Sports

AMMAN — Jordan remained in 110th spot when the latest FIFA Rankings were issued over the weekend, and the national team’s competitive form was further cast into doubt this month as it gears up for the 2019 Asian Cup in the UAE. 

This month, Jordan’s coach Jamal Abu Abed was relieved of his duty by the Jordan Football Association after the team only managed a 0-0 tie with Oman and earlier lost to Lebanon 1-0.

The team’s inconsistent form as it gears up for the continent’s most important football event comes before they regroup to play Albania on October 10 and World Cup runner up Croatia on October 15. 

While the team’s path to the championship was not difficult against relatively unknown teams in the Asian continent now comes the serious part, the Asian Cup is a different story. Jordan will play alongside Australia, Syria and Palestine in Group B as 24 teams will play in six groups with the top two from each group and four third placed teams advance to the Round of 16. 

The Kingdom’s competitive edge is lacking and judging by FIFA Rankings, it seems there will be a tough task ahead. Once among the Asia top 10, Jordan is now 19th in the continent trailing Iran (33), Australia (43), Japan (54), South Korea (55), Saudi Arabia (71), Syria (74), China (76), the UAE (77), Lebanon (77), Oman (85), Iraq (89), Kyrgyzstan (91), Qatar (94), Uzbekistan (96), India (97), Palestine (100) Vietnam (102) and North Korea (109). Tunisia is the top-ranked Arab team at 23rd, followed by Morocco 45th, Egypt 64th, Algeria 69th and, Saudi Arabia 71st.

Belgium now shares top spot with World Cup champ France followed by Brazil, Croatia, Uruguay, England, Portugal, Switzerland, Spain and Denmark. 

Jordan is now lagging behind relatively uncompetitive Asian teams. Jordan ended 2017 at 107th — a position they did not better throughout last year. 

Since first taking part in Asian Cup qualifiers in 1972, Jordan reached the Asian Championship three times. The peak was at the 13th Asian Cup, when it lost to Japan in the quarter-finals and jumped to the best ever FIFA Ranking of 37th in August 2004.

After elimination from the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, playing in the Asian finals was a priority for Jordan which has steadily slid down FIFA Rankings and the team has had inconsistent results compared to 2013 when Jordan was on the verge of qualifying to the 2014 World Cup for the first time.

AMMAN — Jordan karate player Abdulrahman Al Masatfah is through to the -67kg final of the WK Series A tournament taking place Chile, according to the Jordan Olympic Committee News Service.

Masatfah started his journey on Friday with a win over Bulgaria’s Rivov Vasel, 8-0, before he beat Belgium’s Rozelo Jes, 8-1.

The 2018 Asian gold medalist then beat Costa Rica’s Luis Diego, 8-0, and the USA’s Noah Faris, 8-0.

In the quarter-final he overcame Turkey’s Omar Uzer, 5-1, and then he reached the final by beating Ukraine’s Denis Koveto, 10-2.

He will meet Brazil’s Vinicio Agoero in the final on Sunday. The event has welcomed over 900 players representing 68 countries.

AMMAN — Jordan’s young 3x3 Basketball team will compete in Group A at the 3rd Youth Olympic Games that will be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from October 6 until October 20, according to the Jordan Olympic Committee News Service.  Jordan, the only male Arab team to qualify, has been drawn with China, Slovenia, Turkmenistan and Georgia.

The 20 nations has been divided into four groups: Group B: Ukraine, Andorra, Venezuela, Brazil and New Zealand. Group C: Estonia, the USA, Mongolia, Russia and Argentina. Group D: Italy, Latvia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Belgium. Egypt have qualified a team for the women’s event.

Real Madrid got their Champions League title defence off to a strong start on Wednesday by convincingly beating AS Roma 3-0 at home with goals from Isco, Gareth Bale and a stoppage-time strike from returning striker Mariano Diaz.

Julen Lopetegui’s side, who have won the last three editions of the competition, made a flying start against last season’s semifinalists Roma, but took their time to make their dominance count.

Isco, Bale, Sergio Ramos and Dani Carvajal all missed relatively simple chances for the hosts, who were not far from going behind when Turkish youngster Cengiz Under darted in behind the defence but sent his finish flying wide.

It took a wonderfully struck free kick from Isco right at the end of the first half for Real to take a deserved lead, and their dominance continued in the second half.

Bale saw a deflected shot bounce off the crossbar shortly after the interval but got the goal he craved not long after, racing on to a raking pass from former Tottenham Hotspur teammate Luka Modric and arrowing in off the post in the 58th minute.

Roma did not completely wilt after conceding again and it took an impressive save from Keylor Navas to deny the lively Under, as the Costa Rican goalkeeper justified his inclusion in the team after briefly losing his place to Thibaut Courtois.

Roma goalkeeper Robin Olsen did his best to keep the scoreline dignified by denying Isco and Marco Asensio but was powerless to stop Mariano.

The striker was playing his first game after returning to Madrid from Olympique Lyonnais and got the crowd on their feet with a wonderful curling strike into the top corner. 

Real lead Champions League Group G with three points after Viktoria Plzen blew a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at home to CSKA Moscow, who equalised in the 95th minute with a converted penalty from Croatian striker Nikola Vlasic.

Bayern’s Sanches scores

Bayern Munich midfielder Renato Sanches made a memorable return to former club Benfica Lisbon, scoring once and helping set up the other goal in the Germans’ 2-0 Champions League Group E opening win on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old Benfica youth product, who joined Bayern in 2016, but hardly played before being loaned out to Swansea City last season, earned a rare start due to the injury of Thiago Alcantara.

He made the most of his chance as Bayern cruised to a comfortable victory despite a string of injury absences that also include World Cup winner Corentin Tolisso, Kingsley Coman and Rafinha.

Talented and lightning-quick, Portugal international Sanches emerged as a teenaged sensation following their Euro 2016 victory, but Bayern fans had seen little of his abilities until Wednesday.

Manchester City suffer

Manchester City suffered a surprise 2-1 defeat at home to Olympique Lyonnais in their opening Champions League Group F game on Wednesday.

Lyon took the lead in the 26th minute through Maxwel Cornet, who drove home after Fabian Delph made a hash of clearing a Nabil Fekir cross from the left.

With the suspended City manager Pep Guardiola forced to watch from the stands, Fekir the made it 2-0 to the French side in the 43rd minute with a sweetly struck drive after being set-up by Memphis Depay.

It could have been 3-0 when Depay hit the post on the hour but after that let-off City earned themselves a lifeline through Bernardo Silva, who produced a smart finish after a superb jinking run from substitute Leroy Sane.

Lyon, however, smothered City’s attack well and kept chances to a minimum in the latter stages as they held on for an impressive victory.

LIVERPOOL, England — Roberto Firmino struck a stoppage-time winner as Liverpool beat Paris St Germain 3-2 at Anfield on Tuesday after Kylian Mbappe looked to have secured a point for the French side in a compelling Champions League Group C clash.

Anfield played host to some memorable matches in this competition last season as Liverpool marched towards a losing final appearance against Real Madrid, and the first match of the current group stage proved to be another electric night of entertainment.

PSG had come back from two goals down with French World Cup winner Mbappe equalising in the 83rd minute, but then Firmino, who started on the bench due to an eye injury, drilled home a low shot in the final seconds.

It was a deserved victory for Juergen Klopp’s team who had been on top for most of the match and handled the sport’s most expensively-assembled frontline with some confidence.

Yet it was agonising for PSG, who had looked buried in the first half but showed character to claw themselves back on level terms.

Daniel Sturridge, who had not started a Champions League game since his days with Chelsea in 2012, was given the nod to replace Firmino in attack and the English striker responded superbly.

With Anfield in loud and proud mood, Liverpool came roaring out and put Thomas Tuchel’s side under intense pressure from the outset.

James Milner brought another roar out of the home fans when he left Neymar crumpled on the floor after a crunching, but fair, tackle on the Brazil forward.

The former Barcelona striker offered a reminder of his threat, however, in the 17th minute as he broke away from Trent Alexander-Arnold and tested his compatriot Alisson Becker, in the Liverpool goal, with a snap-shot.

Liverpool were winning every challenge in midfield and managing to nullify the dangers presented by Neymar and Mbappe and they were charging forward with intent at every opportunity.

It was Sturridge who opened the scoring in the 30th minute with a fine header from an Andy Robertson cross, the striker getting in between Thiago Silva and Presnel Kimpembe and powering home his effort.

Six minutes later the Reds doubled their lead when PSG defender Juan Bernat tripped Georginio Wijnaldum in the area and Milner slotted home the penalty.

The Parisians got themselves back into the game though five minutes before the break when Robertson, who had been outstanding in restricting Mbappe, failed to clear and Thomas Meunier drove home a first-time effort.

Liverpool thought they had a third after the break when Mohamed Salah had the ball in the net but the effort was ruled out by referee Cuneyt Cakir who correctly ruled that Sturridge had fouled Areola when the pair scrapped for a loose ball.

Even at 2-1 Liverpool looked comfortably in charge but with seven minutes to go, Salah carelessly gave the ball away in his own half, Neymar ran towards the home defence and the ball fell to the 19-year-old Mbappe who drove home with supreme confidence.

Just as the home crowd were reconciling themselves to two dropped points, Firmino showed he could match the Frenchman for clinical finishing, eking out just enough space for a drilled, diagonal shot which sent Anfield into ecstasy.

Red Star Belgrade ground out a 0-0 home draw against Napoli on the Serbian side’s Champions League debut as their goalkeeper Milan Borjan made a flurry of telling saves in a pulsating Group C clash.

AMMAN  — The Jordan Professional Football League heads into Week 4 on Thursday with Jazira having taken the lead atop the 12-team standings leaving rivals Faisali and titleholders Wihdat trailing behind.

This week, Jazira beat Hussein 3-1 to take the lead ahead of their next match against Aqaba, who fell to 7th after losing to Baqaa 1-0 as the latter climbed to 6th. Shabab Urdun are second after managing a 1-1 draw with Salt who are now fifth. Shabab Urdun will take on Wihdat while Salt play Faisali in tough matches this round.

Baqaa will play That Ras who are 10th while Hussein meet Sarih who held Wihdat 1-1. Faisali held Ramtha while Ahli held That Ras by the same score.

In the earlier two stages Jazira beat Baqaa 4-2, Shabab Urdun beat Ramtha 3-1, That Ras held Faisali 1-1 , Aqaba beat Ahli 4-0, Baqaa beat Hussein 3-1, Sarih held Ramtha 1-1, Jazira beat Ahli 2-0, Salt upset Wihdat 1-0 to shape the current standings

This week Jazira lost their home match 1-0 to the Iraqi Air Force in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup which was twice won by Faisali and once by Shabab Urdun. Ramtha will host Tunisia’s Etoile Sportive Du Sahel in the return leg of the Arab Clubs Championship on September 28 as they seek to makes up for their 3-1 defeat in Leg 1. Last year, Faisali finished runner-up to Tunisia’s Tarajji in the Arab Championship after an impressive performance which included two wins over Egyptian veterans Ahli. 

This week, the national team also tied Oman 0-0 before they regroup to play Albania on October 10 and World Cup runner-up Croatia on October 15. Jordan lost to Lebanon 1-0 earlier this month as the team’s coach Jamal Abu Abed was relieved of his duty by the Jordan Football Association as the team gears up for the Asian Cup — the continent’s most important football event. The team beat Cyprus 3-0 earlier in this summer.

The 2018-2019 football season kicked off in August when league champs Wihdat beat Jordan Cup champs Jazira in the 36th Jordan Super Cup.

Last season, Wihdat won the league for a record 16th time. Jazira  conceded the 35th Jordan Super Cup to Faisali and the Jordan Football Association Shield final to Wihdat. Jazira also finished runner-up in the league.

AMMAN — Just a fortnight after returning from its most successful Asian Games ever, Jordan has announced that it will be taking its biggest delegation to a Youth Olympic Games next month, according to the Jordan Olympic Committee (JOC) News Service. 

No less than 12 youngsters have qualified to the games, which will be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from October 6-20.

The final athlete to be confirmed this week was swimming sensation, Mohammed Al Bedour, who has made the qualifying time for two events. It’s a staggering mark of progress for sport in Jordan, with just two athletes qualifying to Singapore 2010 and only one to Nanjing 2014. “Our performances at the Asian Games, and now this Youth Olympics squad announcement, show that the hard work being put in by so many people is starting to pay off.

It motivates us to continue to implement our ambitious strategy which includes trying to qualify the maximum number of athletes to the Olympic Games,” said Nasser Majali, JOC secretary general. 

Majali said the athletes provide a tremendous source of national pride and also congratulated the coaches and officials who are playing their part in developing their respective sports.

As well as five individual sports, Jordan will be sending a 3x3 Basketball team, the first time a Jordanian team has qualified to an Olympic Games.

Jordan previously won two medals in Singapore through taekwondo fighters Dana Haidar and Yazan Al Sadeq.

Team Jordan is made up of Mohammed Al Bedour (swimming); Sara Al Armouti (equestrian); Zaid Mustafa, Rama Abu Al Rub and Natalie Al Humaidi (taekwondo); Abdullah Hammad (karate); Samer A1 Jwhar and Abdullah Al Mulaifi (athletics) and the 3x3 basketball team (four players).

AMMAN — Fahad Al Abdullatif has entered the Jordan Baja, the Kingdom’s first cross-country rally to run since 1990. The event takes place in the Wadi Rum region of southern Jordan on September 27-29, according to the Jordan Motorsport Media Service.

Running under the banner of the Deaf Rally Team Saudi Arabia to highlight his handicap to the motor sporting world, the Saudi Arabian driver has entered the three-day event in a T2 Nissan Patrol.

His friend Ziad Al Harbi will co-drive and the pair will use special instructions and hand signs to overcome the disadvantage of the driver’s lack of hearing. Previous successes for the Saudi include a T2 victory at the Umm Al Quwain Rally in the UAE in 2016, seventh overall in the category for series production cross-country vehicles at the Ha’il Rally the same year and sixth in 2017.

“My car for Baja Jordan is a T2 Nissan Patrol. I did not get sponsorship or backing so I have put the colours and logo of the new big Saudi project NEOM on my car. My target is to achieve the first or second position in the T2 category.

My guiding light was Abdullah Bakhashab. I hope to walk in his footsteps. He was a great champion and a real gentleman. Now I want to encourage other drivers with disabilities to take part in this exciting sport.”

WASHINGTON — Playing in the Ryder Cup will be the culmination of an amazing comeback season for Tiger Woods, one the 14-time major champion feared might never happen after back surgery.

The 42-year-old American has shown flashes of the form that made him golf’s dominant player in younger days in his first campaign after spinal fusion surgery, a last-gasp operation to try and extend his legendary career.

“It was a last-ditch effort,” Woods said. “I tried everything else because fusion is the last-ditch effort and nothing beyond that. So didn’t know what my playing career would be like. This is all uncharted territory.”

So far, Woods’ performances are steadily improving and the medical charts are showing no back issues after years of nagging problems.

Woods has hit drives longer than his youthful days, led the British Open in the final round in July, finished second in last month’s PGA Championship, and fired a 62 earlier this month, his lowest US PGA opening round since the 1999 Byron Nelson Classic.

And the former world number one achieved his goal of securing a Ryder Cup captain’s pick from Jim Furyk, who pulled him from a planned assistant captain’s role after seeing the quality of his game.

“Deep down, I wanted to make the team. I really wanted to play on it,” Woods said. “I had not started playing golf really yet, but still, it was a goal at the end of the season to make this team.

“As the year progressed, I gained some traction and was somehow able to get some high finishes and lo and behold, I’m a part of this team. It’s incredible, it really is, to look back at the start of the year and to have accomplished a goal like that. To be a player is just beyond special.”

‘One of my best years’

Woods still has not won a major since the 2008 US Open and has not won any event in more than five years, but has rediscovered the joy of playing after fears it might never happen again.

“It’s about enjoying being back,” Woods said. “Enjoying being able to play golf again. Competing at this level. All of these things at the beginning of the year were all unknowns. It has been one of my best years as a whole.

“To have a winless year, but to go through what I’ve gone through ― I didn’t know if I was ever going to play again, I was just hoping to be able to play with my kids and golf with my buddies at home ― this has been a blessing.

“It has been so special to have this opportunity again. I’m certainly not taking it for granted, that’s for sure.”

Woods went into spinal fusion fearing his chronic back pain might linger for life.

“I had resigned [myself] to it because I had lived in a pretty difficult situation for a while. I just wanted the pain to go away,” Woods said. “It was painful sitting, laying, moving, anything. It was just constant pain in my back and down my leg.

“Anything beyond that was going to be a plus considering where I was coming from, and so to get to where I’m at, I never thought that was going to happen.”

Now Woods, who had 79 career PGA titles, hasn’t given up his quest to reach the record 18 major wins of Jack Nicklaus or Sam Snead’s all-time PGA mark of 82.

“In order to get to Jack’s record, I have to pass Snead’s record. Just simple math,” Woods said. “And I want to make that happen. I’m close. I have been close to winning tournaments this year. I think if I keep giving myself opportunities, I’ll get the job done.

“I feel my next wins are coming soon. How soon, I don’t know, but I’m putting myself in tournaments now so I’m not that far away from getting it done.”

Woods, whose first major title came at the 1997 Masters, has seen huge support from crowds at events, his amazing shotmaking at an older age sparking roars and cheers rivalling those of his youth.

“People are more appreciative,” Woods said. “They know that I’m at the tail end of my career and I don’t know how many more years I have left. I’m certainly not like I was when I was 22 — 42, it’s a different ballgame.”

And, Woods says, people can relate more to fighting back pain than superb golf heroics.

“Everyone has got aches and pains,” he said. And whether you’ve had kids or not, you get to your 40s, you’re feeling it, and I’m not the only one.”

Mohamed Salah outshone Neymar and Kylian Mbappe on the Champions League stage last season, but as Paris Saint-Germain’s star duo head to Anfield on Tuesday seeking to make amends, the Egyptian is struggling to match the heights of his debut campaign at Liverpool.

Salah’s failure to hit top form dates back to his last Champions League appearance four months ago.

Back in May, Salah was on the crest of a wave as his 44-goal campaign had carried Liverpool to the Champions League final and ensured qualification for this season’s competition.

However, he lasted just 30 minutes in Kiev after injuring his shoulder when wrestled to the ground by Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos, and the Spanish giants went on to lift the trophy in a 3-1 win.

That started a difficult few months for Salah as he was also robbed of being 100-per cent fit for Egypt’s first World Cup in 28 years.

Without their talisman, the Pharaohs were beaten by Uruguay in their opening game and his goals against Russia and Saudi Arabia could not prevent Egypt returning home without a single point.

Salah has also gone to war with the Egyptian federation over the use of his image and the decision to host their base camp in Chechnya.

That hangover has been felt on the field with Salah scoring just twice in Liverpool’s opening five games of the campaign and missing chances he ruthlessly put away last season.

No one-man team

So far Salah’s slackness has not cost Jurgen Klopp’s men. A summer of shrewd investment to build on the already substantial progress made under the German is already bearing fruit with five straight wins.

“Of course, it’s important that we don’t have only one goalscorer,” Klopp said after an impressive 2-1 win over Tottenham on Saturday, that should have been a far more comprehensive victory if the visitors had taken their chances.

“It’s still early. Five games, fantastic we’ve won all of them, we have improved.”

The 39 million euros ($45 million) Liverpool paid for Salah from Roma was brilliant business not just based on Salah’s production, but the hyper inflation that took place in the market just weeks later when PSG smashed the world transfer record by splurging 222 million euros on Neymar.

A further 180 million was then splashed on beating Europe’s big guns to the signature of Mbappe, who confirmed his status as the rising star of world football in winning the World Cup for France.

Both Neymar and Mbappe will see themselves as heirs to the throne of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the world’s best player.

But it is Salah who is on the shortlist for FIFA’s Best Player award alongside Ronaldo and Croatian midfielder Luka Modric of Real Madrid, after PSG failed to get beyond the last 16 of the Champions League last season.

The limited spotlight offered by Ligue 1 means Europe’s premier club competition is where Neymar and Mbappe need to shine to be in the running for individual awards.

However, a blockbuster clash on a Champions League night at fortress Anfield is also the perfect stage for Salah to demonstrate to the world he is no one-season wonder.