Jordan Football Association Shield kicks off season

AMMAN — The 35th Jordan Football Association Shield kicks off the first of the 2022 local football competitions on Thursday, a warm-up for Pro League teams, ahead of the season’s Jordan Cup and league competitions.

Twelve Pro League teams will play in three groups of four teams each with the top team from each group and best second placed team moving to the final four. All matches will be held at Prince Mohammad Stadium in Zarqa.

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

Group 2 includes: Wihdat, Jazira, Faisali and Ma’an.

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

Teams have varying preparations with Salt and league champs Ramtha going through hard times, and many top players having moved as most clubs are suffering financial difficulties. Wihdat have a new Brazilian coach at the helm, while rivals Faisali have admin issues and are 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 last year, 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 last year’s 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.