MUSA AL TAAMARI
Currently in his second season with perennial Cypriot champions APOEL, the dribble-happy Jordanian winger’s penchant for leading opposition fullbacks a merry dance could soon lead to the 22-year-old making the obvious move to a mainstream European championship.
Voted the Cypriot league’s player of the year last season, Al Taamari is a classic wide man: short of stature, as fast as an arrow, deft on the ball and enormously creative.
Previously with Shabab Al Ordon and Al Jazeera in his homeland, he is as persistent as he is tricky and pacy. If he does not beat his full-back first time around he will keep trying until he does. He is the itch a marker cannot scratch.
In truth, his nom de plume, “the Jordanian Messi”, has not been
His nom de plume, “the Jordanian Messi”, has not been particularly helpful
particularly helpful and such comparisons can be facile and corny. To the cynical mind it spells unwarranted hyperbole. But he patently does pose a genuine advanced threat. With his quick feet and audacity he can destabilise any defence, capable of skipping past a man both inside and out.
He is especially potent as a oneman counter-attacking machine, either leading the charge and playing in a team-mate, making a clever decoy run or taking sole charge of the manoeuvre.
Jordan’s 4-2 friendly loss to Paraguay last autumn was the showcase for one of his typically electrifying actions on the break, receiving a pass wide on the right, cutting inside, leaving two defenders for dead before shooting emphatically home with his trusty left foot.
Self-confident and bold, this is a player who prefers to march to the sound of his own drum. During his formative years in Jordan, rather than opting to join one of the country’s “Big Two” – Al Faisaly and
Al Wehdat – or ply his trade in one of the many lucrative Gulf leagues, he was only ever interested in moving to Europe.
He finally got his wish in July 2018
when signing for APOEL. That was stage one of his career path. The time now seems right for step two.