AMMAN — The CFI Basketball League tipped off Round 2 with teams contesting the best-of-three playoffs to advance to the final four.

 

In opening matches, Amman United cruised past Shabab Bushra 129-52 and Jubeiha beat Jalil 92-84. Other matchups include Faisali vs Ashrafieh and Wihdat vs Inglizia in matches continuing until March 31. Round 1 saw Amman United, Faisali, Jubeiha and Wihdat as the top four.

 

Amman United who won the 2024/25 League in their inaugural season are seeking to retain their title as two new athletic powerhouses have entered the competition. Faisali are playing for the first time and have beat Wihdat to snatch the Jordan Cup. Former champs Wihdat are back the to the fold after being suspended by the JBF in 2022 over regulations and age-division requirements, after they won they first won the title in 2019, and again in 2021/22.

 

Three teams from Irbid – Ashrafieh, Jalil and Shabab Bushra are newcomers to the League – while two former champs are missing the competition this season over disagreements with the JBF: veterans and 2022 champs Ahli and Orthodoxi who last won their 23rd title was in 2014-15 and were runner-up in 2022/2023 and Jordan Cup champs in 2022.

 

This season, Faisali were impressive in their unbeaten run to take home the Jordan Cup which was dominated by Fastlink in four consecutive seasons (2003-04-05-06) before they played and won under Zain in 2008; Ahli won four times (2018-19-20-21); Riyadi won three times in (2002- 2011- 2012); ASU (2010- 2013- 2014) and Orthodoxi (2007-2015-2022)

 

The 2023 League was not held after the vibrant 2022/2023 season saw coach Mu’tasem Salameh who had earlier guided Wihdat to the 2022 title, joining Ahli midway through the season and securing their 25th title. Record 25 time holders Ahli, who had disbanded the team for over a decade, came back to win the Jordan Cup in 2018, and have since also won the League four times in the past six seasons after the title had eluded them since 1994.

 

The Basketball League which started in 1952 has had eight teams crowned champion. It was not played in four seasons and discontinued once. Ahli have won 25 times, Orthodoxi 23, Zain (Fastlink) 6, ASU 4, Wihdat, Riyadi and Jazira-Aramex twice, while Amman Untied, Urdun, Watany and the Electricity Co. won once each. Teams like former League and Cup champs Applied Science University (ASU), Ittihad, and Zain have pulled out of the competition.

 

Riyadi-Aramex who won the League in 2015/16 and 2016/17, 20 years after they first won in 1997 under then Jazira-Aramex, have disbanded their senior team alongside others.

 

The League stopped during Round 1 to allow the national team’s Window 2 Asian Group C qualifiers for the 2027 FIBA World Cup. Jordan got off to a good start beating Iran 73-60 while Syria beat Iraq 78-70. However, the Jordan-Iraq match was postponed with heightened security concerns amid Israel’s bombing of several areas in the Lebanese capital hosting Window 2 matches.

 

Jordan was 2023 Asian Games silver medalist and a three-time qualifier to the World Cup, 2010, 2019 and 2023. The squad also played at the FIBA Asia Cup 17th times, with their best position runner-up in 2011.