Jordan Cup heats up as league teams vie for points

AMMAN — The second round of the third major competition on the 2017/18 football calendar — the Jordan Cup — ended with teams trying to make up for defeats in the Jordan Professional Football League.

League teams are playing in four groups in the first round with the top team moving to the semis. Jazira lead Group A after First Division champs Aqaba held Ramtha 0-0. Wihdat lead Group B after they beat Hussein 1-0. Ahli lead Group C after they upset Baqa’a 2-0 and Manshieh lead Group D after they beat That Ras 2-0. Week 1 saw That Ras upset Shabab Urdun 1-0, Jazira beat Aqaba 4-0, Faisali edged Baqa’a 2-1 and Hussein overcame Yarmouk 2-1.

So far this season, Jazira lost two finals as reigning League and Jordan Cup champs Faisali beat Jazira 2-1 to win the 35th Jordan Super Cup, while Wihdat beat Jazira 2-0 to win the Jordan Football Association Shield final.

Since the Cup started in 1980, there have been 37 editions with Faisali being a record 19-time champion, Wihdat won 10 times, Ramtha and Shabab Urdun twice each, while Jazira, Arabi, That Ras and Ahli won once each.

Last season, Faisali combined the Jordan Cup title with their 33rd league title. Ahli won the 34th Super Cup while Shabab Urdun won their second Shield title after they first won in 2007.