreak that this country has gone through for generations now.
With the expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams, and Jordan’s recent excellent performances, it was only a matter of time for them to qualify and be part of this tournament.
The excitement could not have been described before experiencing it. Everyone’s anticipation felt untouched, unaware of what it means for your country to be on the biggest stage and be broadcasted to the world. Until the day finally came.
