League enters Week 9 with Wihdat in lead

AMMAN — Week 9 of the 63rd Jordan Professional League starting Thursday will include some matches which are expected to shape standings at both ends.

Wihdat are still in the lead and play Jazira, who are third, while Ramtha, who edged Baqaa 4-2, trail behind Wihdat and play Faisali.

Wihdat’s 2-0 win over Faisali was the highlight of last week’s matches. While the former remained two points ahead of the pack Faisali seem to have let go of their chances for the title as they trail 10 points behind.

It was the 77th encounter between both teams. Wihdat won 28 times, Faisali 26 and they had 22 draws. One match, won by Wihdat, was later taken off the records when the league was discontinued in 1998. Wihdat have scored 75 goals and Faisali 69.

Hussein beat Ittihad Ramtha 2-0 and are now fourth. They will play That Ras, who are now in 7th  spot after losing 2-1 to Jazira.

Former champs Shabab Urdun lost to Sarih 2-0 and dropped to 8th place. They will play Ahli, who dropped to 10th after a 1-0 defeat to 9th-placed Manshieh. Baqaa, who are at a disappointing 11th, play Sarih while Manshieh play Ittihad Ramtha.

Ramtha’s Rakan Khalidi now tops the scorers list with seven goals, while Wihdat’s Mahmoud Zaatara has six.

Wihdat won the first major competition of the 2014/15 football season after they beat Baqaa 2-0 in the 32nd Super Cup.

Last season, Wihdat won the league title for the 13th time, and beat Baqaa to win the Jordan Cup, while Shabab Urdun beat That Ras to win the 31st Super Cup. The Jordan Football Association Shield was not held.