That Ras, Shabab Urdun seek to remain in competition in AFC Cup

AMMAN — Shabab Urdun play Iraq’s Erbil while That Ras face Lebanon’s Safa in Stage 5 of the 11th Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup starting Tuesday.

Shabab Urdun’s match in Doha is a tough one. They have to win the match to remain in contention as they are now third in Group D after beating Kyrgyzstan’s Alay Osh 1-0 and 2-1. Shabab Urdun had a shaky start losing 2-0 to Bahrain’s Rifaa and going down 3-1 to group leaders Erbil.

On the other hand, That Ras, who will host Safa on Wednesday, have had a tough week with three matches in the Jordan Professional League and the Jordan Cup as well. 

That Ras held Wihdat 1-0 in the Jordan Cup and coach Ahmad Abdul Qader noted his team was aiming to advance in the AFC Cup. 

“A draw might be enough but we will play for a win,” he was quoted in the local media.

That Ras lately beat Tajikistan’s  Ravshan 5-1  and 3-2 and are now second in Group A. They had earlier scored an important 1-0 win over Oman’s Suweiq after losing to Safa 1-0 in their opening match.

Shabab Urdun won the second-tier Asian club competition in 2007 and last year won the league title for the second time. However, they have had an inconsistent form and are now 8th in the league. This season, Shabab Urdun were eliminated by Bahrain’s Al Hidd in the preliminary round of the AFC’s Asian Champions League. They also lost to Al Hidd in Round 1 of the Arab Football Association Clubs Cup.