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GENEVA — In a FIFA election now more open than expected, HRH Prince Ali has changed his strategy since Michel Platini was caught up in a corruption scandal.

Speaking with The Associated Press, Prince Ali struck a more cautious note than the fighting talk he directed at Platini before the one-time favourite was questioned in a Swiss criminal investigation over a $2 million payment from FIFA.

The prince declined to comment on his opponents, including sidestepping accusations linking Sheikh Salman Bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa to human rights abuses of athletes in Bahrain.

He was, however, ready to talk about football.

Prince Ali said he wants the 2026 World Cup to have four more teams in a 36-nation lineup, and he wants the tournament to return to the CONCACAF region, 32 years after the United States hosted it.

Handling the stalled 2026 bidding is a priority for the next FIFA president with Canada, the United States and two-time host Mexico set to bid.

Adding an U-15 World Cup to FIFA’s tournament programme was also “a great idea and possible to do”, he said.

That proposal was made to the long-time Jordan football association president by a FIFA colleague among the 209 members who will vote in the February 26 election.

It seems likely — with FIFA leaders weakened and the governing body in turmoil — that voters have more freedom than in previous elections where intimidation and deals cut at confederation level were, according to many, typical.

“I have faith in everyone really voting for who they think is the best candidate, and I hope to be that person,” Prince Ali said. “Perhaps alone among the candidates I have support across the regions.”

When Prince Ali lost to Sepp Blatter in May, two days after the American and Swiss criminal investigations rocked FIFA in Zurich, leaders of the Asian Football Confederation did not support him.

An alliance of Europe and Asia then made Platini the election favourite until the payment from FIFA in 2011 came to light. Platini has since been suspended by the FIFA Ethics Committee and cannot formally campaign while his appeal and the full investigation are pending.

It is now a seven-man race as doubt about Platini led others to declare, including Asian confederation President Sheikh Salman and UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino.

“A lot of people have joined the race but I think that is healthy, it shows there is democracy,” Prince Ali told the AP in his first interview since the entry deadline passed last week.

It also made strategy more complex than targeting Platini and a culture of “back-room, under-the-table deals”, as the prince said when the former France great announced his campaign in July.

Prince Ali’s launch speech in Amman in September talked of his courage challenging Blatter when others “didn’t have the guts to run”.

However, his broad message is the same even if Blatter and Platini are not there to oppose him.

“I’m not going to accept to do any of the politicking,” said Prince Ali, adding that his expansion plan for the World Cup was for football reasons. “It is definitely not electioneering. It is based on results in the last World Cup and it is natural that there can be a logical growth.

“I’m doing this for football’s sake and football’s sake alone.”

AMMAN — As Jordan readies to play Malta in a friendly this week, the squad had its biggest leap in a year, going up 17 spots to 82nd in the latest FIFA World Rankings on the weekend.

The jump came after the national team scored two consecutive wins in Group B qualifiers of the 2018 World Cup, doubling as part of the qualification for 2019 Asian Cup. Jordan beat Asian champs Australia 2-0 and Tajikistan 3-0, after they beat Iraq in a friendly 3-0. The squad will next have training camp ahead of their match against Kyrgyzstan on November 17 in the return leg.

Forty teams are playing home and away in a round-robin format in the current second qualifying round which runs until March 2016. Jordan now leads the group after they earlier beat Tajikistan 3-1, scored a 4-0 win over lowly Bangladesh and were held to a disappointing 0-0 draw by Kyrgyzstan. 

Belgium took over the World top 10 after they went up two spots and lead Germany, Argentina, Portugal, Chile, Spain, Columbia, Brazil, England and Austria.

Jordan went up to 8th in Asia trailing Iran (43), South Korea (48), Japan (50), Australia (60), the UAE (67), Uzbekistan (71) and Saudi Arabia (80). 

Jordan had the most memorable World Cup qualifying journey in 2013 when it lost a possible chance to play at the World Cup for the first time when it advanced to play then World’s 6th ranked Uruguay in an intercontinental qualifying tie for a place in the 2014 World Cup. It lost the home game 5-0 and held the former World Cup champs 0-0 in the away match. Jordan had never reached that far in World Cup qualifying since taking part in the qualifiers in 1985. Round 3 had been the furthest Jordan reached in the past seven times in qualifiers since 1986.

In the Asian Cup, Jordan reached the championship three times since first taking part in qualifiers in 1972: the pinnacle was at the 13th Asian Cup, when they lost to Japan in the quarter-finals and jumped to the best ever FIFA rank of 37th in August 2004. In 2011 Jordan again reached the quarter-finals.

MADRID — Chelsea and Roma scored late goals to earn crucial victories in the Champions League on Wednesday, improving their chances of advancing to the knockout stage.

Chelsea defeated Dynamo Kiev 2-1 in England thanks to an 83rd-minute free kick by Willian, while Miralem Pjanic’s 80th-minute penalty kick gave Roma a 3-2 home win over Bayer Leverkusen.

Zenit St. Petersburg secured its place in the round of 16 with a win at Lyon, while Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Porto and Olympiakos also won, staying on track to advance.

Arsenal remains in trouble and is on the brink of elimination after losing 5-1 to Bayern Munich in Germany.

Group E

Neymar and Luis Suarez continued their excellent scoring form to make up for the absence of Lionel Messi and help Barcelona move closer to the Round of 16 with an easy 3-0 win over BATE Borisov.

With Messi watching from the Camp Nou stands, Neymar converted a penalty on the half-hour mark, then set up Suarez’s strike in the 60th minute and scored his second goal in the 83rd minute after an assist by the Uruguayan striker.

Since Messi tore a left-knee ligament on September 26, Neymar and Suarez have combined for 17 of Barcelona’s 20 goals.

Barcelona leads the group with 10 points, five more than Roma, which moved into second place thanks to the late 3-2 win over Leverkusen, who stayed on four points, one more than BATE.

“The aim was to win and the victory gives us a great chance to seal our qualification,” Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta said.

Leverkusen had rallied from two goals down to draw level with Roma before captain Omer Toprak was shown a red card for pushing Mohamed Salah inside the area, prompting the penalty that Pjanic converted for the victory.

Group F

Thomas Mueller scored two goals as Bayern Munich dominated Arsenal in a 5-1 win in Bavaria, while Felipe Pardo scored both goals for Olympiakos as it rallied to beat 10-man Dinamo Zagreb 2-1.

Bayern and Olympiakos reached nine points, while Arsenal and Dinamo stayed with three each with two games remaining.

Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring for Bayern in the 10th minute, Mueller doubled the lead in the 29th minute and David Alaba made it 3-0 in the 44th minute. Arjen Robben scored with his first touch of the ball in the 55th minute, less than a minute after coming off the bench, and Mueller added his second in the 89th minute.

Olivier Giroud pulled one back for Arsenal in the 69th.

“It was a key match for us that we wanted to win,” Mueller said.

In Piraeus, substitute Pardo was the hero with two second-half goals to help Olympiakos beat Dinamo Zagreb, who lost Josip Pivaric with a second yellow card with 11 minutes remaining.

Group G

Willian produced a late winner as Chelsea fans put on a show of support for embattled manager Jose Mourinho, scoring from a free kick to earn a 2-1 victory over Dynamo Kiev.

A four-game winless run in all competitions had ratcheted the pressure on Mourinho, whose future at Stamford Bridge has appeared to be jeopardised.

“From the mental point of view it was important,” Mourinho said. “A reaction to a negative moment.”

Dynamo defender Aleksandar Dragovic sent a diving header into his own goal while trying to clear Diego Costa’s cross in the 39th minute, then atoned for his blunder by slamming the ball home in the 78th minute after goalkeeper Asmir Begovic flapped at a corner. Willian scored his fifth goal of the season direct from a free kick to ensure Chelsea rose to second in the group with seven points, two more than Dynamo. Porto, which moved closer to a place in the knockout stage after easing to a 3-1 victory at Maccabi Tel-Aviv, has 10 points.

Group H

Zenit St Petersburg maintained its perfect record in the Champions League and reached the knockout phase with a 2-0 win at Lyon.

Artem Dzyuba scored a brace from a couple of assists by Hulk as the Russian side produced its fourth win in as many matches for its best start ever in the competition.

Zenit secured its place in the last 16 with two games to spare, leading second-place Valencia by six points after the Spanish side lost 1-0 to Gent in the group’s other match. Gent is third with four points, while Lyon is last with one.

Lyon still has a chance to advance but it will need to win its last two matches and hope other results go its way.

Defender Sven Kums converted a 49th-minute penalty kick to give Gent the three points against Valencia at home.

BERLIN — Real Madrid and Manchester City became the first teams to reach the second round of the Champions League on Tuesday with victories over Paris Saint-Germain and Sevilla.

Madrid had substitute Nacho Fernandez to thank for a hard-fought 1-0 win over previously unbeaten PSG which broke Barcelona’s group-stage record of 18 games unbeaten.

City won 3-1 in Seville to move top of Group D on nine points, one ahead of Juventus, which eliminated Borussia Moenchengladbach with a 1-1 draw.

Manchester United moved top of Group B thanks to a 1-0 home win over CSKA Moscow, and Benfica took advantage of Atletico Madrid’s scoreless draw at Astana by beating Galatasaray 2-1 at home to move atop Group C.

Here’s a closer look at the games in each group:

Group A

Nacho scored two minutes after coming on for Real Madrid against PSG, capitalising on a mistake from goalkeeper Kevin Trapp to score from a tight angle after Toni Kroos’ initial effort was deflected way off target. Trapp came out from his goal but was caught flat-footed when Nacho dinked the ball inside the far post.

That’s the way football is,” PSG coach Laurent Blanc said. “We should have been more effective, but sometimes you score and sometimes you don’t. The thing that bothers me the most is that Real Madrid scored the way it did. That play could have been avoided.”

The win gave Madrid 10 points from four matches, while PSG, which had more efforts and possession, remained on seven points.

“We delivered our best match of the season,” former Madrid winger Angel di Maria said. “An outstanding display. We made a mistake and were punished. We played 10 times better than Real.”

“We suffered a lot in the first half, they worked the ball very well,” Real Madrid coach Rafa Benitez said. “We improved in the second half but we have to reflect on the things that we didn’t do well today.”

Shakhtar Donetsk, which defeated Malmo 4-0 in Ukraine, reached three points, the same as the Swedish club.

Group B

Wayne Rooney ended Manchester United’s 404-minute goal drought, clinching a 1-0 victory over CSKA Moscow and sending the team top of the group.

“It is unbelievable because we created at least 12 chances tonight and had to wait a long time,” United manager Louis van Gaal told BT Sport.

“Before that they could have scored and then it is a different match. I am happy. We played well.”

Since scoring in the Russian capital in last month’s 1-1 draw, United had gone through three domestic games without hitting the net — with Rooney particularly profligate.

The United captain squandered a golden chance in front of goal at Old Trafford before meeting Jesse Lingard’s cross with a header in the 79th minute.

United now have a one-point lead at the top of Group B over PSV Eindhoven, who beat Wolfsburg 2-0 after Juergen Locadia and Luuk de Jong scored in the second half.

Group C

Central defender Luisao’s 67th-minute winner for Benfica over Galatasaray put the Portuguese club two points clear of Atletico with two games to play. Galatasaray is third with four points.

Raul Jimenez chipped the ball into the visitors’ penalty area for Luisao to poke it into the net from close range. The Brazilian’s goal put Benfica back into the lead after Lukas Podolski leveled the score in the 58th minute, canceling out Jonas’ 52nd-minute opener.

Fernando Torres, who was looking for his 100th goal for Atletico, almost reached the landmark after the half hour mark, but poked his shot wide after capitalising on a defensive mistake from the Kazakh side.

Roared on by a passionate capacity crowd, Astana grew in stature as the first half wore on and finished the stronger of the two teams, yet they were unable to seriously test Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak. Galatasaray goalkeeper Fernando Muslera spectacularly denied Nicolas Gaitan twice in the last 15 minutes before the Argentine striker was shown his second yellow card and sent off with five minutes left.

Yasin Oztekin squandered a chance to equalize, missing an open goal during a goalmouth scramble in added time.

Group D

Raheem Sterling scored his first Champions League goal to help Manchester City seal its place in the round of 16 with a dominant 3-1 win at Sevilla.

The 20-year-old forward scored in the eighth minute and helped Fernandinho double the advantage three minutes later.

Sevilla’s Benoit Tremoulinas scored in the 25th minute, only for former Sevilla forward Jesus Navas to set up Wilfried Bony for City’s third in the 36th minute.

City moved first in Group D with nine points, one ahead of Juventus. Sevilla has three and can’t overtake City because of their head-to-head record.

Stephan Lichtsteiner scored one month after undergoing heart surgery to give 10-man Juventus a 1-1 draw at ‘Gladbach.

Juventus had Brazilian midfielder Hernanes sent off for a reckless two-footed lunge on Alvaro Dominguez in the second half and needed veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon to keep the home side at bay later on.

“It was a positive game given the circumstances,” Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri told reporters. “We started well, then risked and conceded a goal. Then we seemed to have the game in hand until the sending off.”

“But I would like to see an improvement, because this is about developing character and technique. We should not be getting in trouble at the first sign of pressure. We have to read the game differently then, stretch it out.”

Confident Arsenal travel to Munich on Wednesday hoping to tame the German champions for a second time in two weeks, and are promising to attack despite a string of injuries.

The English club are on a high after a fifth consecutive Premier League win at the weekend — a 3-0 victory at Swansea — and the timing of their visit to the Bavarian capital could hardly be better.

Bayern dropped their first points in the Bundesliga on Friday with a goalless draw at Eintracht Frankfurt.

It followed 10 consecutive victories from the start of the season and, coupled with their 2-0 loss at the Emirates Stadium on October 20 — their first defeat in all competitions — Bayern have shed some of that invincible aura.

Arsenal’s victory over Bayern put Arsene Wenger’s side back in contention in Group F with three points. Bayern and Olympiakos have six.

“They [Bayern] will be angry,” said Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker. 

“We are the first team who really challenged them and beat them. They will be on the ball and try to show that they are back and better than us.”

The former Germany international added: “They are clever, the Germans. We showed that we can beat them. That is a good sign but it will be a different game at their place.

“We improved our position in the last game against Munich but we need to get something out of this game.”

Arsenal are missing key players, including Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Danny Welbeck and Jack Wilshere.

But with Olivier Giroud having scored six goals in his past six games and playmaker Mesut Ozil delivering nine assists in 10 league games, they are not prepared to sit back and defend.

“I would sign today to take a point,” said coach Arsene Wenger. “But to sit off Bayern, with their offensive quality, would be difficult to maintain for 90 minutes. We have to relieve the pressure whenever we can and try to score goals.

“That is our structure of the team, to attack. If you get our players to defend then I do not think we will be so efficient. We have to play every time we can.”

Bayern, who last season won all six home games in the competition en route to the semifinals, are by no means in a slump, and their dominance and string of chances against defensive Eintracht was indicative of the team’s attacking instincts.

Bayern will have Arjen Robben fit for his first Champions League game of the season after the Dutchman was injured in September, but they will be without Mario Goetze, while Juan Bernat and Holger Badstuber are doubtful.

“We will show Arsenal on Wednesday the real Bayern,” said Bayern midfielder Arturo Vidal. “Our confidence is high and this time we will use our chances and get the three points.”

A third consecutive Champions League victory for the Catalans, despite the prolonged absence of the injured Lionel Messi, allied to Roma not beating Bayer Leverkusen at home, will mathematically seal the five-time champions’ place in the knockout stages.

Luis Suarez and Neymar have carried the goalscoring burden in Messi’s absence, scoring all of Barca’s last 14 league goals.

Both were on target in a comfortable 2-0 win over Getafe on Saturday that created more headlines for the Halloween costumes that the Barca players wore as they burst into a Getafe post-match press conference than the action on the field.

And Suarez said he and Neymar’s contrasting styles help compliment each other.

“Everyone knows their own game. I don’t try to dribble past three or four players, but Neymar has those characteristics.

“Every player tries to adapt to what the coach asks of them.”

However, the former Liverpool striker laughed off suggestions Barca’s recent form means they aren’t missing Messi.

“Everyone remembers Messi because he is the best player in the world. We all miss him.”

Barca boss Luis Enrique heaped praise upon Sergio Busquets rather than Suarez and Neymar after the win at Getafe, hailing him as the “best midfielder in the world”.

However, Enrique also suggested he wants to give Busquets a rest after a heavy workload at the start of the season and with a tough test in Villarreal to come at the weekend, the Spanish international may be left out on Wednesday.

BATE Borisov defender Filip Mladenovic celebrates after scoring during the Champions League Group E match against Roma at the Borisov-Arena on September 29, 2015

Javier Mascherano is free to play despite being halfway though a two-game ban in La Liga.

Andres Iniesta is also likely to return to the starting line-up for the first time in over a month after making his return from a hamstring injury as a second-half substitute at the weekend.

Sergi Roberto also made his comeback against Getafe from a brief spell on the sidelines after picking up a groin injury in Barca’s 2-0 win over BATE in Belarus two weeks ago.

And the 23-year-old made a spectacular impression with assists for both goals, including a perfectly weighted backheel into Suarez’s path for the opener.

Jose Mourinho admits Chelsea have no margin for error as the pressure mounts on the beleaguered Blues boss ahead of Wednesday’s crucial Champions League clash against Dynamo Kiev.

Mourinho faces one of the most significant moments in his long and illustrious career when Kiev visit Stamford Bridge for a match he cannot afford to lose.

The 52-year-old is hanging onto his job by a slender thread after a turbulent season took another turn for the worse with a 3-1 home defeat against Liverpool on Saturday.

That lacklustre loss left Chelsea languishing in 15th place in the English top-flight, with their six defeats from 11 games the worst start by defending champions in the Premier League era.

The 0-0 draw in Kiev in Chelsea’s last European fixture suggests the Ukrainians won’t necessarily provide the kind of tame opposition Mourinho could do with facing, especially with the Blues no longer such an imposing force at home.

Real Madrid coach Rafa Benitez has been relying on second-string players to get the club through a mini injury crisis, but should have several of his heavyweights back when Paris St Germain visit in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Playmaker James Rodriguez, striker Karim Benzema and captain and centre back Sergio Ramos all look likely to be fit for the clash at the Bernabeu as the record 10-times winners look to pull clear of PSG at the top of Group A.

Midfielder Luka Modric may not be available after he was taken off at halftime in Saturday’s 3-1 La Liga win at home to Las Palmas with a sore hip, while it is unclear when forward Gareth Bale might return from a calf injury.

With a string of regulars missing in recent weeks, Benitez has deployed youngsters like Casemiro, Jese, Lucas Vazquez and Nacho — who all graduated from Real’s B team — to keep their season ticking over.

Real remain unbeaten in La Liga and are joint top with champions Barcelona on 24 points after 10 matches. The goal they conceded to Las Palmas on Saturday — a header at a corner — was the first they conceded at home this season.

“I told the players that these are the games they have to make the most of,” Benitez said.

“They are collecting points for us and they are helping us maintain our competitiveness so the team can keep growing.”

PSG coach Laurent Blanc was pleased to come through Friday’s Ligue 1 match at Rennes with a 1-0 win thanks to a goal from former Real midfielder Angel Di Maria and without sustaining any injuries to key players.

Blanc, whose side are also unbeaten this term, has been without centre back David Luiz after he sustained a knee injury on duty with Brazil last month.

Real and PSG drew 0-0 at the Parc des Princes last month in their first competitive game in more than 20 years and are tied on seven points from three of six matches.

A win for either side would earn a place in the last 16 should Malmo lose at Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday.

Manchester City ready

Sevilla coach Unai Emery has admitted his side have no chance of winning the Champions League, and says their priority is to perform well in La Liga so they can secure a lucrative berth in the competition again for next season.

As the Europa League holders prepare to host Manchester City on Tuesday, Emery said Sevilla must focus on improving their domestic form after they suffered another setback in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Villarreal which left them in ninth after 10 matches.

The Andalusian club qualified for the Champions League after winning a second consecutive Europa League crown last term and are third in Group D on three points after going down 2-1 at City last month.

Managed by former Villarreal, Real Madrid and Malaga coach Manuel Pellegrini, City are second on six points, a point behind leaders Juventus, and will qualify for the last 16 with two games to spare if they beat Sevilla and the Italian champions win at Borussia Moenchengladbach.

“The Champions League is a very attractive goal but if we don’t feed ourselves every day in La Liga we will go hungry,” Emery told a news conference after the defeat at Villarreal.

“I am thinking about what gives us our daily bread and that is the domestic league,” he added.

“The Champions League is something to be enjoyed but it is here [in La Liga] that we have to win, that is our reality.

“We are not going to win the Champions League, La Liga is what conditions our present and future.”

City warmed up for the match at the Sanchez Pizjuan with a 2-1 Premier League success at home to Norwich City on Saturday which kept them top ahead of Arsenal on goal difference.

Chilean Pellegrini, who is in his third season in charge at City, has a mixed record against Emery from his time in Spain, winning four, drawing two and losing three.

His record against Sevilla was poor, winning only five of 19 matches and losing nine.

Emery will be without Kevin Gameiro for City’s visit after the French forward was forced off with a muscle injury on Saturday.

He is likely to be replaced up front by former Spain striker Fernando Llorente, who has yet to spark after joining from Juve in the close season.

Dry spell

With two goals in 10 Premier League games, 

Wayne Rooney’s struggles are not just a source of glee for opposing fans. Even the local police are ridiculing the Manchester United striker.

“Missing Person”, Manchester police wrote on one of its Twitter accounts over the weekend. “Wayne Rooney last seen in the Trafford area wearing a red shirt, any sightings please inform colleagues.”

The misfiring Rooney is emblematic of United’s lack of goal threat through three consecutive drab 0-0 draws. Perhaps age is catching up with the 30-year-old captain, but he remains United’s highest paid player.

The only game when Rooney has truly thrived this season was against a weak Bruges, scoring a hat trick in the Champions League play-offs. It should prove far tougher on Tuesday at Old Trafford against CSKA Moscow after Rooney hit the target only twice in the Russian capital in last month’s 1-1 draw. Anthony Martial scored United’s goal that night and the team has failed to find the net in 325 minutes — and counting — since then.

No wonder the fans have taken to chanting “We’re Man United, we want to attack.”

“They can sing that but in the next game maybe they shall sing in another way,” United manager Louis van Gaal said.

At Crystal Palace on Saturday, Rooney managed only one shot on goal.

“We weren’t able to create good chances,” United midfielder Juan Mata said. “We need to get better in that aspect of the game because I think we have the players to do that.”

It’s tight in Group B. Wolfsburg has a two-point lead over United and CSKA, and PSV Eindhoven is a point further back in fourth place.

AMMAN — The Jordan Cup quarters kick off on Monday with most remaining competing teams aiming to secure one of the season’s titles.

Four Division 1 teams — Turra, Balaama, Arabi and Shiekh Hussein — qualified to join the Jordan Professional Football League teams in the second event of the season. 

In the preliminary knockout round, reigning Jordan Cup champs Faisali ousted Sarih 2-1, Ahli upstaged Wihdat 1-0, Turra upset Ramtha 5-3 on penalties, Jazira beat Asala 2-1, Hussein eliminated Baqaa 3-2 on penalties, That Ras ousted Arabi 1-0, Kufrsoum beat Sheikh Hussein 2-0 and Shabab Urdun defeated Balaama 5-0.

After the elimination of Wihdat, Ramtha, Baqaa in the Round of 16, now it’s Hussein against Shabab Urdun, Jazira play That Ras, Faisali vs Kufrsoum and Turra vs. Ahli.

So far this season, Jordan Cup titleholders Faisali beat league titleholders Wihdat 1-0 to win the 33rd Super Cup. Wihdat have been league champions for the past two consecutive seasons and only have the league title in contention.

AMMAN — Jordan’s hope for the 2016 Rio Olympics triathlon, Lawrence Fanous, put in a strong performance at the weekend’s Asian Cup in Hong Kong to finish 10th, according to the Jordan Olympic Committee News Service.

Lawrence has stepped up his Olympic bid following a difficult year and has started to mount a serious challenge for one of the Asian Olympic spots.

In Hong Kong, the 30-year-old two-time Arab champion was always in touch with the leaders following a strong swim but couldn’t quite break into the podium spots in what was a world-class field.

“It was not as good a finish as I had wanted, but it was one of the strongest Hong Kong ITU fields for years so I did OK,” he said.

Fanous will resume his bid to qualify later this month in Indonesia.

AMMAN — Despite going down 1-0 to rivals Faisali in their Jordan Professional Football League match on Friday, Wihdat are eagerly awaiting regional events with the draw for the preliminary round of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League 2015-2016, set for December 10.

The Jordanian champions were eliminated in the preliminary round in the last edition earlier this year.

As league champs, Wihdat were Jordan’s representative in the premier Asian competition. In 2014, Shabab Urdun were eliminated by Bahrain’s Al Hidd in the preliminary round as well.

Earlier this year, reigning Jordan League and Cup champs Wihdat and Jazira were knocked out of the AFC Cup Round of 16.

Wihdat again lost to AFC Cup titleholders Kuwait’s Qadissieh 1-0 — the same team that beat them 1-0 in the AFC Champions League.

Wihdat were hoping to advance and win the AFC Cup for the first time after taking part eight times. Jazira, who finished runner-up in the league and participated in the event for the first time after two-time AFC Cup champs and Faisali declined, lost to former AFC Cup champs Syria’s Jeish 1-0.

Last season, Jordan Cup champs That Ras exited the Round of 16 in their AFC participation, while former AFC Cup champs Shabab Urdun exited in Round 1. 

The second-tier Asian club competition was won by Syria’s Jeish in its inaugural 2004 edition. Jordan’s Faisali won in 2005 and 2006, and Shabab Urdun in 2007.