Wihdat, Faisali start 2016 AFC Cup bids

AMMAN — Jordan’s Wihdat and Faisali will kick off their first matches in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup on Tuesday with Round 1 matches running until May 24. 

After elimination from the preliminary round of the Asian Champions League (ACL) for the second consecutive year, Wihdat will be looking to score a win over guests Bahrain’s Hidd with Group A also including Lebanon’s Al Ahd and Turkmenistan’s Altyn Asyr. 

On the other hand, Faisali will play Turkmenistan’s Istiklol Dushanbe in an away match in Group B which also includes Iraq’s Nafit Al Wasat and Lebanon’s Tripoli.

The 14th AFC Cup will have 40 clubs from across the continent competing in eight groups with the top two from each group going on to the Round of 16.

Wihdat were recently ousted from the ACL — the premier Asian competition — losing 2-1 to Saudi Arabia’s Ittihad Jeddah. Had Wihdat advanced past the ACL preliminary round, Jazira would have joined Faisali in the AFC Cup — the second-tier Asian club competition — which has been won three times by Jordanian teams: Faisali won in 2005 and 2006, and Shabab Urdun won in 2007.

The upcoming edition seems to bode well for Jordanian clubs to win back the title after record winning Kuwaiti teams were suspended by FIFA. Prize money includes $1 million for the champs, $500,000 for the runner-up, $40,000 for semifinalists, $25,000 for quarter-finalists and $15,000 for teams reaching the Round of 16.

Wihdat have been league champs for the past two seasons. This year, their fortunes have turned around as they conceded the season opening 33rd Super Cup to rivals Faisali. After elimination from the Jordan Cup, now they have only the league title in contention. As Leg 2 restarted last week and clubs kicked off their regional matches, Wihdat sought to revamp the team, signing new pros and hoping to compete for local and regional titles.

In 2015, Jordanian teams were absent from advanced stages of Asian competitions as Wihdat and Jazira were knocked out of the AFC Cup Round of 16. While it was the first time for Jazira, who finished runner-up in the Jordan Professional League and participated in the event after two-time AFC Cup champs and Faisali declined, Wihdat were hoping to advance and win the AFC Cup for the first time after taking part eight times. In 2014, Jordan Cup champs That Ras exited the Round of 16 in their inaugural AFC participation while former AFC Cup champs Shabab Urdun exited in Round 1. 

Jordanian teams competing in AFC Cup:

 AFC Cup Champions list: