Jazira’s lead diminishes before facing Faisali

By Aline Bannayan - Nov 28,2018 - Last updated at Nov 28,2018

AMMAN — Jazira’s upcoming match with Faisali on Friday will be decisive for the current as well as final standings as teams edge closer to the end of Leg 1 of the Jordan Professional Football League.

Jazira are still in the lead but their 1-1 draw with Shabab Urdun reduced the gap and now their closest rivals have a better chance at taking the lead away.

Faisali beat Baqa’a 3-1 to stay 4th, but now have 19 points, one behind Salt who beat Ramtha 4-1 to remained third.

Wihdat beat That Ras 4-0 to remain fifth before their match with Ramtha, while Hussein, who beat Ahli 1-0, are 6th before they face Salt. Aqaba, who beat Sarih 2-0, next pay Shabab Urdun while Baqa’a play Ahli who are down at 11th.

Jazira who have maintained their lead and like the past two seasons, have been at the forefront ahead of usual champs Wihdat and Faisali.

The 2018/19 football season kicked off with league champs Wihdat beating Jordan Cup champs Jazira in the 36th Jordan Super Cup — the first major competition on the annual football calendar.

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.

Faisali are 33-time league winners since 1944 while Wihdat are 16-time leagues champs since 1980.

On the regional scene, this season, Jazira were eliminated from Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup West Asia zone final by losing to the Iraqi Air Force team and failing to reach the continent’s final. Faisali had bowed out in the event’s semifinals. Likewise, Ramtha bowed out to Tunisia’s Etoile Sportive Du Sahel in the preliminary round of the Arab Club Champions Cup. League titleholders Wihdat will represent Jordan in the 2018/19 AFC Champions League. Jordanian teams have never 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 Shabab Urdun were eliminated in 2014.