Sports

AMMAN — Jordan dropped four spots to 97th in the latest FIFA World Rankings issued on Thursday.

Jordan trails Iran (41), South Korea (54), Japan (55), Australia (63), the UAE (66), Uzbekistan (71), China (82), Oman (91) and Iraq (94) among Asian teams. 

The latest drop came following Jordan’s elimination from the first round of the 16th Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup in Australia. The hosts shot up 37 places to 63rd after winning the title, runners-up South Korea went up 15 spots, third place finishers UAE went up 14 places and fourth place finishers Iraq 20 spots. Quarter-finalists Iran went up 10 places to take top Asian spot, while China went up 14 places.

The top 10 are Germany, Argentina, Columbia, Belgium, Netherlands, Brazil, Portugal, France, Uruguay and Spain.

Led by head coach Ray Wilkins, Jordan failed to repeat its quarter-final qualification in 2004 and 2011. Jordan lost 2-0 to defending champions Japan, 1-0 to Iraq and only saved face when substitute striker Hamza Dardour ended an 11-match unbeaten run and scored four goals in its 5-1 win over Palestine.

Since first taking part in the Asian Cup qualifiers in 1971, it was Jordan’s third time at the Asian Cup finals. The best performance was at the 13th Asian Cup in 2004, where it lost to Japan in the quarter-finals and jumped to the best ever FIFA rank of 37th. Jordan did not play in the 2007 finals and reached the quarters again in 2011.

Jordan’s FIFA monthly rank

AMMAN — Former champs Orthodoxi play Ittihad on Friday as the competition heats up in the final play-offs for the title of the Premier Basketball League.

Orthodoxi lead Ittihad 2-1 and need two more wins to seal the title. They beat them once in Round 2 and again in the first play-off match 79-69.

Titleholders Applied Science University (ASU) have withdrawn from the competition despite efforts to keep them in the play-offs as they were to play Riyadi for third place. 

ASU were in a three-way fight for the title with former champs Orthodoxi leading the standings in Round 2 with one defeat to Ittihad 86-73. However, ASU withdrew from their match against Orthodoxi in the final minutes when they disputed the referee’s call with Orthodoxi leading 73-69. Head coach Murad Barakat’s unsportsmanlike gesture after the call prompted the referees to call for a technical foul which led the team to withdraw from the match.

ASU later announced they would suspend the basketball team and release all players, a move that has drawn criticism from observers as well as the governing body — the Jordan Basketball Federation (JBF). 

ASU Board Chairman Haitham Abu Khadijeh noted that his club was withdrawing citing “the JBF’s inability to develop the game, coaches and referees which has a negative effect on the game locally and on the Arab and regional scene.” He added: “We should have taken this decision earlier.”

JBF Vice Chairman Amer Abu Rashed noted ASU should not have pulled out but instead lodged a complaint in case they had any issues regarding officiating or otherwise.

“We treat all clubs on an equal footing. ASU have put in a lot of effort to develop the game and have many players in the national team.”

Established in 2007, ASU were crowned First Division champ in 2007 and were promoted to the Premier Basketball League in the 2008/09 season finishing runner-up. The team won the League four times. ASU finished fourth at the 21st Asian Champions Cup and were 3rd at the 22nd Arab Clubs Basketball Championship in 2009 when Zain conceded their Arab title. Last year, ASU finished third in the West Asian Clubs competition and were set to represent Jordan in the 8th edition of the event in March. The national team won the West Asian Championship in May and many ASU players are in the line-up.

ASU had led the preliminary stage followed by Orthodoxi, Riyadi and Ittihad. According to JBF regulations, the team’s continued absence would mean the competition rules would be applied, which includes fines and relegation to Division 1. 

On the other hand, Jalil took the top position in the bottom four who played a separate round to decide the two teams to be relegated. Jalil beat Ghazzet Hashem 100-93 (81-81) in overtime and settled for 5th place while Ghazzet Hashem finished 6th leaving Nashama and Awdeh to be relegated. Nashama will be back in the League if ASU are relegated.

ASU won the season’s first basketball competition when they beat Ittihad for the Jordan Cup title. The knockout competition saw Ittihad oust Riyadi 78-77 in the semis as ASU ousted Orthodoxi 92-65.

Last season, ASU beat Ittihad to win the League for the second consecutive time, while Riyadi won 3rd place after beating Kulieh. Orthodoxi finished 5th.

Orthodoxi last won the title in 2011 ending a 10-year drought to take home their record 22nd League title when they beat titleholders ASU. 

The Premier Basketball League which started in 1952 has had 58 editions with eight teams crowned champion. It was cancelled in three seasons and discontinued once. Orthodoxi have won 22 times, Ahli 21, Zain-Fastlink six times, ASU four times, Jazira-Aramex twice, Urdun, Watany and the Electricity Co. once each.

Scoring a first English Premier League goal for your club to win a crucial match against one of your big rivals would arouse outward feelings of relief and elation in most players.

Not Mario Balotelli.

With Anfield rocking and his teammates jumping all over him, the enigmatic Italian looked to the ground and remained stony-faced after scoring a late winner for Liverpool in their 3-2 victory over Tottenham on Tuesday. At the final whistle, as Liverpool’s players celebrated in front of their fans, Balotelli walked quickly down the tunnel.

Balotelli never celebrates his goals — “I’m doing my job. When the postman delivers your letter, does he celebrate?” he said in 2012 — yet after seven months and 13 league game without scoring, he must have been tempted to break out into a smile.

It was the simplest of goals, a close-range finish from Adam Lallana’s low cross, but a crucial one for Liverpool’s hopes of returning to the Champions League next season — and maybe for Balotelli’s chances of staying at the club beyond this summer.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has openly acknowledged that Balotelli’s languid style and lack of movement doesn’t fit into the Liverpool way. Balotelli hasn’t started a match since November 8, and hasn’t even made the bench sometimes. Liverpool’s pursuit of Burnley striker Danny Ings during the winter transfer window raised even more doubts about Balotelli’s future.

His goal against Spurs, however, might make Rodgers think again about Balotelli’s usefulness until the end of the season. And a few more goals will start getting the Anfield crowd back on Balotelli’s side.

“He needs to keep working hard, because when he works hard, and comes on like that, the fans warm to him, and people react to him,” Lallana said of Balotelli. “He can score goals.”

“He needs to keep working hard, and I’m sure the goals will keep coming.”

Hours after the game, Balotelli tweeted a picture of himself smiling, with the message: “This smile is ONLY for those that always [believe] and support me.”

Liverpool fans had basically given up on the striker, disillusioned with his work rate and preferring the more harrying style of fellow forwards Daniel Sturridge and Raheem Sterling. Balotelli raised the ire of many supporters by swapping jerseys with Real Madrid defender Pepe as they walked off for halftime in a Champions League game at Anfield.

Balotelli’s long-term future at Liverpool remains unsure, but at least he’ll be happy to have shown he hasn’t lost the knack of scoring goals.

AMMAN — Jordan’s Wihdat ended their run in the preliminary round of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League when they went down 1-0 to titleholders Kuwait’s Qadissieh.

Qadissieh scored their winning goal in the 70th minute as Wihdat lost a real chance to equalise and exited the competition. Qadissieh advanced to play Saudi Arabia’s Ahli on February 17 and the winner will move to the group stages.

As League champs, Wihdat were Jordan’s representative in the premier Asian competition. Last year, Shabab Urdun were eliminated by Bahrain’s Al Hidd in the preliminary round of the AFC Champions League.

Wihdat now return to play alongside Jazira in the second-tier Asian competition — the AFC Cup. After two-time titleholders and League runner-up Faisali declined, third-placed Jazira were nominated to take part for the first time. Had Wihdat advanced in the Champions League, they were to be replaced by the League’s 4th-placed team, That Ras, in the AFC Cup alongside Jazira.

The 12th AFC Cup will have 41 clubs from across the continent competing in eight groups with the top two from each group going on to the Round of 16.

Last year, first-time AFC Cup competitor and Jordan Cup champ, That Ras, exited in the Round of 16 while former AFC Cup champ Shabab Urdun lost in Round 1. 

The AFC Cup was won by Syria’s Jeish in its inaugural edition in 2004. Jordan’s Faisali won in 2005 and 2006 and Shabab Urdun won their first Asian title in 2007.

AMMAN — There were major changes on the standings ahead of Week 14 of the 63rd Jordan Professional League and teams will try to make up for points lost in the upcoming matches.

Wihdat’s lead was slashed to two points after they lost their first match 1-0 to Ahli. The leaders and reigning League champs are just back after playing in their AFC Champions League match and will have a chance to make-up points when they play bottom-placed Ittihad Ramtha, who are yet to win and last lost to Ramtha.

Ahli, who moved up a spot, next play Ramtha who remained 2nd after a 2-0 win over Sarih who next take on That Ras.

Former Jordan Cup champs That Ras are up two spots after a 1-0 win over Shabab Urdun, who are 9th and next play Baqaa. The latter are now 10th after a 0-0 draw with Manshieh.

Faisali play Manshieh, who are 11th, while Jazira, who are up to 3rd after a 1-0 win over Ittihad Ramtha, go up against Hussein Irbid, who held Faisali 1-1 last week.

Winning teams in the past two seasons have been inconsistent this season. Former winners Faisali and Shabab Urdun are down in the standings at 8th and 9th while former Jordan Cup champs That Ras are 4th. 

In Leg 1, Wihdat beat traditional rivals Faisali 2-0 but that was only the start of the former champs troubles as the club suffers an administrative crisis that has left the team trailing at the lower end of the standings for the first time ever since the League kicked off in 1944. 

The Jordan Cup semis will see Faisali play Wihdat and Ramtha face That Ras. Wihdat won the first major competition of the 2014/15 football season after they beat Baqaa 2-0 in the 32nd Super Cup.

Last season, Wihdat won the League for the 13th time and beat Baqaa to win the Jordan Cup while Shabab Urdun beat That Ras in the 31st Super Cup. The Federation Shield was not held.

BARCELONA, Spain — Goals are guaranteed when a resurgent Barcelona host a fearless Villarreal in the opening leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal on Wednesday.

Lionel Messi has exploded for 10 goals in a nine-game winning streak for Barcelona, and will face a talented and attack-minded Villarreal side that twice led Barcelona before falling 3-2 at Camp Nou two weeks ago.

Crosstown rival Espanyol will visit Athletic Bilbao in the other semifinal.

Here are some things to know about the Copa del Rey’s final four: 

Majestic Messi

Messi is playing at his very best: Torturing defences with his on-ball speed, scoring with both legs and continually improving his passing to get all his team involved in Barcelona’s overpowering attack.

He has 33 goals in 31 games this season. He scored one goal and took part in four more on Sunday in a 5-2 thrashing of Bilbao to ensure Barcelona pulled to within one point of Real Madrid in the Spanish league.

Barcelona’s win streak has silenced talk of a team crisis and rumours that coach Luis Enrique’s job was in danger.

“In football you can’t live off what you did in the past, nor what will come in the future, there is only the present and now we are focused on Villarreal,” Enrique said. “They have players who can do us damage when we accumulate many of our players in their territory.” 

No pushover

Villarreal have more than enough weapons to challenge for a good result at Camp Nou in teir first appearance in the cup semifinals.

The team were on a club record 18-game winning streak before losing to Barcelona on February 1, and they are still in the fight for a fourth-place finish in the league that will earn a Champions League berth.

Coach Marcelino Garcia has forged one of the most exciting teams in La Liga based on a quick transition from defence to attack. Skilled forwards Luciano Vietto and Denis Cheryshev are having breakout seasons.

“We won’t settle for a draw and are going there with high ambitions,” Cheryshev said. “We have nothing to lose and we are aware that this could be historic for the club. There won’t be any lack of effort from us.”

Espanyol’s answer 

Espanyol have found their stride after growing pains under new coach Sergio Gonzalez.

Despite back-to-back league losses, the Barcelona-based side are playing well with a solid defence supporting their in-form tandem of strikers.

Sergio Garcia, Felipe Caicedo and Christian Stuani have combined for 30 goals in the league and cup so far.

Espanyol, however, will be without first-choice holding midfielder Jose Canas because of a muscle injury in his right leg.

Basque blues

Bilbao are the only one of the four teams that have struggled to reach this stage.

Traditionally strong at home, they have recently proven vulnerable at their new San Mames Stadium.

Barcelona’s rout was Bilbao’s fourth loss in six homes games.

Advancing to the final may be Ernesto Valverde’s only chance to ensure he reaches the end of the season. His team are in 13th place in the league, and just four points above the relegation zone.

AMMAN — The FIFA ad-hoc electoral committee on Tuesday announced its official acceptance of HRH Prince Ali’s candidacy for the international football federation’s top post. Prince Ali is among four candidates who will be running in FIFA’s presidential race in Zurich, slated for May 29, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. Prince Ali, the FIFA vice president for Asia and head of the Jordan Football Association, is running against current President Sepp Blatter; Michael van Praag, head of the Dutch football association; and former Portugal player Luis Figo. The prince announced his candidacy in early January, stating that his main goal is to improve FIFA’s governance and make the organisation more transparent. He also mentioned that his reform plan aims to restore FIFA’s credibility, serve football, protect the game and neutralise threats, and develop the game globally.

AMMAN — Jordan’s Wihdat is all set to face Kuwait’s Qadissieh on Tuesday in the preliminary round of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League. 

The winner will advance to play Saudi Arabia’s Ahli on February 17
before advancing to play in the group stages.

As Jordan Professional League champs, Wihdat head to the premier Asian competition with high hopes of advancing in the competition. Coach Abdullah Abu Zameh underscored the importance of winning although they had a tough start playing against reigning champs Qadissieh on their home turf.

“Our squad is ready and we have overcome the latest defeat,” Abu Zameh said referring to the unexpected 1-0 loss to Ahli in the League this week — their first defeat of the season. Wihdat also lost 5-2 to the U-23 squad in a friendly as the rest of the line-up was on national duty at the Asian Cup.

Jordanian teams will also compete in the second-tier Asian competition — the AFC Cup. After two-time titleholders and League runner-up Faisali declined, third-placed Jazira were nominated to take part for the first time. In case Jordan League and Cup champs Wihdat advance in the Champions League they will be replaced by the League’s fourth-placed team, That Ras, in the AFC Cup alongside Jazira.

The 2015 AFC Cup will have 41 clubs from across the continent competing in eight groups with the top two from each group going on to the Round of 16.

Jazira coach Issa Turk said his team was readying to play in
Group 2 alongside Palestine’s Wadi Nays and Iraq’s Shurta in group matces kicking off on February 24. “Injuries continue to plague the team, but one positive side is the return of U-23 players to our squad after national team duty,” Turk said.

Last year, That Ras exited the Round of 16 while former AFC Cup champs Shabab Urdun lost in Round 1. Shabab Urdun were also eliminated by Bahrain’s Al Hidd in the preliminary round of the AFC Champions League.

The AFC Cup was won by Syria’s Jeish in its inaugural edition in 2004. Jordan’s Faisali won in 2005 and 2006, and in 2007 Shabab Urdun won their first Asian title.

BATA, Equatorial Guinea — African football’s image took another battering after a tumultuous last week in the Nations Cup overshadowed Ivory Coast’s emotional triumph and the remarkable tale of coach Herve Renard and his lucky white shirt.

After Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon ruined their chances at the last year’s World Cup with internal bickering over bonuses, some unsavoury incidents at the tournament in Equatorial Guinea again put the African football’s leaders under the spotlight.

The sight of the Tunisian team chasing the referee off the pitch after their exit and a helicopter flying dangerously low over the crowd as violence interrupted Thursday’s semifinal are likely to remain longer in the memory than Ivorian title celebrations.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF), which has promised to back incumbent Sepp Blatter at this year’s FIFA presidential election, responded with controversial sanctions which gave the impression they were looking for scapegoats.

Ivory Coast’s 9-8 penalty shoot-out win over Ghana after a goalless final, where second-choice goalkeeper Boubacar Barry converted the title-winning kick, showed the tournament’s knack for throwing up unlikely heroes.

Barry, only playing because of injury to Sylvain Gbohouo, saved from Ghana goalkeeper Razak Brimah and then, after requiring treatment for an apparent injury, got up to slot home the decisive spot-kick.

In doing so, he ended an agonising run of near-misses for the Elephants, who had waited since 1992 for a second title.

Renard’s tale was even more remarkable.

The flamboyant Frenchman, who led unfancied Zambia to the title in 2012, became the first coach to win the tournament with two different teams, on both occasions wearing his famous shirt.

In between, he endured relegation with Ligue 1 side Sochaux and, before his success, spent 10 years running a cleaning business, which involved removing rubbish from buildings in the small hours of the morning.

But the feel-good stories were overshadowed by all-too-familiar problems.

Contentious penalty 

On the same evening as the final, African football suffered another stadium disaster when 22 people were killed outside an Egyptian ground after security forces barred fans from entering.

The first Nations Cup row erupted when Tunisia were dumped out by Equatorial Guinea in the quarter-finals after the hosts were awarded a contentious stoppage-time penalty to equalise before winning 2-1 in extra-time.

Riot police stepped in to protect the referee from the losing side, yet it was the match official who got a six-month ban while not a single Tunisian player was sanctioned for the attack.

Then, Equatorial Guinea’s semifinal with Ghana was interrupted for 40 minutes as home fans hurled a variety of objects at the Ghana supporters, who fled on to the pitch to escape the trouble.

Equatorial Guinea, who stepped in as hosts at two months’ notice, were fined $100,000 but it was Morocco, not even present at the tournament, who really incurred CAF’s wrath.

Originally scheduled to stage the Nations Cup, Morocco had been stripped of the hosting rights after requesting a postponement due to the fears surrounding the Ebola virus.

Morocco were banned from the next two tournaments, fined $1 million and ordered to pay 8 million euros ($9.1 million) in damages to the CAF and their partners.

At that point, CAF battened down the hatches as President Issa Hayatou accused the media of dramatising.

“The Western media are simply here to perpetuate colonisation,” he said.

Ghana’s FA, which had initially described the stadium on Thursday as a “war zone” and the treatment of their fans as “barbaric”, quickly changed tune and their president, Kwesi Nyantakyi, put his name to a defiant statement issued by CAF’s executive committee.

“The 30th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations could only be held in Equatorial Guinea through interpersonal skills of the CAF President Issa Hayatou, who unfortunately has been subject of a biased derogatory press campaign,” it said.

“[The committee] expresses its sincere gratitude to the CAF president for his ongoing involvement in the development of football in Africa.”

AMMAN — Jordan Motorsport, the motor sport authority in the Kingdom, has revealed its calendar of activities for the 2015 season focusing on popular auto events — drifting and the speed test.

According to Othman Naseef, CEO of Jordan Motorsport, there will be a total of 23 events this season.

“Jordan Motorsport, headed by HRH Prince Feisal, saw that there is a need to increase the number of events due to the fact that people are getting more interested in watching auto sports, and drivers, especially new ones, can gain more experience,” he told The Jordan times.

“This season we have increased the number of drifting from four to five as we have seen a lot of positive response from fans,” he added.

Drifting was introduced for the first time as part of the agenda in 2014 and quickly gained a lot of fans.

Meanwhile, the Speed Test Championship will have five races in addition to Al Hussein Rumman Hill Climb. 

“The 2015 season will also focus on karting, which is considered the core for other auto sports, with five events and five rallies, in addition to the Jordan Rally, the fifth round of the Middle East Rally Championship which will take place in October,” he added. 

Naseef expects more participation from women drivers and young enthusiasts this season due to the additional number of events and the opportunity that is open to newcomers.

“We welcome newcomers and we are ready to provide all the guidance needed. We believe that this sport will always need young and ambitious drivers who one day may represent Jordan in global and regional events,” he said.

The first event on the calendar is Speed Test 1 on March 13.