Wihdat host Kuwait in ACL preliminary round

AMMAN — Wihdat host Kuwait Club on Tuesday in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League preliminary round.

Jordanian teams have never before made it past the ACL preliminary round. In the 2018 edition, Faisali were eliminated, while Wihdat were knocked out in 2017, 2016 and 2015, and Shabab Urdun in 2014.

The 2019 AFC Champions League is the 38th edition of Asia’s premier club football tournament organised by the AFC, and the 17th under the current AFC Champions League title.

Last edition, Faisali lost their 2018 ACL play-off match to Uzbekistan’s Nasaf Qarshi, and failed to reach the group stages of Asia’s elite club competition. They then settled to play the AFC Cup alongside compatriots Jazira who were eliminated from the West Asia zone final losing to the Iraqi Air Force team, and failing to reach the continent’s final. Faisali had bowed out in second-tier Asian club competition semifinals. The AFC Cup was previously won three times by Jordanian teams. Faisali won titles in 2005 and 2006, and Shabab Urdun in 2007.

Likewise, in 2018 Ramtha bowed out to Tunisia’s Etoile Sportive Du Sahel in the preliminary round of the Arab Club Champions Cup. In 2017, Jordanian league champs Faisali finished runner up to Tunisia’s Tarajji in the Arab Clubs Championships after an impressive performance which included two wins over Egyptian veterans Ahli.  

Last season, Wihdat won the Jordan Professional Football 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 2018/19 football season kicked off with Wihdat beating Jordan Cup champs Jazira in the 36th Jordan Super Cup — the first major competition on the annual football calendar.

Arab clubs winning AFC Champions League 

2011     Sadd (Qatar)

2005     Ittihad (Saudi Arabia)

2004     Ittihad (Saudi Arabia)

2003     Al Ain (UAE)

2000     Hilal (Saudi Arabia)

1992     Hilal (Saudi Arabia)

1989     Sadd (Qatar)