Jazira look to stay in lead with Wihdat, Faisali hot on their heels

AMMAN — The Jordan Professional Football League resumes on Thursday, with Leg 2 of the competition kicking off after a three-week break during which the national team held a training camp and teams regrouped to refocus and amend gaps.

Jazira topped the standings at the end of Leg 1. However, Leg 2 is bound to see heated competition, with three teams closely behind. Wihdat are second, while Faisali are third. 

Manshieh, who joined the pro league this season with Sahab, have tipped the balance and are now in fourth place, while teams like Ramtha, Ahli and Shabab Urdun are further down the standings with inconsistent results. 

That Ras are going through financial strains that have taken their toll, and the club are now in the relegation zone together with Baqaa, who are usually among the upper half of standings.

Wihdat are looking to win their fourth consecutive and 16th overall title, while Faisali have not won the league in the past four years and eye a 33rd record title.

A total of 147 goals were scored in the past 66 matches. Jazira's Syrian pro Mardig Mardigian still leads the scorers list with eight goals. 

Ahli won the first major competition on the 2016/17 football calendar, making history when they beat reigning league champs Wihdat 2-1 to nab the 34th Super Cup.

In the Jordan Football Association Shield — back on the calendar after four years — Shabab Urdun scored a major 5-1 win over Faisali. It was Shabab Urdun's second Shield title after they first won it in 2007.

In the Jordan Cup, four teams have made it to the semis, in which Wihdat will face Faisali while Ramtha play Jazira in two legs on May 12 and 16, before playing the final on May 20.

Wihdat and Ahli will also shift focus to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup.

Reigning league champs Wihdat lost 3-0 to UAE's Wihda on Tuesday in the 2017 AFC Asian Champions League playoff, which is a stage before Round 1 of the prestigious event. Wihdat had earlier beat AFC Cup runners-up India's Bengaluru FC 2-1 in the preliminary round match.