Sports

AMMAN  — Jordan went up one spot when the first FIFA World Rankings of 2016 were issued on the weekend.

The Kingdom is in the midst of qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup doubling as part of the qualification for 2019 Asian Cup. With qualifiers resuming in March, Jordan is now second in Group B behind Australia after losing 1-0 to Kyrgyzstan following two wins over AFC champs Australia 2-0 and Tajikistan 3-0. In the first leg, Jordan was held to a disappointing 0-0 draw with Kyrgyzstan, beat Tajikistan 3-1 and Bangladesh 4-0. 

Belgium still leads the world top 10, followed by Argentina, Spain, Germany, Chile, Brazil, Portugal, Columbia, England and Austria. 

Jordan is still 10th in Asia trailing Iran (43), South Korea (51), Japan (53), Australia (59), the UAE (64), Uzbekistan (73), Saudi Arabia (75), China (82) and Qatar (84). 

Jordan beat Malta 2-0 in a friendly and will play the last two qualifiers against Bangladesh at home on March 24 and Australia in an away match on March 29. The group winners and four best runners-up (total 12 teams) will advance to the 2019 AFC Asian Cup finals and the final round of qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

The next best 24 teams from the preliminary stage of the joint qualifiers will compete in a separate competition for the remaining slots (12 slots or 11 slots + one slot for the host) in the 24-team 2019 Asian Cup. 

It has been an inconsistent year for Jordan’s squad which has seen three coaches leading the vital qualifying process. The line-up was led by Briton Ray Wilkins under whom the team failed to advance past the group stage of the 16th Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup in 2015 before Ahmad Abdul Qader took over in the transitional phase under whom the team played the first qualifier. Belgian Paul Put took over in July and his contract was suspended as he in the midst of a match fixing court case in the Belgian league. 

Observers were hoping the Kingdom would again make it to advanced stages of qualifying to the World’s premier football competition. Jordan had the most memorable World Cup qualifying journey in 2013 when it lost a possible chance to play at the World Cup for the first time and advanced to play then World’s 6th ranked Uruguay in an intercontinental qualifying tie for a place in the 2014 World Cup. It lost the home game 5-0 and held the former World Cup champs 0-0 in the away match. Jordan had never reached that far in World Cup qualifying since taking part in the qualifiers. Round 3 had been the furthest Jordan reached in the past seven times at the qualifiers since 1986. 

In the Asian Cup, Jordan reached the championship three times since first taking part in qualifiers in 1972. The pinnacle was at the 13th Asian Cup when they lost to Japan in the quarter-finals and jumped to the best ever FIFA Ranking of 37th in August 2004. In 2011, Jordan again reached the quarter-finals.

AMMAN — There is a lot in store for Jordan at upcoming sporting events, but officials might also ponder a look back at 2015 — where there is more of contemplation rather than celebration.

The Kingdom is lokking forward to the possibility that HRH Prince Ali may win the FIFA presidential election on February 26, especially if its is won on merit and hard work.

Another much-anticipated event of 2016 will be the hosting the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in September — being awarded that honour was an achievement in itself.

The event will be the first of its kind for the Kingdom and the region, and is expected to boost the game locally as well as market Jordan as a destination for hosting major global competitions.

The highlight of 2015 was a Jordanian athlete qualifying to the Rio Games. Khitam Kamal already booked a slot to the Rio de Janeiro Paralympics in wheelchair table tennis — not on an invitation wildcard but through her third place finish at the zonal competition. Jordan has never been close to winning an Olympic medal, but paralympians have always come home with a handful.

Jordan’s football is in the midst of qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup doubling as part of the qualification for 2019 Asian Cup. With qualifiers resuming in March, the team is facing an uphill challenge as they are without a head coach after Belgian Paul Put got mired in the midst of a match fixing court case in the Belgian League.

Earlier in 2015, Jordan’s line-up was led by Briton Ray Wilkins under whom the team failed to advance past the group stage of the 16th Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup. Ahmad Abdul Qader took over in the transitional phase under whom the team played the first qualifier. Put took over in July. The team ended the year at 87th in the yearend FIFA world rankings.

Sports fans and observers alike note that even with more and more funds allocated to sports federations each year, there has been a steady regression in sports on the Asian and international levels over the last decade.

Last year, event after event, Jordanian football teams failed to win and qualify to their respective Asian football qualifiers. The U-23 football team was eliminated from the 1st West Asian Championship and is now readying for the 2nd Asian U-23 Championship serving as Asia’s qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games in Rio. Jordan beat South Korea to take bronze in the 1st edition.

The U-19 team, which reached the Asian Championship four times and previously reached the FIFA Youth World Cup in Canada in 2007, was also eliminated. In addition, the U-16 boys failed to advance to the 2016 AFC U-16 Asian Championship.

Earlier in the year, the women’s national team ended the Asian Olympic Qualifying Tournament with a winless record. Similarly, the U-16 girls team failed to qualify to the 2015 AFC U-16 Women’s Championship after qualifying in 2013.

Locally, two major events enthralled sports fans this fall. The Tennis Academy Amman hosted the Lexus Tennis Festival in September where, for the first time ever, ATP Tour professionals played in Jordan.

Finnish star Jarkko Nieminen and Tunisian Malek Jaziri joined the legendary French star and multiple Grand Slam champion Mary Pierce, for two days of great tennis and family fun.

For tennis players of all ages, seeing these players in Amman was remarkable. Pierce, a French champion, is a winner of four Grand Slam titles, including the 1995 singles Australian Open, the 2000 singles French Open, the 2000 doubles French Open, and the 2005 mixed doubles Wimbledon title. Former World No. 13 Nieminen had reached the quarter-finals in the 2005 US Open, the 2006 Wimbledon Championships and the 2008 Australian Open. He had beaten former World No. 1 tennis legend Andre Agassi and current World No. 1 Novak Djokovic. 

In December, Riyadi Aramex Club thrilled basketball enthusiasts with an action packed weekend with the internationally acclaimed Basketball Show of the Harlem Wizards in the capital. The world-class show, which includes veterans of the Globetrotters, was full of amazing hoop talent over two shows. The Wizards also had a three-day camp for players ages 6-13, visited the children’s ward at the King Hussein Cancer Centre in addition to youth community centres and schools.

In basketball Jordan took runner-up spot at the West Asian Basketball Association Championship. The Kingdom clinched one of three qualifying slots to the 28th Asian Basketball Championship in China where it finished at a disappointing ninth.

The basketball squad, which lost the 2006 Asian Games semifinal to China and possibly the country’s first Asian team medal ever, was knocked out in the preliminary round of the 2015 Asian Games. Although the men’s basketball team was the only Jordanian team to actually reach a world championship in a team sport in 2010 alongside the junior team in 1995 — official support for Jordan’s second most popular sport is seen as below par by most observers, leading to a decline in the game locally as well as the competitive advantage on the regional scene.

In basketball, the boys U-16 team was knocked out of the West Asian Basketball Championship. The women’s game was seen as making a slow comeback when Jordan hosted the 22nd FIBA Asia U-18 Championship for Women in 2014. Despite finishing 5th in Level 2, Jordan Basketball Federation officials viewed the event as a platform to advance the game on the local and regional levels, as it was only in 2013 and after nearly a 20 year break, that Jordan returned to Asian women’s basketball competitions. However, instead of making a leap forward, the league was down to two teams in 2015, and it was eventually cancelled.

Locally, the football and basketball leagues have seen inconsistent results. 

Reigning football champs Wihdat seem to be losing the reigns while Ahli who were relegated some years back are now third thanks to good leadership and disciplined work.

The basketball league no more has most veteran clubs playing. Apart from Orthodoxi and Riyadi, new clubs with no fan base have sprung up, making the notion of the second most popular sport a thing of the past.

With the 2016 Olympics too close, many ex-players and officials concur that they are lagging far behind on the Asian level — a benchmark of their competitive capacity. 

On the Asian front, the AFC Cup which was previously dominated by Jordan’s Faisali and Shabab Urdun, no longer has Jordanian teams in the lead. In 2015, Wihdat and Jazira were knocked out of the AFC Cup Round of 16. Wihdat also couldn’t make it past the preliminary round of the Asian Champions League.

The past year gives officials a lot to contemplate. There is obviously a lack of proper long-term planning and assessment. Revamping all regulations related to sports associations, especially by having ex-players and coaches leading the process, is viewed by many as a priority and a part of the solution. 

On all fronts, there remains much to be done.

Raymond Felton scored a team-high 22 points, and Chandler Parsons scored 19 of his 21 points in the first half, to lift the shorthanded Dallas Mavericks to a 98-89 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Centre.

Playing the night after a double-overtime victory over Sacramento, Dallas (21-15) rested four starters — Dirk Nowitzki, Zaza Pachulia, Wesley Matthews and Deron Williams — but still held the Pelicans to 36 per cent shooting in the win.

The quartet of rested players normally account for 55 per cent of Dallas scoring.

Pacers 95, Magic 86

Paul George scored 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 95-86 victory over the Orlando Magic at the Amway Centre.

George Hill had 16 points, including nine in the final period. Monta Ellis had 19 points and seven assists, and Ian Mahinmi finished with eight points and a game-high 12 rebounds for Indiana (20-15).

Cavaliers 121, Wizards 115

LeBron James scored 34 points and Kyrie Irving had 19 of his 32 in the fourth quarter as the Cleveland Cavaliers won their fifth straight game with a 121-115 victory over the Washington Wizards.

James helped stake the Cavaliers (24-9) to an 18-point lead by hitting all four of his three-pointers less than four minutes into the third quarter.

The Wizards (15-18) countered with their own barrage from beyond the arc, eventually tying the game 95-95 with 10:53 remaining. Irving dominated from there, scoring the game’s next 10 points.

Raptors 91, Nets 74

Jonas Valanciunas collected a season-high 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as the Toronto Raptors pulled away in the second half en route to an 91-74 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

Valanciunas had his best game since returning from missing 17 games with a broken left hand. He made his first six shots, finished 8-for-13 and recorded his seventh double-double while playing 30 minutes.

Pistons 99, Celtics 94

The Detroit Pistons snoozed through two-and-a-half quarters but then rallied from 13 points down to pull out a 99-94 victory over the Boston Celtics.

Reggie Jackson, who played at nearby Boston College, scored nine of his game-high 24 points in the final 6:01 as the Pistons (20-16) won for the third time in four games.

Nuggets 78, Timberwolves 74

Danilo Gallinari scored a game-high 20 points, leading the Denver Nuggets to a 78-74 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Centre.

Trailing by two, Minnesota had a chance to tie the game late but Andrew Wiggins missed a pair of shots and Karl-Anthony Towns had his put-back attempt blocked.

Spurs 123, Jazz 98

Tim Duncan had a season-high 18 points and led eight San Antonio players scoring in double figures as the Spurs took charge early and ran away with a 123-98 win over the Utah Jazz to remain unbeaten at home.

San Antonio shot 68 per cent from the floor in the first quarter and never looked back, winning for the sixth straight time. The Spurs’ 123 points tied their most in a game this season, equaling Monday’s total in a win over Milwaukee by the same score.

Suns 111, Hornets 102

Mirza Teletovic scored 19 points including five of Phoenix’s season-high 19 three-pointers and the Suns needed them all to snap a nine-game losing streak with a 111-102 win over the Charlotte Hornets.

Brandon Knight added 18 points for the Suns (13-25), who hit 19 of 33 three-pointers (57.6 per cent) and won for the first time since beating the New Orleans Pelicans here on December 18.

It was also the 100th NBA coaching win for Phoenix’s Jeff Hornacek.

Thunder 112, Grizzlies 94

Kevin Durant racked up 26 points and a game-high 17 rebounds to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to an 112-94 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Durant shot only nine of 18 from the field in a below average shooting performance by his standards, but in his first game back from a strained big toe he used his activity on the backboards to find a way to make an impression on the game.

He finished one rebound away from tying his career high.

Knicks 98, Heat 90

The New York Knicks broke a streak of eight straight losses in this once-bitter rivalry, defeating the Miami Heat 98-90 at American Airlines Arena.

The Knicks were led by Carmelo Anthony, who had 25 points, and Robin Lopez, who had 19. Knicks rookie forward Kristaps Porzingis, who was held scoreless in the first half, finished with 12 points.

Clippers 109, Trail Blazers 98

Chris Paul scored 21 points and dished out a season-high 19 assists to guide the Los Angeles Clippers to a 109-98 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Centre.

JJ Redick scored 20 points, Paul Pierce added 17 and DeAndre Jordan contributed 14 points and 14 rebounds for the Clippers (23-13), who won their seventh straight game, the NBA’s longest active streak.

The Chicago Bulls extended their winning streak to a season-high five games by defeating the Milwaukee Bucks 117-106 on Tuesday at the United Centre.

The Bulls had dropped three of four games right around Christmas, leading to questions being asked about everything from their leadership to their effort.

“It wasn’t anything I said or what anyone else said,” Bulls guard Jimmy Butler said of the turnaround.

“It was what we said together as a team in the locker room that nobody knows. We got a real good team on paper, out there on the court, but if we don’t play for one another, don’t stick together, we’re not a really good team.”

Individually, Butler has been largely responsible for helping the Bulls (21-12) be a better team lately.

Coming off a 42-point performance, which included 40 points in the second half, against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, Butler continued to have a hot hand against the Bucks.

He scored a game-high 32 points, including 20 points in the first half, and recorded a career-high 10 assists. He shot 11-for-21 from the field and 8-for-8 from the free-throw line.

“He’s balling right now,” Bulls pointguard Derrick Rose said of Butler. “I’ll keep going to him until he doesn’t want the ball anymore.”

The Bulls got going early as they jumped out to a 10-0 lead and never once trailed. Milwaukee cut the margin to one point twice in the game, but the Bucks (14-23) just could not find enough consistency on defence.

The Bulls shot 46-for-83 from the field (55.4 per cent). The Bucks hit 46 of 102 shots (45.1 per cent).

Poor fundamentals

Bucks interim coach Joe Prunty thought there was plenty of blame to thrown around for his team’s defensive struggles. Milwaukee fell to 5-16 on the road this season.

“Tonight, they just didn’t miss many shots,” Prunty said. “Part of it may have been we weren’t good defensively. The reason was partly the effort we put into it. Some was our poor fundamentals. It was in our stance, missed assignments and not getting in the right scheme. It was on all of us tonight.”

On the other hand, the Bulls were again pleased with their offence. They have scored 100-plus points in their past eight games.

Bulls centre Pau Gasol had 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting, and he added 11 rebounds, five assists and three blocks. Rose had 16 points on 8-of-17 shooting, and he handed out six assists.

Bucks guard Khris Middleton scored a team-high 26 points on 10-of-21 shooting.

The Bucks pulled within striking distance and were only down 90-89 with 53 seconds remaining in the third quarter. However, the Bulls closed the quarter on a 5-0 run and outscored the Bucks 23-17 in the fourth quarter.

“Yes, we tried to contain the deficit,” Parker said. “We were in it, but we got down more in the [fourth] quarter and could not come back.”

The Bulls led by as many 13 points in the first quarter and held a 36-28 advantage after the opening 12 minutes. The Bucks fought back during the second quarter and pulled within 42-41, but the Bulls stretched their lead to 67-61 by halftime.

Knicks 107, Hawks 101

Arron Afflalo and Carmelo Anthony each scored 23 points to help the New York Knicks to a 107-101 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday.

New York nearly wasted a 16-point second-half lead, as Atlanta pulled within two and did not secure the victory until Jose Calderon scored on driving layup with 18 seconds left.

Mavericks 117, Kings 116 (double OT)

Deron Williams hit a three-pointer at the buzzer finished that lifted Dallas to a 117-116 double overtime win over the Sacramento Kings at American Airlines Centre.

Warriors 109, Lakers 88

Klay Thompson scored 22 of his 36 points in the first quarter, and the Golden State Warriors pounded the Los Angeles Lakers 109-88 at Staples Centre.

Thompson scored 30 points in back-to-back games for the first time this season. Thompson had 30 on Monday in a 111-101 home win over the Charlotte Hornets.

LONDON — FIFA faces a “catastrophic” future if the wrong man is elected head of world football’s governing body, presidential candidate HRH Prince Ali said on Tuesday when he published his election manifesto.

The prince, who was beaten by 133-73 votes by Sepp Blatter in last May’s FIFA presidential election, is one of five men looking to replace the Swiss, who was banned from football for eight years last month for ethics violations.

Prince Ali told reporters at a round-table in London that next month’s vote in Zurich represents a final chance for scandal-hit FIFA to right the wrongs of the past.

“This is an incredibly important moment for the future of the organisation. It will be a catastrophe for the organisation if things do not go the right way,” he said.

“The most important thing is that we have to have a real, responsible leadership in FIFA, no matter what happens in the future, you have to have a leadership that can implement the right changes and that is what I am dedicated to doing.

“We don’t want the situation where a year or two down the line more scandals come out. I am determined to save FIFA and to do it from within. There are a lot of people around the world who want to have a strong, solid FIFA and I am one of them.”

Prince Ali’s manifesto calls for a maximum of two four-year terms — there is currently no limit — for the FIFA president and executive committee members and for total transparency, which would include publishing the salaries of senior executives.

He wants a revised bidding process for the World Cup from 2026 onwards and wants to increase the annual financial assistance to members from $250,000 to $1 million.

The current FIFA crisis began last May when the FBI and Swiss authorities indicted 14 officials and marketing executives in raids in Zurich two days before the FIFA congress when Blatter defeated Prince Ali.

In the wake of those investigations Blatter, president since 1998, said he was leaving office this year, but he was suspended last month, one of many high profile casualties of the scandal which includes UEFA president Michel Platini and FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke.

Platini has been banned for eight years while on Tuesday FIFA’s ethics committee called for a nine-year ban for Valcke over alleged corruption involving the sale of World Cup tickets.

As well as the Prince, who is the current head of the Jordan Football Association, the other presidential candidates are former FIFA deputy secretary general Jerome Champagne, Gianni Infantino, the current UEFA general secretary, Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, the president of the Asian confederation, and South African businessman Tokyo Sexwale.

The vote takes place on February 26.

AMMAN — Jordan’s Wihdat have started the countdown to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) 2016 Asian Champions League in which they are set to play Saudi Arabia’s Ittihad Jeddah in the preliminary round on February 8.

Wihdat have been the Jordan Professional League champions for the past two consecutive years and only have the league title in contention this season, as they stand in fourth position, being led by Faisali, Shabab Al Urdun and Ahli.  Wihdat were also eliminateed from the Jordan Cup and conceding the Super Cup this season. 

As league champs, Wihdat were Jordan’s representative in the premier Asian competition last season as well and were knocked out in the preliminary round by former titleholders Kuwait’s Qadissieh. In 2014, Shabab Urdun were eliminated by Bahrain’s Al Hidd.

In addition to the Asian Champions League (ACL), Jordan’s Wihdat and Faisali will represent the Kingdom at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup this season. If Wihdat advance past the ACL preliminary round, Jazira will replace them in the AFC Cup.

Last year, Jordanian teams were absent from advanced stages of Asian competitions as Wihdat and Jazira were knocked out of the AFC Cup Round of 16. While it was the first time for Jazira, who finished runner-up in the Jordan League and participated in the event after two-time AFC Cup champs and Faisali declined, Wihdat were hoping to advance and win the AFC Cup for the first time after taking part eight times. 

In 2014, Jordan Cup champs That Ras exited the Round of 16 in their inaugural AFC participation while former AFC Cup champs Shabab Urdun exited in Round 1. 

The second-tier Asian club competition was won by Syria’s Jeish in its inaugural 2004 edition. Jordan’s Faisali won back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006 and Shabab Urdun won in 2007.

Klay Thompson poured in two key hoops to ignite a third-quarter surge on Monday to help the Golden State Warriors outlast the Charlotte Hornets 111-101.

Power forward Draymond Green recorded his seventh triple-double of the season with 13 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists as Golden State (32-2) ran their home winning streak to 35, including 17 this season.

Seeking to avoid getting swept in the two-game season series for the second year in a row, the Hornets (17-17) got to within 66-65 in the fourth minute of the third quarter after an 11-4 run to open the second half.

But Thompson countered immediately with 5- and 8.5 metres, the latter a three-pointer, to trigger an 18-4 burst that put the Warriors in command for good.

Kings 116, Thunder 104

DeMarcus Cousins scored a game-high 33 points to lead Sacramento past Oklahoma City on Monday.

Cousins shot 11-of-27 from the field to go along with 19 rebounds. Marco Belinelli came off the bench to score 21 points.

Serge Ibaka led the Thunder, who played without Kevin Durant, with 25 points and seven rebounds. Forward Anthony Morrow added 20 points while guard Russell Westbrook compiled 17 points and 15 assists.

Heat 103, Pacers 100 (OT)

Chris Bosh scored 31 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and Dwyane Wade added 27 points to lead the Miami to the overtime win.

Indiana lost despite getting 32 points from Paul George. Miami won their third consecutive game.

The Pacers blew an 18-point, third-quarter lead. The Heat took their first lead with 3:11 left in the fourth quarter on a technical free throw by Bosh.

Cavaliers 122, Raptors 100

Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving has talked for weeks about knocking the rust off but he looked just fine in Cleveland’s 122-100 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Monday.

Irving scored a season-high 25 points while adding eight assists and six rebounds, and forward LeBron James had 20 points and seven assists while sitting out the fourth quarter on a night when all five Cavs starters scored in double figures.

Sixers 109, Timberwolves 99

Ish Smith had 21 points and 11 assists as Philadelphia earned their third victory in six games since its 1-30 start.

Smith, whose acquisition from New Orleans triggered Philadelphia’s turnaround, notched eight of his points in the final 4:38, when the Sixers salted the game away.

Reserves Richaun Holmes and Carl Landry had 17 and 16 points, respectively, for the Sixers. They combined for 12 in the fourth quarter.

Celtics 103, Nets 94

Jae Crowder scored a career-high 25 points and Boston rode their most productive first quarter of the season to a victory over Brooklyn.

Crowder, who shot eight-for-thirteen, surpassed his career high set December 18 against the Atlanta Hawks.

He scored 14 points during the opening quarter, when the Celtics shot 56 per cent and took a 15-point lead and had 17 when Boston led by 14 at halftime.

Pistons 115, Magic 89

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 21 points and reserve Brandon Jennings supplied 17 points and six assists in his fourth game of the season as Detroit blew out Orlando.

Caldwell-Pope also grabbed six rebounds and reached the 2,000-point mark for his career.

Jennings, who missed the first 31 games while recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon, scored 12 second-half points for the Pistons.

Spurs 123, Bucks 98

Tim Duncan rediscovered his offensive stroke, scoring 14 points in San Antonio’s victory over Milwaukee.

The 19-year veteran was held scoreless for the first time in his career Saturday night against Houston, but against Milwaukee, Duncan hit seven of twelve shots to go along with 10 rebounds and four assists in 27 minutes.

Kawhi Leonard led San Antonio with 24 points while forward LeMarcus Aldridge added 16 with 11 rebounds.

Grizzlies 91, Trail Blazers 78

Zach Randolph came off the bench to match his season high with 26 points, along with a campaign-best 18 rebounds, as Memphis eased past Portland.

Courtney Lee added 16 points for the Grizzlies, who won for the third time in four outings.

Damian Lillard (17 points) and CJ McCollum (16 points) combined for only 10-for-32 shooting for the Trail Blazers.

Rockets 93, Jazz 91

James Harden scored 30 points as Houston snapped a four-game losing streak with a close victory over Utah.

Harden scored 13 points in the third quarter to help the Rockets dig out of a 15-point hole. He then scored the go-ahead bucket in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter as Houston picked up a much-needed win.

AMMAN — Jordan’s U-23 team is set to play Uzbekistan on Wednesday in its third and final friendly concluding its UAE camp as the final countdown starts for the 2nd Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Championship. 

So far, Jordan beat North Korea in two friendlies 1-0 and 2-1. With players unable to fully regroup in preparation for the championship, head coach Jamal Abu Abed has given all the squad playing time in a bid to finalise the line-up before leaving to Qatar on January 10 Asia’s qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

“The team has improved in every aspect. The camp and matches served the purpose and was aided by the squad’s discipline and commitment,” Abu Abed noted. “We hope to end the camp and third match on a positive note before returning home,” Abu Abed added.

Before the camp the U-23 team played Iraq losing 1-0 in a friendly after playing local friendlies against Wihdat, Jazira, Faisali and Shabab Urdun during the last two months as Abu Abed worked on defensive and offensive tactics and tried to enhance “team cohesiveness”. 

The team will leave to Doha on January 10 and will play in Group D against Australia, the UAE and Vietnam in the 16-team competition set for January 12-30. In the inaugural AFC U-22 Championship (now renamed the AFC U23 Championship), Jordan beat South Korea to take bronze as Iraq beat Saudi Arabia to win the title.

 Jordan qualified to the U-23 Championship after leading Group B qualifiers in Amman. In 2015, the U-23 squad was eliminated from the 1st West Asian Championship and in 2014, the U-23 squad represented Jordan at the Asian Games where they made to the quarter-finals despite a bumpy preparation period amid the busy agenda of the national team and local clubs.

Real Madrid have sacked coach Rafa Benitez after less than half a season in charge and promoted their former France great Zinedine Zidane from the B team to replace him, President Florentino Perez said on Monday.

Perez announced the dismissal of the experienced Benitez, who had a contract until June 2018, following a board meeting and Zidane was present at the president's news conference at the Bernabeu Stadium.

"Firstly I would like to thank the club and the president for giving me the chance to coach this team," Zidane, known as "Zizou" and a hero to Real's fans, told reporters.

"What we need to do now, and what I will try to do, is try to do my best so that this team is a winner at the end of the season," added the 43-year old, one of the club's youngest-ever coaches.

"The important thing is to be with the team tomorrow and start
work," he said.

"I will put all the heart I have into the job for this club and try to make sure things work out well."

Eleventh coach

Real did not immediately specify the length of Zidane's contract.

He is the 11th coach Perez has installed during two terms in charge and it will be the former France captain's first top-flight management job.

He played for Real for five seasons after joining from Juventus in August 2001 and helped them win their ninth European crown with a stunning volley against Bayer Leverkusen in the 2002 Champions League final.

Perez, who has publicly backed Benitez in recent weeks, said it had been a difficult decision to sack him.

He said Zidane had always tackled the biggest challenges in football with "talent and dedication" and noted that the Frenchman knew many of the players well from his role as assistant coach under Benitez's predecessor Carlo Ancelotti.

"You have all our confidence and support so our fans can be excited and entertained in every match," Perez told Zidane, who won the World Cup and European Championship as a player.

He retired from international football after the 2006 World Cup, having been sent off in the final for headbutting Italy defender Marco Materazzi. France lost on penalties.

Disgruntled fans

Benitez, a former Valencia, Liverpool, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Napoli manager who began his coaching career in Real's youth ranks, replaced Ancelotti after the Italian was sacked in June.

Real have failed to find the level of consistency Perez demands, however, and there have been widespread reports Benitez does not get on with some of Real's key players like Cristiano Ronaldo and James Rodriguez.

Disgruntled fans have been whistling Benitez at the Bernabeu in recent months and he also appears to have been blamed for Real's expulsion from the King's Cup last month for fielding an ineligible player.

Sunday's 2-2 draw at Valencia, when Real twice surrendered the lead, left them third in the standings, four points behind leaders Atletico Madrid and two behind champions Barcelona, who have a game in hand.

Real's biggest failure this season was a stinging 4-0 home loss to archrivals Barca in November, although they did qualify for the Champions League last 16 as group winners.

Their next outing is a La Liga game at home to Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday and they have been drawn to play AS Roma in Europe's elite club competition, with the first leg in the Italian capital on February 17.

Jimmy Butler on Sunday went where no other Chicago Bulls player had been before, not even the legendary Michael Jordan.

The shooting guard scored 40 of his 42 points in the second half — including the go-ahead jumper with 30.6 seconds remaining — and the Bulls came back to defeat the Toronto Raptors 115-113 in a game they had trailed by 15.

The 40 points were a Bulls’ club record for a half. Jordan set the record with 39 points in the second half against the Milwaukee Bucks on February 16, 1989.

“I’m just happy we won, to tell the truth,” Butler said. “I don’t want to be compared to [Jordan] because you see what he’s done for this game.

“I had no idea [about the record] until somebody told me after the game. I guess somebody will beat it one of these days coming soon.”

If Butler tried to downplay his feat, Chicago coach Fred Hoiberg was having none of it.

“I’ll say this, it’s the best performance I’ve seen coaching,” Hoiberg said.

Raptors coach Dwane Casey wasn’t as overjoyed.

“We tried everything and couldn’t get him stopped,” Casey said. “It still felt like he had control of the game.”

Not even an elbow in the face late in the first half from Raptors forward DeMarre Carroll could stop him.

“I was mad, but I just came out and was aggressive after that,” Butler said.

Center Pau Gasol added 19 points and 13 rebounds for the Bulls (20-12) with forward Nikola Mirotic scoring 17 points.

“Dominant,” Gasol said of Butler’s performance. “Outstanding. It was an incredible second half that he had. I guess that elbow in the mouth really ticked him off.

“He carried the load offensively, he made a lot of big shots, big plays. Obviously, scoring 40 in the half, it’s something you don’t see every day, so I’m just proud of him.”

Guard DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors with 24 points but missed his three-point shot for the win at the final buzzer.

Butler also did a good job guarding DeRozan, who scored only seven points in the second half, including two in the fourth quarter.

“[Butler] did it at both ends,” Gasol said. “To me that’s even more impressive that you’re not guarding a non-threat offensively.”

Said DeRozan: “It was amazing, you have to give him credit. He got hot and we tried to contain him. Once you’re scoring and get hot, it doesn’t matter what you do from there.”

Forward Luis Scola and point guard Kyle Lowry each scored 22 points for Toronto (21-14). Lowry added 10 assists.

Guard Cory Joseph added 13 points and forward Carroll had 10 for the Raptors.

With the game tied at 109, Lowry hit a turn-around jumper with 40.9 seconds left to give Toronto the lead.

Butler came back with his three-pointer and the Bulls led 112-111.

“He hit a tough shot,” Lowry said. “He’s not known just to make threes. I thought he was going to drive baseline but he ended up pulling. He’s a good player and he hit a bit shot.”