Wihdat win Super Cup in season opener

AMMAN  — The 2018-2019 football season agenda kicked off on Friday when league champs Wihdat beat Jordan Cup champs Jazira in the 36th Jordan Super Cup — the first major competition on the annual football calendar.

Wihdat came from 1-0 down to win the first title of the season 2-1. Jazira club President Mohammad Maharmeh lodged a complaint citing officiating and Wihdat’s controversial first goal. Jazira later announced they would not play in the Jordan Professional Football League.

Last season, Wihdat won the league for a record 16th time. Jazira lost two competition finals conceding the 35th Jordan Super Cup to Faisali and the Jordan Football Association Shield final to Wihdat. Jazira also 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.

The Super Cup has been won by Faisali a record 16 times out of 22 final appearances, Wihdat 13 times, Ramtha and Shabab Urdun twice each, while Jazira, Hussein and Ahli won once each.

The local and regional agenda gets into high gear as the Jordan Professional Football League kicks off on August 24. Jazira is set to represent Jordan in the Asian Football Confederation AFC Cup, which was twice won by Faisali and once by Shabab Urdun. Earlier last week, Ramtha lost 3-1 to Tunisia’s Etoile Sportive Du Sahel in the Arab Clubs Championship and will host them in the return leg in September. Last year, Faisali finished runner-up in the Arab Championship to Tunisia’s Tarajji after an impressive performance which included two wins over Egyptian veterans Ahli.