Jordan Football Association Shield semis to group top four clubs

AMMAN — The preliminary round of the second football competition of the season — the Jordan Football Association (JFA) Shield — has ended with four teams advancing to the semis.

Jordan Professional Football League teams played in three groups with the top team from each group as well as the best second placed team moving to the knock-out semifinal round, which is slated for September 11-12 following the start of the league on September 7. The Jordan Cup is set to start September 25.

Wihdat, who edged Ramtha 3-0, are set to play again in the semis while Faisali play Jazira.

Titleholders Shabab Urdun were eliminated as Jazira advanced from Group A edging newcomers Aqaba, Shabab Urdun and Manshieh while Faisali topped Group B, which included Baqa’a, Yarmouk, Hussein and Wihdat led Group C which included Ahli, That Ras. Ramtha moved on as the best second-placed team.

The JFA brought back the Shield on the calendar last year following an absence of four seasons. Faisali, twice winner of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup, won the league and Jordan Cup titles last year, while Ahli beat Wihdat to win the Super Cup and Shabab Urdun won the Shield.

The season started earlier this month when League and Jordan Cup champs Faisali beat runners-up Jazira 2-1 to win the 35th Jordan Super Cup — the first major competition on the 2017/18 football calendar.

Faisali just finished runners-up to Tunisia’s Tarajji at the Arab Championship after an impressive performance which included two wins over Egyptian veterans Ahli. 

Looking back at the history of the Shield tournament, Wihdat are a record eight time winners, Faisali seven, Ramtha five, Hussein three, Jazira and Amman and Shabab Urdun twice each, Kufrsoum and Yarmouk once each. Hussein were finalists seven times. Amman, have since scrapped football while Qadissieh were relegated and have since merged with Shabab Urdun.

The winner will get JD15,000 in prize money.