Wihdat, Faisali aim to lead groups in AFC Cup

AMMAN — Jordan’s Wihdat and Faisali will play their stage 3 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup on Tuesday with both teams hopeful of wins to lead Groups A and B.

Wihdat host Turkmenistan’s Altyn Asyr who held Bahrain’s Hidd 1-1 to lead Group A. The Jordan Professional League champs lost their last match in Beirut against Lebanon’s Al Ahd 3-2 after their opening 2-0 win over Hidd. Altyn Asyr earlier beat Lebanon’s Al Ahd 2-0 and drew Hidd 1-1.

Wihdat coach Hisham Abdul Munem seemed optimistic his team could come away a winner. “Our last match should not set the tone. We are focused in the league and are now looking for a win to lead the group and qualify to play Round 3 at home,” said Abdul Munem, a leading Wihdat player in the 90s, told the media as the team practiced for the 2:30pm match at the Amman International Stadium.

Meanwhile, Group B leaders Faisali will play an away match against Lebanon’s Tripoli, who beat Turkmenistan’s Istiklol Dushanbe 2-1. Faisali were second in the group before they beat Iraq’s Naft Al Wasat 2-1 following their opening 0-0 draw with Dushanbe. Earlier, Tripoli beat Dushanbe 2-1 and lost to Naft Al Wasat 1-0.

A two-time AFC Cup winner Faisali have had a good season locally and aim to return to the forefront of competitions this year. Wihdat hope the AFC will make up for elimination from the Asian Champions League — the premier Asian competition — where they lost 2-1 to Saudi Arabia’s Ittihad Jeddah.  Wihdat have taken part in the past eight AFC editions but have not won an Asian title. Wihdat have been league champs for the past two seasons. This year, they conceded the season opening 33rd Super Cup to rivals Faisali. After elimination from the Jordan Cup, now are leading the league with five matches remaining after they beat rivals Faisali 1-0.

The 14th AFC Cup has 40 clubs from across the continent competing in eight groups with the top two from each group going on to the Round of 16 when Round 1 ends on May 24. The second tier Asian club competition has been won three times by Jordanian teams: Faisali won titles in 2005 and 2006, and Shabab Urdun won in 2007.

This 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 champ, $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.

In 2015, Wihdat and Jazira were knocked out of the AFC Cup in the Round of 16. Jazira, who finished runner-up in the league, participated in the event after two-time AFC Cup champ Faisali declined. 

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. 

Standings

Group A

Group B