Hussein, Faisali lead as Jordan Pro League on break

AMMAN — The Jordan Professional Football League is on a three  week break to free up players for the national teams Asian agendas.

As teams wrapped up Week 7, Hussein maintained their lead after they drew 0-0 with newcomers Mugheer Sarhan, a result which enabled Faisali to catch up and tie them in overall points after they beat Salt 1-0 as the latter dropped to last.

Wihdat beat Sahab 1-0 to go up to 3rd while Aqaba moved a spot up after upsetting Ramtha 3-2.

Shabab Urdun went up two spots to 5th after a 3-2 win over Ma’an, while Jazira managed to score their first win, 3-2 over Sarih, to move up to 11th.

So far, results that were decisive on current standings include: Hussein vs Faisali 1-1 ; Hussein vsn Shabab Urdun 1-0, Hussein vs Ramtha 2-0, Wihdat  vs Ramtha 1-1, Wihdat vs Shabab Urdun 2-1, Faisali vs Jazira 1-0,  Faisali vs Ramtha 1-0, Faisali vs  Sahab 0-0; Mugheer Sarhan vs Shabab Urdun 3-2, Shabab Urdun vs Jazira 3-2 , Ma’an vs Jazira 1-1 and Salt vs Ramtha 1-0.

Ramtha are the defending champs against traditional rivals Faisali and Wihdat. In two of the 2022 competitions played so far, Faisali won the 35th Jordan Football Association (JFA) Shield title when they beat Ramtha in the season opening competition. Reigning league champs Ramtha upset Jordan Cup titleholders Faisali 2-0 in the 39th Jordan Super Cup. 

In the 2021 season, Ramtha won the Jordan Pro League title for the third time in their history ending a 39-year drought. Newcomers to the Pro League, relatively unknown Jalil, overcame Wihdat to win the 34th JFA Shield; Wihdat beat one-time winners Jazira in the 38th Jordan Super Cup, while Faisali beat Salt to win the Jordan Cup. 

In the league Ramtha were trailed by Wihdat second, Salt third, and Faisali fourth. Hussein, Shabab Urdun, Jazira, were trailed by Ma’an, Aqaba and Sahab who managed to hold on to their spot among the top teams as Baqa’a were relegated in their worst season yet and were accompanied by Jalil. Mugheer Sarhan and Sarih have been promoted from the First Division.

Regionally, like last season, Wihdat were eliminated in the group stages of the continent’s leading tournament - the Asian Football Confederation  (AFC) Champions League. 

In 2021, Wihdat became the first of the Kingdom’s clubs to play in group stages of the AFC Champions League. 

In the second-tier Asian club competition - the AFC Cup — no Jordanian will compete this season due to financial and technical constraints. It will be the first time Jordanian teams miss the competition since 2005.