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Faisali, Ramtha contest JFA Shield title

National teams’ agendas start to take shape

By Aline Bannayan - Mar 15,2022 - Last updated at Mar 15,2022

AMMAN  — Faisali take on Ramtha on Wednesday in the final of the 35th Jordan Football Association (JFA) Shield — the first of the 2022 local football competitions.

Jordan Cup titleholders Faisali ousted Shabab Urdun 4-3 on penalties while league champs Ramtha eliminated Hussein Irbid 1-0 to reach the final.

Considered by Pro League clubs as a warm-up ahead of the season’s Jordan Cup and League competitions, the 12 teams played in three groups of four teams each with the top team from each group and best second placed team moving to the final four. 

Group 1 included Salt, Hussein Irbid, Aqaba and Sarih (back in Pro League).

Group 2 included Wihdat, Jazira, Faisali and Ma’an.

Group 3 included Ramtha, Shabab Urdun, Sahab and Mughir Sarhan (recently promoted to Pro League).

As the season prepares to get into full swing, most clubs have financial difficulties, affecting teams preparations and line-ups. After failing to make it to the semis and inconsistent results in the Shield, Wihdat terminated their contract with their new Brazilian coach, while rivals Faisali are still trying to get things on track and get back into competitive form.

Jalil, who dropped to the First Division after the 2021 season, won the Shield title in 2021, joining the ranks of veteran clubs who won the title before. Wihdat are a record 10-time winners, Faisali seven, Ramtha five, Hussein three, Jazira and Amman and Shabab Urdun twice each, Kufrsoum, Yarmouk and Jalil once each. Hussein were finalists seven times. Amman have since scrapped football, while Qadissieh have since merged with Shabab Urdun.

In 2021 football competitions, Ramtha won the Jordan Professional League for the third time in their history ending a 39-year drought. They edged out titleholders Wihdat who settled for second place. Wihdat beat one-time winners Jazira in the 38th Jordan Super Cup, while Faisali beat Salt to win the Jordan Cup.

 

National team agendas

 

Meanwhile, the JFA announced on Tuesday they would cancel the national team’s training camp which was slated for next week. Head coach Adnan Hamad underlined keeping players with their line-ups for the Asian Champions League (Wihdat), Al Quds Championship (Ramtha, Wihdat, Faisali) and the U-23 squad’s training camp would also serve preparedness of clubs and national teams as well. Teams are also finalising their line-ups for the Pro League which is set to kick off on April 8.

The national team will hold a training camp in May ahead of the kick off of 2023 Asian Cup qualifiers in Kuwait in which Jordan was drawn in Group A to play hosts Kuwait, Nepal and Indonesia.

The U-23 team is also preparing for the 5th Asian Football Confederation U-23 Championship in Uzbekistan in June where they will play in a tough Group B against Australia, Kuwait and Iraq.  The team will hold a training camp in Turkey and will play two friendlies against Tajikistan and Afghanistan on March 26 and 29.

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