League resumes; Jordan Cup Round of 16 teams decided

AMMAN   —   As week 17 of Jordan Professional League kicks off on Thursday, the Jordan Cup Round of 16 teams have been decided with First and Second Division teams making headway in the second competition on the season calendar.

The league was on hold last week as the national team played two matches in a friendly tournament losing 1-0 to Syria and 3-2 to Iraq. The U-23 national  team also played its Asian qualifiers and advanced to the  Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Championship after topping Group E qualifiers.

This week, Wihdat's league match against Ahli is postponed for AFC Cup scheduling paving the way for officials to defuse tension as Wihdat announced suspending participation following the disciplinary committee's reversal of suspensions regarding unsportsmanlike actions by some Faisali players in their latest match. 

Leaders Jazira will play Ramtha who dropped to 11th, Shabab Urdun play Hussein who are now 6th, Faisali play Sarih who moved up to 10th, Salt play Baqaa who moved to 7th and eighth placed Aqaba play last placed That Ras. 

In the Jordan Cup, Pro league teams Hussein and That Ras were eliminated by Second Division teams Khaldieh and Um Qutain in the knockout first round which included 32  teams. The Round of 16 now groups 10 pro league teams, four First Division teams and two Second Division teams. It will be Wihdat vs Yarmouk, Faisali vs Khaldieh, Shabab Urdun vs Manshieh, Baqaa vs Ramtha, Jazira vs Ahli, Aqaba vs Balama, Salt vs Karmel, Sarih vs Um Qutain.

Since the cup started in 1980, there have been 37 editions with Faisali being a record 19 time champions. Wihdat  won 10 times, Jazira, Ramtha and Shabab Urdun twice, while Arabi, That Ras and Ahli won once each.

Last year, Wihdat won the league for a record 16th time as Jazira lost two competition finals conceding the 35th Jordan Super Cup to Faisali and the Jordan Football Association (JFA) Shield final to Wihdat.  Jazira finished runner-up in the league but made club history by winning the 38th Jordan Cup final after they last won the Jordan Cup in 1984. Regionally, Jazira were eliminated from Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup West Asia zone final and failed to reach the continent's final. Faisali bowed out in the event's semifinals.  Likewise, Ramtha were eliminated by Tunisia's Etoile Sportive Du Sahel in the preliminary round of the Arab Club Champions Cup.  

The 2018-2019 football season kicked off with league champs Wihdat beating Jordan Cup champs Jazira in the 36th Jordan Super Cup. Regionally, Wihdat were eliminated early in the 2018/19 AFC Champions League losing to Kuwait Club 3-2. Jordanian teams have never before made it past the ACL preliminary round. In the 2017/18 edition, Faisali were eliminated, while Wihdat were knocked out in 2017, 2016 and 2015 and now in 2019, and Shabab Urdun were eliminated in 2014.

Jazira and Wihdat boosted their chances of advancing in the 16th Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup when they scored important wins and shot to the lead ahead of stage 3 of the competition on April 1 and 2. Jazira held Bahrain's Nijmeh 1-1 and scored a vital 1-0 win over guests titleholders Kuwait Club to share Group B lead with Nijmeh. Wihdat now lead Group A after they beat Jerusalem's Quds 6-2 and  Lebanon's Nijmeh 1-0.