Wihdat aim to boost league lead as top teams play catch-up

AMMAN  — Week 17 of the Jordan Professional Football League kicks off on Thursday with Wihdat having a clear lead after last week’s matches and no changes in the standings.

The veteran team beat Ramtha 1-0 to lead by five points and next play Baqa’a while second placed Ramtha play Shabab Urdun who were held with Hussein 1-1.

Jazira beat Baqa’a 3-0 and remained third ahead of their match against Ahli who went down to last placed Yarmouk 2-0.

Faisali held on to fourth after a 1-0 win over That Ras and next play Hussein. Aqaba who beat Manshieh 2-0 as they try to move out of the relegation zone next play That Ras while Manshiek play Yarmouk.

This week, Jazira beat Bahrain’s Malikieh 1-0 while Faisali beat Lebanon’s Ansar 3-1 in Stage 2 of the 15th Asian Football Confederation Cup to take the lead atop Groups A and C. Both Jordanian teams upset the group leaders of the second-tier Asian club competition after both were held to draws in stage 1 as Jazira held Iraqi Air Force Club and Faisali held Syria’s Wihdeh 2-2. 

So far this season, reigning League and Jordan Cup champs Faisali beat Jazira to win the 35th Jordan Super Cup. Wihdat beat Jazira to win the Jordan Football Association (JFA) Shield. In the Jordan Cup, Jazira ousted Faisali while Shabab Urdun eliminated Wihdat to reach the final.

Last year, Faisali won their 33rd league title after a four year break and combined it with the Jordan Cup. Ahli beat reigning league champs Wihdat to win the Super Cup, Shabab Urdun beat Faisali to win their second JFA Shield title after they first won in 2007. Sarih and Sahab were relegated and replaced by Aqaba and Yarmouk from the First Division.