Ramtha climb as Wihdat maintain lead

By Aline Bannayan - Dec 02,2020 - Last updated at Dec 02,2020

AMMAN — Both Wihdat and Jazira lost the chance to take their leads further but have a chance to make up for lost points when Week 15 of the Jordan Professional Football League (Pro League) kicks off on Thursday.

Wihdat were held 1-1 with newcomers Maan, while Jazira were held 1-1 with Aqaba. Both teams are in the lead five points apart with Wihdat playing Aqaba and Jazira playing Sarih this week.

Ramtha, who beat Salt 2-1 and are one point behind Jazira in third place, next play Maan who are now 9th. Faisali, who climbed two spots after they beat Hussein Irbid 2-1, next play Sahab while Hussein play Ahli who are still last and held Shabab Urdun 0-0.

Salt are now 6th and play Shabab Urdun who are 8th while newcomers Sarih who beat Sahab 2-1 are now 7th.

This season, the league champ will move on to the preliminary round of the Asian Champions League while the second and third teams, instead of the Jordan Cup champ, will play in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup after the Jordan Cup was scrapped from the agenda.

So far this season, Faisali beat Jazira to win their 17th and 37th Jordan Super Cup while Wihdat defeated Ramtha to win their 10th and the 33rd Jordan Football Association Shield. Regionally, reigning champs Faisali started the AFC Cup on an unimpressive note, as 2022 World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup national team qualifiers have now been postponed to next year.

Last season, Wihdat beat Jazira to win the 36th Jordan Super Cup while Faisali won their 20th Jordan Cup title, adding it to their record 34th Pro League title, one point ahead of Jazira who had led throughout the competition and settled for runner-up. 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 winners while Wihdat were crowned champs 16 times since they joined in 1980.