JFA Shield semifinalists decided

AMMAN — The second event on the 2016/17 football calendar — the Jordan Football Association (JFA) Shield — ended Round 1 with the competition giving a good indicator of line-up readiness for the Jordan Professional League starting October 22.

Four teams made it to the knockout semis where it will be Faisali taking on Wihdat and Shabab Urdun against Sahab. Super Cup champs Ahli, as well as Ramtha, Jazira and Baqa’a all had a shot at advancing to the knockout Round 2, but were also eliminated along with Manshieh and That Ras.

Shabab Urdun took the lead from Wihdat in Group B while Faisali led Group A followed by Sahab after Week 5 results which saw Wihdat holding Ramtha 2-2, Faisali beating Baqa’a 2-0, Sahab defeating Hussein 3-0, Shabab Urdun beating Manshieh 3-0, Jazira beating Sarih 2-0, while Ahli were held 1-1 by That Ras.

The top two from each group moved to the semis set for September 8 with the winners advancing to the final on September 16. The winner will receive JD15,000 and the runner-up JD10,000.

It is not yet clear if Wihdat will play the semifinal match and how the JFA will resolve the disagreement after the club announced it was suspending participation following the brawl that ensued after their match against Ramtha. Several fans were injured after Ramtha fans threw stones from outside the stadium. Others were injured trying to flee the scene and were stopped from going onto the stadium pitch by security.

The 2016/17 football season started with Ahli making history when they beat reigning league champs Wihdat 2-1 to win the 34th Super Cup — the first major competition on the calendar. The Jordan Cup preliminary round will kick off October 31 after the conclusion of the U-17 Women’s World Cup. 

Last season, Wihdat won their third consecutive and 15th league title since they moved up to the professional league in 1975. Faisali beat league and Super Cup holders Wihdat 1-0 to clinch the Super Cup while it was Ahli who were the overall better team of the season. After years in the backstage, Ahli beat Shabab Urdun to win their first Jordan Cup final.