Wihdat football club withdraws from shield after post-match incident

AMMAN — Wihdat Football Club management has suspended the team’s participation in the Jordan Football Association (JFA) Shield after violence at a recent match, the club chairman, Tarek Khoury, said on Sunday.

Khoury said the decision to withdraw from the shield was taken after violence witnessed following a match between Wihdat and Ramtha on Friday.  

He said the club is waiting for the JFA and security agencies to release statements on the incident, which are expected soon. 

Khoury said Wihdat’s board has demanded that security services protect the club’s fans.

He called for reforms to ensure the protection of fans at all Jordanian clubs, adding that their loyalty could not be questioned.

Wihdat Football Club, which represents a Palestinian refugee camp in Amman, had secured a place in the semifinal of the shield tournament after a 2-2 draw with Ramtha on Friday, and placed second in the league, behind Shabab Urdun. 

Angry over being disqualified, some Ramtha fans reportedly started throwing stones at Wihdat fans, prompting them to jump over the fence and into the pitch. 

A security official who asked not to be named said gendarmes worked to evacuate the stadium “efficiently” after that. 

JFA spokesperson Amjad Majali said that all Jordanian clubs are partners with the association, and that the JFA appreciates the role of all teams. 

The JFA has not received an official statement about Wihdat’s withdrawal from the shield, Majali told The Jordan Times, adding that the association will release a statement about the incident after Friday’s match. 

Wihdat’s decision to suspend participation in the competition is an internal issue, he added. 

According to the security official, security agencies are coordinating with the JFA to allow the losing team’s fans to leave the stadium first in order to avoid any major incidents.