JFA Shield starts new football season

AMMAN — Four teams have reached the semis of the 33rd Jordan Football Association Shield — the first of the 2020 football season competitions — which will see Wihdat play Shabab Urdun and Ramtha take on Sarih.

Twelve Jordan Professional Football League teams played the first round in three groups with the top team in each group, and the best overall second placed team advancing to the semis.

Sarih topped group A, Ramtha topped Group B, and Shabab Urdun topped group C, while Wihdat advanced as best second place team.

Eliminated teams include reigning champs Faisali, who lost to Sarih, as well as Jazira, who lost to Shabab Urdun.

As the season gets into full swing, the Super Cup will see Faisali play Jazira on February 28.

Last season, Faisali were crowned league champs and combined it with their 20th Jordan Cup title. Jazira were second and Wihdat third in the league. Wihdat beat Jazira to win the 36th Jordan Super Cup. 

Wihdat were the last winners of the Shield competition in the 2017/2018 season. The competition was not held last year. Looking back at the history of the Shield tournament, Wihdat are a record nine time winners, Faisali seven, Ramtha five, Hussein three, Jazira and Amman and Shabab Urdun twice each, Kufrsoum and Yarmouk once each. Hussein were finalists seven times. Amman have since scrapped football, while Qadissieh were relegated and have since merged with Shabab Urdun.