Jordan 0-0 Venezuela: Amman friendly stays locked as Sellami and Pekerman share clean sheets
Jordan and Venezuela drew 0-0 on October 6 at King Abdullah II Stadium in Amman, in a friendly that gave both J. Sellami and J. Pekerman answers in structure, but not in the final third.
No goals, no breakthrough, and no late winner. The match stayed exactly where it began: balanced, cautious, and useful more than spectacular.
Jordan started with Abdallah Al-Fakhouri in goal, Anas Badawi, Abdallah Nasib and Saad Al Rousan in defence, Mohannad Abu Taha, Nizar Al-Rashdan, Noor Al-Rawabdeh, Yousef Qashi, Mousa Tamari and Mahmoud Al-Mardi across midfield areas, and Ali Olwan as the listed forward. The supplied lineup data listed no formal formation for Sellami’s side, but the selection pointed to a midfield-heavy structure built to give Tamari and Al-Mardi room around Olwan.
Venezuela, also with no formal formation listed in the lineup data, were set up by Pekerman with Cristopher Varela in goal, Delvin Alfonzo, Carlos Vivas, Yordan Osorio and Juan David Sánchez in defence, Wikelman Carmona, Marco Libra, Andrusw Araujo, Daniel Pereira and Edson Tortolero in midfield, and Jovanny Bolívar as the forward.
How the match moved
Venezuela made the first change in the 46th minute, with Yerwin Sulbaran replacing Andrusw Araujo. It looked like an early move to alter the midfield balance before the game drifted too far into friendly rhythm.
The only card came in the 52nd minute, when Juan David Sánchez was booked for Venezuela. In a game without goals, that was one of the few clear interruptions to the pattern: Jordan trying to find their wide and advanced midfielders, Venezuela trying to keep the central lane closed and avoid giving Tamari too much space between lines.
Sellami then made the biggest move of the night in the 65th minute. Jordan made three changes at once: Mohammad Abu Zrayq came on for Mousa Tamari, Tammer Bany replaced Yousef Qashi, and Ahmad Ersan replaced Ali Olwan. That was the key Jordanian reset. Tamari and Olwan were removed together, which took out two of the main attacking reference points and shifted the match further into evaluation mode.
Jordan kept rotating. Ibrahim Sadeh replaced Nizar Al-Rashdan in the 70th minute, then Anas Al Awadat came on for Mahmoud Al-Mardi in the 71st minute. By then, the match had become less about one decisive action and more about who could keep shape through disruption.
Venezuela answered late. Sebastián Mendoza replaced Jovanny Bolívar in the 81st minute, and Roman Davis came on for Delvin Alfonzo in the 82nd minute. Pekerman refreshed both the forward reference point and the back line.
Sellami used another triple change in the 85th minute: Mo Abualnadi replaced Mohannad Abu Taha, Ahmad Assaf replaced Anas Badawi, and Amer Jamous replaced Noor Al-Rawabdeh. The message was clear. This was a friendly with a broad selection package, and Jordan wanted minutes across the squad.
Tactical read
Jordan’s best idea was in the composition of the team sheet: numbers in midfield, technical players between zones, and Tamari used as the obvious connector before his substitution in the 65th minute. With Al-Mardi also starting, Sellami had two players capable of linking possession into advanced areas, while Olwan gave the side a forward target.
Venezuela’s setup was more conventional on paper, with four listed defenders and a five-man midfield behind Bolívar. Osorio’s presence in the back line mattered because Venezuela needed control more than risk. With Carmona, Libra, Pereira and Tortolero around the middle, Pekerman’s side had enough bodies to prevent the game becoming stretched.
The result reflected that. Neither side found the goal that would have changed the tone. Jordan had the home platform and the more aggressive bench usage, but Venezuela managed the match well enough to leave Amman with a clean sheet.
Match events
- 46th minute: Yerwin Sulbaran on for Andrusw Araujo, Venezuela
- 52nd minute: Juan David Sánchez booked, Venezuela
- 65th minute: Mohammad Abu Zrayq on for Mousa Tamari, Jordan
- 65th minute: Tammer Bany on for Yousef Qashi, Jordan
- 65th minute: Ahmad Ersan on for Ali Olwan, Jordan
- 70th minute: Ibrahim Sadeh on for Nizar Al-Rashdan, Jordan
- 71st minute: Anas Al Awadat on for Mahmoud Al-Mardi, Jordan
- 81st minute: Sebastián Mendoza on for Jovanny Bolívar, Venezuela
- 82nd minute: Roman Davis on for Delvin Alfonzo, Venezuela
- 85th minute: Mo Abualnadi on for Mohannad Abu Taha, Jordan
- 85th minute: Ahmad Assaf on for Anas Badawi, Jordan
- 85th minute: Amer Jamous on for Noor Al-Rawabdeh, Jordan
Numbers
The official statistical feed supplied no shot, possession, passing, expected goals or save totals for either team.
What is confirmed: Jordan 0-0 Venezuela. No goals scored. One yellow card, shown to Juan David Sánchez in the 52nd minute.
What comes next
For Jordan, this was not a night of proof in attack, but it was a useful control exercise for Sellami. The number of substitutions showed a staff looking at options, combinations and minutes rather than chasing a friendly result at any cost.
For Venezuela, Pekerman leaves with a clean sheet and a match that exposed the obvious next step: more threat around the forward line. Bolívar started, Mendoza got his chance in the 81st minute, and the staff will know the attacking package still needs sharpening.
Elsewhere in the international window, there were more decisive scorelines: Argentina beat Benin 3-0 as Messi controlled the night, while Colombia defeated Peru 2-0 in Miami. Jordan and Venezuela did not get that kind of clarity in the final third. They got something colder, but still useful: a clean sheet each, and more work to do.
