League concludes as Wihdat secure title, Jazira runner-up again

AMMAN  — The Jordan Professional Football League (Pro League) concludes this week with Wihdat having secured the title and Jazira in the runner-up spot, while one of the relegated teams is still to be decided.

Wihdat will celebrate taking home their 17th league crown after they play rivals Faisali, who improved to fifth. Wihdat beat Sarih 3-0 this week to secure their record overall 53 points ahead of the end of the competition.

Jazira have secured second place again after they beat closest rival Ramtha 1-0. They next play Shabab Urdun, who are 9th after they lost to Sahab 1-0. The latter seem closest to drop alongside Ahli.

Ramtha will play Sarih, who are intent on winning to secure their spot in the Pro League, while Salt who secured fourth spot and beat Ahli 3-1 next play Aqaba who maintained a halfway standing in the league and are now 7th after a 3-2 win over Hussein. The latter are now 6th ahead of their match against Sahab.

Ahli have dropped after a disappointing season. They last lost to Faisali 3-2 and next play Maan who were promoted last year and maintained their spot among the top clubs and are currently eighth.

Jazira have been close to the title for the past three seasons, but lost momentum during the competition. The club won the title four times, but have been unable to move past second spot this season.

After the Jordan Cup was scrapped from the agenda for the first time since the competition kicked off in 1980, the football season now concludes with Faisali having beaten Jazira to win their 17th Jordan Super Cup while Wihdat defeated Ramtha to win their 10th Jordan Football Association Shield. 

Next season, Wihdat will play in the preliminary round of the Asian Champions League while Faisali and Salt are set to play in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup. This season, reigning league champs Faisali played alongside Jazira in the AFC Cup, which was later scrapped with the COVID-19 pandemic halting regional and international sporting agendas. 

Likewise, 2022 World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup national team qualifiers were postponed to 2021. 

Last season, Wihdat beat Jazira to win the 36th Jordan Super Cup while Faisali won their record 34th Pro League title and 20th Jordan Cup title. Ahli, who were relegated last decade but came back to win the Jordan Cup in 2015 and played in the AFC, barely secured their spot as Baqaa dropped to the First Division after 18 consecutive seasons in the Pro League. They were joined by That Ras, a former AFC Cup participant and 2012 Jordan Cup champ. Maan and Sarih were promoted.

Since the league kicked off in 1944 with only Faisali, Urdun, Ahli and Homenetmen competing, Faisali are 34 time record league champs while Wihdat won 17 times since they joined in 1980.