Wihdat on verge of securing league title

AMMAN — Wihdat have almost secured the title and can seal the Jordan Professional Football League (Pro League) crown this week if closest rivals Jazira draw or lose.

Wihdat lead by 9 points ahead after they beat Hussein 2-0 as Jazira remained second, but fell behind on points after a disappointing 5-0 defeat to Salt, who moved up two spots to be within the top four.

Wihdat next have an easy match against Sahab while Jazira will play Maan. Ramtha are close to runner-up spot after they beat Shabab Urdun 1-0 ahead of their match against Hussein.

Jazira have been close to the title for the past three seasons, but lost momentum during the competition. The club has won the title four times and have been eager to repeat lately.

Salt will play Sarih while Faisali who were held 2-2 with Aqaba will next play Ahli as the latter are in a close race to move out of the relegation zone. They held Sarih 0-0 ahead of their match against titleholders Faisali who are now 6th.

After the Jordan Cup was scrapped from the agenda for the first time since the competition kicked off in 1980, the football season concludes with the end of the league. In other competitions, 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 title.

Next season Wihdat will play in the preliminary round of the Asian Champions League while Faisali and Salt will 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 for the season.

Likewise, 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 Baqa'a 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.