Jamal leads strong Al Jazira performance

Over the course of the FIFA Club World Cup 2021, our Technical Study Group (TSG) are tasked with selecting the Man of the Match for every game. Here we take a closer look at their performances.

The tournament kicked off at the Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium as host club, Al Jazira defeated Pirae (Tahiti) 4-1 to progress to the second round.

Mohamed Jamal was selected by our TSG as Man of the Match with an impressive performance in centre midfield. Although he was not on the scoresheet, his contribution to his team’s attacking play was significant, receiving 123 balls and completing 120 distributions across the 90 mins. He also broke the lines 23 times, the most of any player in the game.

Out of possession, he worked hard for his team, applying 30 pressures and also performed 15 defensive actions, eight more than the average of all other players.

Alberto Zaccheroni observed the match and commented, "Jamal was always looking for the ball. He was always moving and getting into the space. He was very effective in how his team progressed their play."