Faisali, Wihdat fans call for respectful attitude at Friday’s match

AMMAN — Representatives of Faisali and Wihdat fan clubs said Thursday that supporters of the two teams should have a sense of good sportsmanship and be positive in supporting their teams during Friday’s match.   

League champs Wihdat play Jordan Cup holders Faisali as part of 33rd Super Cup, which will be held at Amman International Stadium at 8pm.

The match between the two rivals is viewed as the most prestigious match in Jordan, attracting a great number of football fans. 

Rafat Qaqeesh, a member of Altras Al Faisali, said the fan club works hard to limit negative chants from fans.

“We talk to anyone who swears during matches. If they do not abide by the rules, we inform the concerned parties about them and they are then banned from attending three matches,” he told The Jordan Times over the phone. 

“We want to have fans cheer positively and respectfully during the match. Also, our club has been previously fined over negative chants and we don’t want that to happen again,” he added. 

Rawhi Shilbayah, a member of a Wihdat fan group, said positivity is prevalent among the club’s supporters. 

“This is only a football match and there are issues that concern our country that are much bigger than a game that we have to pay attention to. People should just have fun and enjoy the game,” he told The Jordan Times over the phone. 

The Jordan Football Association (JFA) said it will organise a number of activities to entertain fans, who usually arrive at the stadium three to four hours ahead of the game. 

Mohammad Mango, of the JFA, said the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army’s music band and popular singer Omar Abdallat will perform to entertain fans before the match, adding that competitions will also be held. 

Fans of both teams took to social media to call for abiding by the spirit of good sportsmanship and fair play.

Hashtags in Arabic such as #long_live_Al_Faisali and #Make_your_heart_white have been used by many on Twitter during the past week.

@Faisaly_kora Twitter account on Thursday posted a photo showing the fans of the two clubs gathering together to show that they are “brothers”.

Sultan Alqoiaan-HKJ ‏(@Sultangouaan1) said fans have to be respectful.

“Intolerance is no good to anyone. We respect both Jordanian teams and we wish victory for the team that deserves it #Jordan-brings_us_together #Make_Your_Heart_White,” he tweeted in Arabic. 

Moataz Basbuos ‏(@moatazbasbuos) said football fans have to be aware that the players of both clubs are all members of the Jordan national team.

“Remember that the two teams are brought together by the Nashmi [brave] team and they have made us happy,” he tweeted in Arabic.