Ramtha take on Faisali in Jordan Cup final

AMMAN — The Jordan Cup final is set to be played on Saturday evening, with Faisali and Ramtha aiming to win the title of the third competition of the season.

Faisali eliminated Karmel in the semis beating them 1-0 in both legs while Ramtha upset Wihdat beating them 3-1 before tying 1-1 to advance on aggregate. 

After Faisali won the Jordan Professional Football League title earlier this month, Wihdat were looking to win the Jordan Cup. 

However, Ramtha ended that aim and they now have a chance to win the Cup for a third time after they last won 28 years ago in the back to back season of 1990-1991.

Faisali are looking to combine the league win with their 20th cup title and have the advantage in head-to-head encounters with Ramtha.

It was an interesting Jordan Cup competition this season. First and Second Division teams fought out the event as league teams Hussein and That Ras were one of the first eliminated early on by Second Division teams Khaldieh and Um Qutain in the knockout Round One which included 32 teams. In the quarters, Faisali ousted Aqaba, Wihdat eliminated Ahli, Karmel ousted Um Qutain, and Ramtha eliminated Manshieh.

The 2018/19 football season kicked off with league champs Wihdat beating the Jordan Cup champs Jazira in the 36th Jordan Super Cup. Faisali won the league, leaving Jazira second and Wihdat third. 

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

Regionally, Jazira and Wihdat have reached the semis of the 16th Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup. Wihdat were eliminated early in the 2018/19 AFC Champions League, Jordanian teams have never before made it past the ACL preliminary round. Faisali were eliminated in the 2017/18 edition, while Wihdat were knocked out in 2017, 2016 and 2015 and now in 2019, and Shabab Urdun in 2014. 

Last season, Wihdat won the league for a record 16th time as Jazira lost two competition finals conceding the 35th Jordan Super Cup to Faisali and the Jordan Football Association Shield final to Wihdat. Jazira finished runner-up in the league but made club history by winning the 38th Jordan Cup final after they last won the Jordan Cup in 1984. 

Regionally, Jazira were eliminated from AFC Cup west Asia zone final and failed to reach the continent’s final. Faisali bowed out in the event’s semifinals. Likewise, Ramtha were eliminated by Tunisia’s Etoile Sportive Du Sahel in the preliminary round of the Arab Club Champions Cup.