Sports

AMMAN — Jordan Motorsport is putting the finishing touches to the route and logistics for the 2019 Jordan Rally, round two of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship, which takes centre stage in the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley areas on April 25-27, according to the Jordan Rally Media Service.

Jordan is one of the most popular rallies in the Middle East and hosted a round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) on three occasions (2008, 2010 and 2011). The event continues to use demanding gravel special stages that provide their own unique challenge to the region’s leading rally drivers. 

This year’s rally will take place over 16 special stages and 226.62 competitive kilometres in a route of 636.64km. It marks the first FIA event for Zaid Balqez as chairman of the organising committee working alongside Clerk of the Course George Khoury, his deputy Omar Zarour and their experienced team. 

The 2019 Jordan Rally will be based at the Crowne Plaza Jordan Dead Sea Resort and Spa with teams using the usual asphalt service area overlooking the Dead Sea — the lowest point on earth. 

The ceremonial start will take place at Abdali Boulevard in Amman from 7pm on April 25. 

The super special stage has been moved from Thursday evening and will now run for 2.51km on Friday after the day’s opening gravel stages and then for a second time as the penultimate stage of the rally on Saturday (April 27th). 

Teams will tackle two passes through the Mahes, Palms and Baptism specials on Friday before the action moves to two runs through the Suwayma, Rawda, Amar and Ma’in specials on Saturday. The ceremonial finish will then take place at the Dead Sea from 5pm.

Qatar’s Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah is the defending regional champion and a 12-time winner of the Jordan Rally. Fresh from winning the Merzouga Rally in Morocco last week in a Can-Am Maverick X3, Attiyah has already confirmed that we will tackle the MERC event in a Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 – the car making its first appearance in the Kingdom. 

The opening round of the championship in Qatar last month attracted one of the largest fields seen in the MERC series for several years. 

Officials at Jordan Motorsport are hopeful that many of those drivers will enter the second round and join forces with the impressive number of local crews who tackled the recent National Rally that was won by Marouf Abu Samra on his first appearance in a Motortune Ford Fiesta R5. 

Entries for the Jordan Rally officially close on April 10. 

Late goals by Mohamed Salah and Jordan Henderson earned Liverpool a crucial 3-1 victory at Southampton to move them back to the top of the Premier League on Friday.

For the second week running Liverpool looked like losing ground on Manchester City in a titanic title race, but once again Juergen Klopp’s side would not be denied as they edged a step closer to a first league title since 1990.

With games running out they lead City by two points, although Pep Guardiola’s champions have a game in hand.

Locked at 1-1 Liverpool were laying siege to the Southampton goal but it was Salah, who had not scored for eight games, who provided the moment of magic they desperately required in the 80th minute, racing away to score a majestic solo goal.

It was Salah’s 50th Premier League goal for Liverpool and six minutes later Henderson, on as a substitute, wrapped it up with a close-range finish.

Shane Long had made it a nail-biting night for Liverpool’s massed ranks of supporters when he fired relegation-threatened Southampton ahead in the ninth minute.

But Liverpool recovered from a surprisingly sluggish start and Naby Keita’s header, his first goal for the club, levelled the scores before halftime.

Victory lifted Liverpool to 82 points from 33 games, with City on 80 from 32.

“It was very big. Every game is massive. We’ve got to win every game. I thought we showed great character in the first half,” Henderson told Sky Sports. “It was a big performance in the second half and a big result.”

Liverpool needed a stoppage-time winner to beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 at Anfield last weekend and they were forced to do things the hard way again at St Mary’s.

They were caught cold early on and Long punished them, calmly firing home after Ryan Bertrand’s cross was flicked on. It could have been worse with Long almost making it 2-0 but Keita’s header calmed the nerves in the away ranks.

Liverpool dominated after the break but Southampton defended tenaciously, even if they were lucky when Maya Yoshida appeared to bring down Keita in the penalty area.

With the clock ticking down and Southampton enjoying a brief flurry of pressure, Liverpool broke and Salah drove forward at pace, making around 50 metres without a challenge before firing the ball past Angus Gunn.

Southampton, who remain five points above the drop zone, were flattened and Liverpool were spared any late frights when Roberto Firmino found Henderson who stroked home.

An ecstatic Klopp joined in the celebrations on the pitch with his players who face Chelsea at home next week.

“We have 82 points now, that is massive in this crazy league and everyone is waiting for us. I am really proud. It is incredible,” the German said.

With five league games left Salah is undeniably back.

“What a goal! Wow, what a goal!” Klopp, who hugged his striker on the pitch as Liverpool’s fans roared out their song about the “Egyptian King”.

Salah is the eighth Liverpool player to score 50 Premier League goals, but his half century arrived in only 69 games, three fewer than Fernando Torres, the previous quickest to the mark. 

AMMAN  — Jordan is still 97th in the latest FIFA world rankings issued on the weekend which came after Jordan played a friendly tournament last month.

The national team lost to Syria and Iraq in a friendly tourney — the first matches after they were eliminated in the Round of 16 in the Asian Cup 2019 where Qatar won the title for the first time.

Since first taking part in Asian Cup qualifiers in 1972, Jordan reached the Asian Championship four times. The peak was at the 13th Asian Cup, when they lost to Japan in the quarter-finals and jumped to the best ever FIFA Ranking of 37th in August 2004. They also reached the Asian Cup in 2011, 2015 and 2019.

The team had ended 2018 in 109th spot — its best ranking of the year as the Kingdom’s competitive edge lacked consistency. However, Asian Cup matches improved their form in early 2019 and with it the team’s ranking.

Once among the Asia top 10, Jordan has now improved four spots to 15th in the continent but still lags behind relatively uncompetitive Asian teams compared to its best FIFA Ranking of 37th in 2004. Jordan trails Iran (21), Japan (26), South Korea (37), Australia (41), Qatar (55), the UAE (67), Saudi Arabia (72), China (74), Iraq (76), Syria (83), Uzbekistan (85), Oman (86), Lebanon (86) and Kyrgyzstan (95).

Belgium is in top spot with World Cup champs France in second, followed by Brazil, England, Croatia, Uruguay, Portugal, Switzerland, Spain and Denmark.

Tunisia is the top-ranked Arab team at 28th, followed by Morocco 45th, Qatar 55th and Egypt 57th.

After elimination from the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, playing in the Asian finals became Jordan’s focus but that ambition ended in the Round of 16. The team has had inconsistent results compared to 2013 when the team was on the verge of qualifying to the 2014 World Cup for the first time and advanced to play then World’s 6th ranked Uruguay in an intercontinental qualifying tie. Jordan had never reached that far in World Cup qualifying since taking part in qualifiers. Round 3 had been the furthest Jordan reached in the past seven times in the qualifiers since 1986. 

Manchester City took command in the Premier League title race with a 2-0 win over Cardiff City that moved Pep Guardiola’s side a point clear of Liverpool with six games of the campaign remaining. 

After a game which City could have won by a much bigger margin, the destiny of the title is in their hands with both teams having now played 32 games and City on 80 points while Juergen Klopp’s team are on 79. 

If City win all their six games they will retain the title and after winning their last eight league games in a row and 20 of their last 22 in all competitions, they certainly are capable of finishing the season in such style. 

“We have the feeling if we drop points we will not be champions,” said Guardiola. 

“With the chances we created, we should have scored more, that’s the regret but the other side it was really good,” added the Spaniard. 

City dominated from the outset, taking the lead in the sixth minute when Kevin De Bruyne ran on to a clever pass from Aymeric Laporte and blasted past Cardiff keeper Neil Etheridge from a tight angle. 

The Belgian midfielder conceded after the game that he had intended to cross the ball but Etheridge will be disappointed that he had left his near post open. 

City strutted and moved the ball with their customary ease, but it was not until a minute before the break that Leroy Sane made it 2-0 with a sweet left-foot drive after a clever chest pass from Gabriel Jesus. 

Somehow though City were unable to add to their tally after the break with Etheridge making a series of fine saves as City peppered the Cardiff goal. 

He saved a Laporte header from a Phil Foden cross in the 66th minute, the City teenager having started his first Premier League game. 

In the following five minutes the Philippine international keeper then parried and pushed over the bar a fierce Riyad Mahrez drive; was at full stretch to keep out a Sane shot and then dealt expertly with a Foden effort — the 18-year-old having also hit the post. 

Cardiff had barely troubled the City defence but they came close to pulling a goal back on the break, in the 74th minute when Kyle Walker slipped, but Oumar Niasse was unable to finish off the counter, Ederson racing out to deny him. 

The result leaves 18th placed Cardiff five points away from the safety zone on 28 points. Burnley, Southampton and Brighton are all on 33 points, Huddersfield Town and Fulham have already been relegated. 

“We are trying to keep it interesting and we are far outweighing our expectations, we are still in with a shout,” said Cardiff manager Neil Warnock. 

“You can afford the odd draw but I think we have to win three at least, add a draw and who knows?” 

Guardiola expects Foden to play a key role in the side over the next decade and says the 18-year-old will be more involved in the first team next season. 

 “I’m happy with the way he plays. He could have scored two goals, he’s exceptional,” Guardiola told reporters. 

Several highly-rated teenagers, frustrated at limited involvement, have moved on in search of regular first-team football but Foden signed a new City contract until 2024 in December and Guardiola said the midfielder would get his chance. 

“It’s not easy for him with [David] Silva, Bernardo [Silva], [Ilkay] Gundogan, [Kevin] De Bruyne, but he wants to be here, he’s delighted to be here,” he added. 

“I assure you next year he will play more minutes. That’s the process. For the next decade he will be important.” 

AMMAN  — The women’s national football team plays host Uzbekistan on Saturday in its match of Round 2 of the Asian qualifiers for 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The team lost an opportunity to lead in Group B when it was held to a goalless draw with Hong Kong on Wednesday as Vietnam scored a vital 2-1 lead over Uzbekistan. Jordan will play Vietnam on April 9. 

Only the group leader will advance to Round 3 of the qualifiers. India, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Nepal are in Group A while Group C includes Taiwan, Palestine, Iran and the Philippines.

This year, Jordan won the 6th West Asian Championship for the fifth time and the national team is now the leading Arab team at 54th in FIFA world Rankings. 

In Asian qualifying, the men’s national team was eliminated in the Round of 16 at the Asian Cup 2019 as Qatar won the title for the first time. 

The U-23 men’s national team qualified to the 4th Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Championship which acts as a qualifying tournament for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In 2018, the team was knocked out of Round 1 of the 3rd Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Championship. In 2016, Jordan reached the quarterfinals and in 2014 Jordan finished third. 

The U-16 men’s team has just concluded a training camp in preparation for the U-16 AFC Championship in September. Last year, Jordan bowed out of the Round 1 of the 2018 AFC U-16 Men’s Championship. Held once every two years, the competition serves as a qualifier for the FIFA U-17 World Cup, with the top 4 countries qualifying. The U-16 women’s squad was also eliminated from Round 1, Group A qualifiers for the AFC U-16 Women’s Championship. 

In U-19 competitions, the women’s team was eliminated from Round 1 qualifiers for the AFC U-19 Championship. Likewise, the men’s U-19 national team was eliminated from Round 1 of the AFC U19 Championship as the semifinalists advanced to the FIFA U-19 World Cup.

Jordan was hoping to advance in the Asian event after they failed to qualify to the Championships in 2014 and 2016. It was the fifth time for Jordan at the Championship with the best showing when it finished fourth in 2006 and advanced to the FIFA Youth World Cup in Canada in 2007. Jordan exited the first round in 2008 and 2010 and reached the quarters in 2012.

WOLVERHAMPTON, England — Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is looking to the Champions League for some cheer after suffering away defeats by Wolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup and Premier League.

Tuesday’s 2-1 loss at Molineux was a rare blemish on a stunning start to Solskjaer’s reign at Old Trafford and a win against Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final next week would be the best remedy.

“We will use one or two days to analyse and recover and then we will prepare for Barcelona, which will be a fantastic challenge for the club,” said Solskjaer, who scored a famous injury-time winner in United’s 1999 Champions League triumph.

The Norwegian was also weighing up how to ensure his team make it into next season’s Champions League after the defeat at Wolves left them in fifth place on 61 points, still behind Tottenham on goal difference but now having played a game more.

“We need 15 points in the last six games so we don’t have room for any more losses,” he said, assessing United’s chances of a top-four finish before their next Premier League game at home to West Ham United on April 13.

“It is a difficult run, but then we are a very good team as well so it will be difficult for others who play against us as well.” 

Having criticised his team after the 2-1 win over Watford at the weekend, Solskjaer was forgiving about Tuesday’s setback, United’s second 2-1 defeat at Wolves after last month’s FA Cup sixth-round loss, saying United created enough chances to win. 

“Very good start. Should have been three up. Or could have. We created our own downfall really ... But for their keeper [Rui Patricio], we should have won this game,” he said.

Painful viewing

It was painful viewing for Solskjaer, who was appointed the club’s permanent manager last Thursday, as United squandered chances to improve on their 1-0 early lead before Wolves hit back through Diogo Jota and a late Chris Smalling own goal.

“That’s football for you and that’s why it’s the game we all love, it’s not like maths,” said the Norwegian.

But he was delighted with midfielder Scott McTominay’s performance and rasping 13th-minute goal from outside the box — his first in 41 appearances for the club in all competitions.

“Scotty has never, ever let us down. He never disappoints us when he plays. Today was another very fine performance by Scotty... It won`t be hard to see him play many, many games for Man United... I was very, very pleased with him,” he said.

Solskjaer was also forgiving of England international Ashley Young, who was sent off in the second half for a reckless tackle on striker Jota. “He reached the ball, and it was just a little bit too high... It made it a bit more difficult,” he said.

After his second game since being given the Old Trafford job permanently, Solskjaer was asked if the shine might be coming off his incredible start.

“I don’t think there is any kickback or re-setting. I was very pleased with the amount of chances, with the intent in the way we started the game and played,” he said.

Rodney Hood scored 21 points, and Evan Turner came off the bench for a triple-double as the Portland Trail Blazers pulled away for a 132-122 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night in Minneapolis.

Turner went 5-for-5 from the field while collecting 13 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in only 24 minutes for the Trail Blazers, who have won 10 of their past 12 contests.

Enes Kanter contributed 20 points, 11 rebounds and five blocked shots, and Seth Curry scored 19 points for Portland, who shot 54.9 per cent from the field and made 15 of 30 3-point attempts.

Andrew Wiggins had 21 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns scored 17 points with 12 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who have lost eight of their past 10. Tyus Jones had 14 points and 10 assists.

Bucks 131, Nets 121

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 28 points, 14 of them in the fourth quarter, to lead Milwaukee to a win over Brooklyn in New York.

With the win, the Bucks’ magic number for clinching home-court advantage throughout the play-offs is one. The Toronto Raptors kept pace with the Bucks in the race for the best record in the league by beating the Orlando Magic.

The Nets remained a half-game ahead of the Pistons in seventh place in the Eastern Conference as Detroit lost to Indiana. All five Bucks starters scored in double figures, led by Eric Bledsoe with 29 points. D’Angelo Russell paced the Nets with 28 points.

Raptors 121, Magic 109

Danny Green scored a season-best 29 points and added five rebounds to help Toronto defeat visiting Orlando, who had won seven of their eight previous games.

The Raptors gained a split in the four-game season series with the Magic, who are still trying to get into the playoffs. Orlando remains a half-game back of the Miami Heat, who also lost Monday, for the final spot in the East.

Kawhi Leonard added 15 points and seven rebounds for the Raptors. Serge Ibaka scored 15 points. Evan Fournier scored 21 points for the Magic, and Nikola Vucevic had 13 points and 13 rebounds.

Celtics 110, Heat 105

Al Horford’s second career triple-double led host Boston over Miami in the opener of a home-and-home as the Heat narrowly held onto the eighth and final play-off spot in the East.

Horford had 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for his first triple-double since 2015. Kyrie Irving added 25 points and eight rebounds, Jayson Tatum scored 19, and Marcus Smart had 16 points as the Celtics maintained a share of fourth place in the Eastern Conference, along with Indiana.

Goran Dragic scored 30 to lead the Heat, while Bam Adebayo had 19 points and 14 rebounds and Dwyane Wade chipped in 17 points in his last regular-season game in Boston.

Jazz 111, Hornets 102

Donovan Mitchell scored 25 points to lead a balanced attack that propelled Utah over Charlotte Hornets in Salt Lake City despite a 47-point night from the Hornets’ Kemba Walker.

Rudy Gobert added 18 points and 18 rebounds for the Jazz while Ricky Rubio chipped in 20 points and 13 assists. Five players scored in double figures to help the Jazz win for the 10th time in 11 games.

Jeremy Lamb added 23 for Charlotte, who dropped their third straight game on their current four-game road trip.

Mavericks 122, 

76ers 102

Justin Jackson scored 24 points to carry host Dallas past Philadelphia. Trey Burke added 16 points for Dallas while Salah Mejri contributed 16 points to go along with a season-best 14 rebounds.

Dwight Powell scored 14 points and rookie Jalen Brunson had 13 for the Mavericks, who won handily despite the fact that Luka Doncic was not available because of a thigh injury.

JJ Redick led the Sixers with 26 points while Tobias Harris added 25. Ben Simmons scored 17. The Sixers, who played without centre Joel Embiid (load management) and guard Jimmy Butler (back), had their brief two-game winning streak snapped. Philadelphia is 7-8 without Embiid this season.

Pacers 111, Pistons 102

Thaddeus Young and Bojan Bogdanovic led a balanced attack with 19 points apiece and host Indiana topped Detroit in Indianapolis.

Young also had nine rebounds and five assists, while Bogdanovic racked up seven rebounds, six assists and three steals. Domantas Sabonis delivered 18 points and 12 rebounds off the bench before fouling out.

Wayne Ellington led the Pistons with a season-best 26 points. Reggie Jackson supplied 22 points, six rebounds and four assists while Andre Drummond contributed 18 points, 17 rebounds, five assists and four steals. Thon Maker added 14 points, six rebounds and four blocks.

Knicks 113, Bulls 105

Luke Kornet scored a career-high 24 points on 8-for-11 shooting, and New York pulled away for a win over visiting Chicago. Kornet hit 5 of 7 shots from beyond the 3-point arc, pulled down six rebounds and blocked three shots as part of one of the best performances of his two-year career.

His previous high was 23 points, which he reached once as a rookie and twice this season. New York snapped a six-game losing streak and won for only the second time in its past 16 games. The Knicks’ most recent victory had been March 17 against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Robin Lopez scored a game-high 29 points for Chicago, who lost their fifth game in a row. JaKarr Sampson added 22 points off the bench in his Bulls debut after appearing in 169 games with three teams over parts of the past four seasons.

Suns 122, Cavaliers 113

Devin Booker, who scored 25 points and handed out 13 assists, was one of four Phoenix players with double-doubles as the Suns ended a six-game losing streak by beating visiting Cleveland.

Josh Jackson came off the Phoenix bench for 19 points, 10 rebounds, a career-high five blocks and four assists. Richaun Holmes had 13 points and 10 rebounds, Dragan Bender contributed 12 points and 10 boards.

Collin Sexton led the Cavaliers with 21 points, one more than Jordan Clarkson. Tristan Thompson and Ante Zizic each scored 15, and Brandon Knight had 10 as Cleveland lost its sixth game in a row.

After Roger Federer racked up career title 101 with a clinical 6-1, 6-4 dissection of John Isner at the Miami Open on Sunday, the American defending champion seemed as keen as the crowd for the Swiss to carry on competing for titles.

“We all want you to keep playing and never retire,” gushed Isner after being brushed aside in 63 minutes by the fourth-seeded Swiss.

This seems an odd statement from a player who has now been beaten six times by Federer in eight career meetings.

A more honest response might have been, “Roger you have won enough please go away”.

Federer has already amassed a record 20 Grand Slam trophies and Miami was his 101st career title leaving him just eight shy of matching Jimmy Connors’ all-time mark.

The Swiss has said he is not yet thinking about the record and neither is he contemplating retirement.

At 37, the retirement question is one that comes up for Federer before every event and after it — win or lose — as it did in Miami. His answer is always the same, “Why should I?”

The evergreen Federer is healthy, happy and winning. 

With Sunday’s triumph — his fourth in Miami — he is the only player on the ATP or WTA Tour to capture two titles this season.

Marvellous march

It has been a marvellous March for Federer, starting with a win in Dubai and ending with victory in Miami. It could have been even better with a runner-up spot at Indian Wells having been sandwiched between the two titles.

“This is why I am still playing to hopefully win big titles like here in Miami,” said Federer in a post-match interview. “It just shows me the process I am going through is the right one. 

“I am still able to prioritise all the things in my life the right way.”

Federer has discovered the secret to career longevity that other members of the Big Four have not quite figured out.

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who failed to make the quarter-finals at Miami or Indian Wells, is struggling with off-court issues, Rafa Nadal is again battling knee problems, while Andy Murray is recovering from hip surgery that may have sent him into retirement.

And Federer? The Swiss maestro just keeps ticking along like one of his country’s famous time pieces.

“I am really excited about the transition I was able to make,” he said. “With an older body maybe you move differently, you see it with Rafa too, he doesn’t chase down the balls the same way he used to so you adjust to that.”

Federer listens closely to what his body is saying and after reaching three consecutive finals it is telling him that it is time for a rest before he tackles the European claycourt season for the first time in three years.

“The clay is going to be a really interesting challenge for me,” said the Swiss, who will take four or five weeks off before returning in Madrid. “If things don’t go well then that was expected maybe, but if they do than I am really excited.”

MANAMA — Five times world champion Lewis Hamilton took a lucky Bahrain Grand Prix win for Mercedes on Sunday after engine trouble in the dying stages denied Charles Leclerc a first Formula One victory. 

The 21-year-old Monegasque, who had started from pole position and finished third, had been set to become Ferrari’s youngest winner in just his second race for the Italian team when his car started losing power.

Hamilton and teammate Valtteri Bottas, both as much as four seconds a lap faster than the stricken Ferrari, reeled him in and breezed past to secure the team’s second one-two finish in as many races.

“That was extremely unfortunate for Charles,” said Hamilton as he crossed the line, with the race finishing behind the safety car which was deployed to clear away Daniel Ricciardo’s stranded Renault.

“He drove such a great race. We’ve got work to do to keep these guys off our tails,” added the Briton, who hugged Leclerc after they stepped out of their cars.

Leclerc’s problems capped an already difficult day for Ferrari, who had swept the front row in qualifying, with Sebastian Vettel’s race having already unravelled.

The German, who finished fifth, spun while defending second place from Hamilton and then lost his front wing in a spectacular shower of sparks.

The only consolation for Leclerc, on the podium for the first time in his F1 career, was an extra point for setting the fastest lap of the race.

“It’s a very hard one to take,” said the youngster. “It’s a shame to only finish third, but it’s part of racing and we’ll come back stronger.”

Hamilton’s win in Bahrain was the 74th of his career but first this season.

The Briton stayed second in the championship but is now just one point shy of overall leader Bottas, who won and scored the extra point for fastest lap in Australia.

Max Verstappen finished fourth for Red Bull ahead of Vettel.

British rookie Lando Norris put in a fine drive for McLaren to finish sixth ahead of Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Raikkonen, Leclerc’s predecessor at Ferrari.

Frenchman Pierre Gasly brought his Red Bull home in eighth ahead of Toro Rosso’s Thai driver Alexander Albon and Mexican Sergio Perez, who rounded out the top 10 for Racing Point.

Hamilton is now 17 wins short of Michael Schumacher’s all-time record of 91.

AMMAN — Wihdat will play Syria’s Jeish in Stage 3 of the 16th Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup on Monday while Jazira host Syria’s Ittihad Tuesday as they strive to keep the leading positions in the competition. 

Wihdat lead Group A after they beat Jerusalem’s Quds 6-2 and Lebanon’s Nijmeh 1-0.

In other matches, Jeish beat Nijmeh 1-0 and tied Quds 1-1. Likewise, Jazira share Group B lead with Bahrain’s Nijmeh after they scored a vital 1-0 win over titleholders Kuwait Club and held Nijmeh 1-1. In other group matches, Kuwait held Ittihad 0-0 1 and  Nijmeh beat Ittihad 2-1 .

The top teams from the three competing Asian groups in addition to the best second placed team will move to the semifinal round of the zone with the winner advancing to the eventual competition final.

Jordanian teams won the AFC Cup three times. Faisali won in 2005 and 2006, and Shabab Urdun won in 2007. Other Jordanian teams participating in previous editions include Ramtha, Hussein, That Ras and Ahli.