The draw ceremony of the Emir Cup in progress at the Rotana City Hotel in Doha yesterday. Pictures: Mohamed Farag
Doha: Al Shamal coach Silvio Diliberto has a score to settle against his former club Al Markhiya when the two sides clash in the second-round match of the Emir Cup, the country’s most popular football tournament.
Yesterday’s colourful draw ceremony, held in the presence of the coaches and former players, has pitted Al Shamal against QNB Stars League (QSL) relegated side Al Markhiya, with the winner taking on Al Khor in the next round clash.
A possibility of a clash with defending champion Al Sadd in the quarter-final is staring in the face for Diliberto’s side if everything goes according to plan charted out by him for his club in one of the prestigious competition of the season’s calendar.
“It will be a nice and interesting game against my old team Al Markhiya. It always good to see some old friends again but it does not mean it will be easy,” Diliberto, 55, said after the draw ceremony.
Diliberto side is looking to make amends to their performance in the Qatargas League.
“The nature of the Qatargas League competitions – 12 matches - leaves little room for comeback. If your team has a bad phase then it is difficult to finish first and qualify for QSL,” the Dutchman said.
Diliberto warned his opponents not to take his side for granted in the Emir Cup – played on the knockout format.
“We will play against a QSL team which obviously has a higher quality. But in football, everything is possible, not that they have to underestimate Al Shamal. We have good quality players and we play decent football, so it will be an interesting game and we will try to do our best to win and qualify for the next round,” he added.
The Emir Cup competition is contested by QSL and Qatargas Second Division clubs.
The five-week event will be played in five phases: The first round clashes will take place on April 22 and 23; the second round on April 28 and 29, the third round on May 3 and 4, the semi-finals on May 11 and 12.
The final will be played on May 19, Qatar Football Association (QFA) said last week.
The first four finishers in the QSL have earned a place in the quarter-finals, while the remaining eight teams will feature in the pre-quarter-finals and second round.
Al Sadd is one of the four teams which has been seeded directly into the quarter-finals along with QSL champions Al Duhail, Al Rayyan and Al Gharafa.
Meanwhile, QSL champions Al Duhail will be looking to extend their impressive run in the Emir Cup. Seeded in the quarter-finals, Djamel Belmadi’s side will be awaiting the results of the second round and pre-quarter-final matches to know their opponents.
The winner of the second-round clash between Al Kharaitiyat and Al Shaniaya, faces Umm Salal in the pre-quarter-final with Al Duhail clash next on the cards.
In the other second round clashes, Al Ahli, which finished ninth in the QSL will face Second division side Mesaimeer. The winner of the clash will face Al Sailiya, who picked up the sixth position in the QSL, with a clash with Al Gharafa in the quarter-final on its way.
Qatar SC will be looking to overcome Wakrah and advance to the next stage where Al Arabi will be lying in wait for them in the pre-quarter-final. The winner taking on Al Rayyan in the last-eight stage.
QFA said five venues will be used for Emir Cup matches: Suhaim bin Hamad Stadium, Grand Hamad Stadium, Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Jassim bin Hamad Stadium and Khalifa International Stadium, which will host the final on May 19.
The Khalifa International Stadium last year was used for the 2017 Emir Cup final following large-scale renovations that lasted more than two years.
The iconic Khalifa International Stadium is one of the venues for the 2022 FIFA World Cup to be held in Qatar.
