Ammon News - AMMAN - The 2010/2011 football season kicks off today with the 29th Jordan Football Association (JFA) Shield grouping the Jordan Professional League's clubs.

Twelve teams will be contesting the event until August 6 when the first champion of the season's top four events is decided. The Cup Winners' Cup is set for August 13 and the league is slated to start a week later.

Last year, Faisali and Wihdat split the season titles as Faisali won the JFA Shield and the league while Wihdat, who combined all four titles in a historic first in 2008/09 season, only managed to retain the Cup Winners' Cup and the Jordan Cup.

The Shield competition is regarded as a warm-up for the new season with a chance to test younger players. Wihdat's Mahmoud Shilbayeh is still sidelined but star Rafat Ali has signed again and Hasan Abdul Fattah is back with the team.

Faisali, who made a comeback at the helm of Jordanian football after a five-year absence, have signed Shabab Urdun star Wasim Bzour, who also lost Mohannad Maharmeh to the Saudi league.

In the first round, the competition's teams are split into three groups: Group 1 includes Arabi, Wihdat, Yarmouk and Jazira, Group 2 includes Ahli, Ramtha, Faisali and Hussein Irbid, and Group 3 includes Baqaa, Kufrsoum, Manshieh and Shabab Urdun.

Ahli and Manshieh have rejoined the league after Karmel and Ittihad Ramtha were relegated last season. The Shield semis will include the top team from each group and the best second-placed team.

Faisali and Wihdat are the top contenders but Shabab Urdun, who won the title in 2007, are looking to get back to their winning ways.

Other teams vying for the title include Jazira - winners in 1981 and 1986 - who have not won a major title in decades. Similarly, Yarmouk won the title in 2006 but were relegated to the First Division and are back among the top 12 now.

Wihdat are record seven-time winners, Faisali six, Ramtha five, Hussein three, Jazira and Amman twice each, and Shabab Urdun, Kufrsoum and Yarmouk once each. Hussein were finalists seven times.

* By Aline Bannayan/ Jordan Times