Wihdat, Jazira still in contention in AFC Cup

AMMAN — Wihdat and Jazira need to boost their performance as they prepare to start Stage 4 of the 2015 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup.

In the latest matches, Wihdat kept their lead in Group A despite losing 1-0 to Syria’s Wihda on a penalty kick early in the match as Lebanon’s Salam Zgharta beat Oman’s Nahda 2-1.

Wihdat had earlier beat Oman’s Nahda 3-0 and Salam Zgharta 5-1. Wihda share lead with Wihdat on goal difference followed by Zgharta while three-time Oman champs Nahda are fourth in the group.

In Group B, Jazira scored their third draw holding Bahrain’s Hidd 1-1. Jazira kept losing points since they started the event drawing Iraq’s Shurta 1-1 and Palestine’s Wadi Nes by same score. Earlier, Shurta beat Wadi Nes 6-2 and held Bahrain’s Hidd 2-2.

Jordan Professional League champ Wihdat hope to advance in the AFC Cup this season after they exited the AFC Champions League, losing 1-0 to ACL and AFC Cup titleholders Kuwait’s Qadissieh. 

Locally, they still have a slim lead in the League after they beat Hussein 3-0 in their last match after a slump that saw them lose 1-0 to Ahli and draw 0-0 with bottom-placed Ittihad Ramtha.

Wihdat have never won the AFC Cup in the past seven times they competed while it is the first time for Jazira, who took part after two-time AFC Cup champ and League runner-up Faisali declined.

The 2015 AFC Cup includes 32 clubs from across the continent competing in eight groups with the top two from each group going to the Round of 16.

Last year, first time AFC Cup competitor and Jordan Cup champ That Ras exited the Round of 16 while former AFC Cup champ Shabab Urdun exited in Round 1. They were also eliminated by Bahrain’s Hidd in their preliminary round of the AFC Champions League.

The second-tier Asian club competition was won by Syria’s Jeish in its inaugural edition in 2004. Jordan’s Faisali won in 2005 and 2006, and Shabab Urdun won in 2007.