Sports

AMMAN — Jordan plays Singapore on Friday in their second U-20 Asian Cup Group J qualifier in Qatar - a qualifying tournament to the U-20 World Cup.  

The Kingdom beat Hong Kong 7-0 to top the table on the opening night, as Qatar beat Singapore 3-0 to take second spot. Jordan plays Qatar on September 29. 

The 45 Asian teams are playing the AFC qualifiers in 10 groups, with the group winners and five best second-placed teams advancing to the finals scheduled for China in February 2025. Currently, Vietnam and Syria lead Group A, Uzbekistan and Cambodia lead Group B, South Korea and UAE lead group C, Saudi Arabia and Australia lead group D, North Korea and Malaysia lead Group E, Indonesia and Yemen lead Group F, Iran and India lead Group G, Iraq and Thailand lead group H, Japan and Kyrgyzstan lead group I.

AMMAN — The CFI Professional Football League heads into week 6 on Thursday with Ahli still atop the standings which shifted throughout the past week.

The season’s most anticipated match Wihdat vs Faisali ended in a 1-1 draw in match that did not live up to expectations. Ahli maintained their unbeaten streak scoring another 3-2 win over Shabab Urdun, Aqaba beat Salt 2-0, Ramtha beat Sarih 2-1, Jazira were held 3-3 with Mughayer Sarhan and Hussein beat Ma’an 1-0.

The upcoming week will see Ahli take on Wihdat who dropped to fourth, Faisali play Aqaba, Salt meet second placed Hussein, Ma’an play Jazira who are last, Shabab Urdunplay sixth placed Sarih, Mughayer Sarhan play third placed Ramtha.

Week 5  came right after Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Champions League Two matches where Wihdat scored a vital 2-1 win over Iran’s Sepahan FC Isfahan as league champs Hussein fell 3-1 to Ahli Dubai of the UAE in a match that saw a record number of 11 saves by national team goalie Yazeed Abu Layla.

Following the upcoming round of matches, the League will head into break for the national team’s Group B/Round 3 matches in 2026 World Cup qualifiers matches on October 10 and 15 against South Korea and Oman. Jordan beat Palestine 3-1 and held Kuwait 1-1 in the first two matches.

In the2023/2024 season, Hussein won the Pro League title for the first time becoming the 9thchampions since the League kicked off in 1944. Neighbors Ramtha, won the 2022 title for the third time in their history after 39 yearsas the past two seasons had clubs from the north have dominate the league.

Other competitions, saw Wihdat win the Jordan Cup for the 12th time as well as the Super Cup for their 15th time, whileFaisali won their 9th Jordan Football Association Shield. 

Faisali are 35-time record league champs while Wihdat won 17 times since first joining in 1980. Ahli won eight times, Ramtha and Jazira three times, ShababUrdun twice, Hussein, Amman and Urdun clubs once.

AMMAN — The men’s U-20 team is  all set for the U-20 Asian Cup Group J qualifiers kicking off in Qatar on Wednesday — a qualifying tournament to the U-20 World Cup.  

The Kingdom will play Hong Kong Wednesday, Singapore on September 27 and Qatar on September 29.

The 45 Asian teams are playing the AFC qualifiers in 10 groups, with the group winners and five best second — placed teams advancing to the finals scheduled for China in February 2025.

The squad has had a series of training camps and friendlies, playing Syria and Japan, as well as clubs from the UAE this week before heading to Doha for the qualifiers.

Jordan qualified once to the U-20 World Cup in 2007 after finishing fourth in the U20 Asian Cup 2006.

In other editions, the team was eliminated in qualifiers from Round 1 in 2008 and 2010 editions.

In 2012 they made it to the quarterfinals; they did not play in 2014 and 2016 and exited Round 1 in 2018. 

The squad failed to qualify in 2020. 

In 2023, they played in 6th Asian Cup exiting the quarterfinals.

On the other hand, the U-17 team are also preparing for U-17 Asian Cup qualifiers set for October.

In 2022, Jordan hosted Group A qualifiers for the U17 Asian Cup but failed to advance.  

The team also could not retain their West Asian Championship title and exited Round  1.

MADRID — Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Monday his team's "many styles" of play have helped them go 38 La Liga matches without defeat.

The Spanish and European champions lost just one league game last season, at Atletico Madrid on September 24, 2023.

Madrid have effectively gone unbeaten for a full league campaign, split between last season and the start of the current season, despite some in Spanish media criticising their approach.

"For me I don't think it's like that, that we play badly," Ancelotti told a news conference.

"What stands out the most is that Real Madrid, over these years, doesn't have one single identity, (we) have done things well, defended well in a low block, had very quick transitions, managed possession well in some games.

"Not having a clear identity makes some think that we don't have a style. And that's the truth, we don't have a style, we have many styles."

Barcelona hold the record for the longest unbeaten run in the Spanish top flight, going 43 games without defeat between April 2017 and May 2018 under Luis Enrique and mainly Ernesto Valverde.

Madrid host Alaves on Tuesday aiming to cut down the four-point gap on leaders Barca, in what will be Ancelotti's 300th game at the helm across two spells in all competitions.

The Italian coach said there will be "some rotations" when asked if their top scorer Kylian Mbappe would start against Alaves, after Vinicius Junior started on the bench in Saturday's 4-1 win over Espanyol.

Madrid routed the Catalans in the second half after failing to find the net before the break, which they have only managed to do once in the league this season.

"We should put more intensity in, but understanding that teams lower their intensity in the second halves and there's more space," noted Ancelotti.

Midfielder Jude Bellingham seemed to hurt his shoulder against Espanyol, an issue he had trouble with last season too, but Ancelotti said he will be be ready to face Alaves.

The coach also confirmed French defender Ferland Mendy has signed a new deal with Madrid, after reports he extended his contract to 2027.

LEVERKUSEN, Germany — Victor Boniface struck a stoppage-time winner to give Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen a thrilling 4-3 win over Wolfsburg on Sunday providing a perfect boost ahead of next week's trip to Bayern Munich.

In a seesaw encounter, the teams were locked at 3-3 from the 48th minute.

Wolfsburg were then reduced to 10 men in the dying stages when Yannick Gerhardt sunk his studs into Jeremie Frimpong's calf.

Boniface, who came on with 22 minutes remaining, collected a pass before pivoting on the spot and shooting home to snatch the German champions another late victory.

Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka was far from pleased with the win, calling the result "a giant wake-up call -- none of us can be satisfied with the game today.

"We can't keep going with performances like that. We can't defend so naively. Sure, we scored four but we can't do that every weekend."

Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso had named a heavily changed line-up from the side which thrashed Feyenoord 4-0 in the Champions League on Thursday, giving Nordi Mukiele his starting debut.

However, Mukiele, signed on loan from French champions PSG, endured a nightmare start when he allowed the ball to bounce in off his thigh for a fifth-minute own goal.

Florian Wirtz, who scored a brace on his Champions League debut on Thursday, drew Leverkusen level with a superb effort from outside the box shortly after.

Jonathan Tah headed the hosts ahead from a corner after 32 minutes but Leverkusen's joy was short-lived, with Wolfsburg's Sebastiaan Bornauw equalising five minutes later, jumping above Mukiele to head in from close range.

Mattias Svanberg scored from the edge of the box on the counter for Wolfsburg before Leverkusen levelled again on 48 minutes through Piero Hincapie.

In breaking through for their debut Bundesliga title last season without losing a match Leverkusen dropped just 12 points but they appeared on course for a second setback after losing to RB Leipzig in their last home game.

Boniface had other ideas and sliced the ball home in the third minute of injury time to keep Leverkusen three points behind league leaders Bayern, ahead of next week's clash in Munich.

Later on Sunday, Borussia Dortmund travel to Stuttgart while St Pauli host RB Leipzig.

BREMEN, Germany — Michael Olise had a hand in four goals and Harry Kane scored again as Bayern Munich ran riot to win 5-0 at Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

Olise, who arrived from Crystal Palace in the summer, scored twice and laid on two more in the win, while Kane had a goal to go with his two assists.

The big win continued Bayern’s stunning week, with a 6-1 win at promoted Holstein Kiel followed by a 9-2 home victory over Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League.

Kane created Olise’s 23rd-minute opener and the goalscorer then turned provider, dribbling down the right and threading a perfect pass for Jamal Musiala to score shortly afterwards.

Olise then assisted Kane’s 57th-minute goal, the England captain’s 10th goal so far for Bayern this season in six games all competitions.

Olise scored again and Kane set up Serge Gnabry to make it five against Bremen, whose only win against Bayern dating back to 2008 came this January in Munich.

Kane scored his first Bundesliga goal on debut at Bremen in August last year and now has 41 league strikes, more than any other English player.

“We’ve got so much quality up front and we’re having fun playing football,” Musiala told Sky, adding “but we will face tougher opponents.”

Bayern host champions Bayer Leverkusen next Saturday.

Fellow top-four rivals Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, Stuttgart and RB Leipzig all play on Sunday, but Bayern are guaranteed to finish the weekend in top spot as the only side to have won all four of their opening league matches.

Two goals in the opening six minutes put Union Berlin on course for a 2-1 win at home against Hoffenheim.

Tom Rothe and Jeong Woo-yeong scored early for the home side but a 67th-minute goal from former Union forward Marius Buelter set things up for a nervy finish in the German capital.

Union however dug deep to win their second match of the season and keep their unbeaten record alive, while Hoffenheim have lost their past three in the league.

Freiburg scored three second-half goals to win 3-0 at Heidenheim, with Italy midfielder Vincenzo Grifo getting a double after Ritsu Doan opened the scoring.

An 89th-minute goal from Shuto Machino snared a 2-2 draw for Holstein Kiel at Bochum, giving the promoted side their first-ever points in the top division.

Kiel took the lead through a Benedikt Pichler goal after 15 minutes but Matus Bero and Lukas Daschner both scored to give Bochum a 2-1 advantage at halftime.

Later on Saturday, Eintracht Frankfurt host Borussia Moenchengladbach.

AMMAN —  The CFI Professional Football League’s most anticipated match will be Wihdat vs Faisali on Saturday as the competition entered its fifth week on Thursday. 

This week’s matches include, leaders Ahli vs Shabab Urdun, Aqaba vs Salt, Ramtha vs Sarih, Jazira vs Mughayer Sarhan, Hussein vs Ma’an.

Week 4 saw Ahli held 1-1 with Faisali but still  remained atop the table after an unbeaten streak. Wihdat and Hussein remained  second and third although both had the week off for their Asian club agendas.

In other matches, Ma'an scored an important 3-2 win over Aqaba to move up 3 spots to 7^th, Shabab Urdun held Ramtha 0-0 and climbed a spot, and Jazira remained 11^th after they were held 2-2 with Sarih.

Week 5  matches come right after Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Champions League Two matches where Wihdat scored a vital win over Iran’s Sepahan FC Isfahan 2-1 in an outstanding match highlighted by the rise of two stars Ibrahim Sabra and Mohannad Simreen.

On the other hand, league holders Hussein fell 3-1 to Ahli Dubai of the UAE in a match that saw a record number of 11 saves by national team goalie Yazeed Abu Layla. 

The 21^st edition of the second tier Asian event has replaced the AFC Cup, where Wihdat are in Group C alongside UAE’s Sharjah, Tajikistan’s Istiqlal and Sepahan while Hussein are in Group D with Kuwait Club, Uzbekistan’s Nasaf Qarshi and Ahli Dubai.

It is Hussein’s 1st and Wihdat’s 13^th time the event which was won by Faisali twice 2005-2006 and Shabab Urdun once in 2007.