The draw ceremony of the 47th Amir Cup at Kempinski Marsa Malaz in The Pearl-Qatar, yesterday. Pictures: Baher Amin/The Peninsula
Second Division sides Al Shamal, Al Wakrah SC, Muaither SC and Al Markhiya SC will be looking to spring a few surprises against the big guns of the QNB Stars League (QSL) in the 47th edition of the Amir Cup when they began their campaign in the second round of the prestigious championship.
The draw ceremony for Qatar’s most popular football tournament took place yesterday at an impressive ceremony where the top officials of Qatar Football Association (QFA) were present.
QFA President Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani headed the ceremony that also saw the attendance of members of the Executive Committee of QFA, Ahmed Abdul Aziz Al Buainain, Sheikh Ahmed bin Hamad Al Thani, Hani Taleb Balan and Mansour Al Ansari, Secretary General of QFA.
Players and officials of the 16 clubs were also present. The ceremony began with an official explaining the format of the draw. A video was also played to recapture the chief moments from last year’s Amir Cup.
The tournament pits the four Second Division teams against the QSL teams in the second round of the event.
The Amir Cup kicked off last week with one match already held. There will be five stages in the most popular football tournament in the country.
Al Shamal joined the other top three teams of the Second Division into the second round matches of the competition and will vie against clubs that finished from ninth to twelfth in the QNB Stars League.
Teams which finished fifth to eighth in the QSL have been seeded into the third round while the top-four clubs from the QSL have been handed a bye into the quarter-finals, organisers said.
The second round matches will be held at Thani bin Jassim Stadium and Grand Hamad Stadium on April 20 and 21.
On April 20, Al Shamal, which overcame Mesiameer, in the match between fourth and fifth-placed teams of the Second Division, have been drawn to face Umm Salal, at Thani Bin Jassim Stadium while Al Wakrah face Al Khor at the same venue in a late fixture.
A day later, Al Markhiya SC face Al Kharaitiyat, the side relegated from QSL and Muaither square up to Qatar SC at Grand Hamad Stadium, in the country’s most popular football tournament which bring together teams from the QSL and the Second Division.
The event offers a chance to lower division teams to test their mettle against the big guns in a bid to be present in the final on May 16.
Teams which make it past the second round will face the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth-placed teams of the QSL.
Accordingly, Al Arabi will be waiting for the winner between Al Shamal and Umm Salah as to whom they will face in the next round while Al Gharafa take on the winner of the Al Wakrah-Al Khor clash.
Al Arabi coach Heimir Hallgrímsson, for whom this is his first season in Qatar, said his team will be looking forward to the competition.
“I would not say whether the draw is a tough or an easy one. All the teams are good and strong,” said the 51-year old, who joined Al Arabi in December last year.
In the other second round matches, Al Shahania coach, which gained promotion to QSL last season and performed exceedingly well to finish seventh in the League, will take on the winner of Al Markhiya SC and Al Kharaitiyat match.
Al Shahania coach Jose Murcia was happy with his team’s performance in the QSL and was keen to extend the impressive run in the Amir Cup.
“I have given some rest for the players after finishing the QSl Competition. We will give out best in the Amir Cup as this is a prestigious event. I have told my players to enjoy the game and give their best and not be under pressure,” said the Spaniard.
In the third stage of the tournament, Al Arabi, Al Gharafa, Al Shahaniya and Al Ahli will take on the winners of the second round. The matches will be played at Thani bin Jassim Stadium and Grand Hamad Stadium on April 26 and 27.
The winner of the Muaither vs Qatar SC tie will take on Al Ahli.
The top four teams of the QSL, Al Rayyan, Al Sadd, Duhail and Al Sailiya, have been handed a bye in the competition and will play against the teams qualifying from the third round in the quarter-finals at Grand Hamad Stadium and Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium on May 2 and 3.
Both the semi-finals matches will take place at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium on May 12 and 13.
This year’s final will be held on May 16 at Wakrah Stadium. The final will also bring down the curtains on the nine-month long football season in Qatar.
Last year, Al Duhail won the Amir Cup defeating Al Rayyan 2-1.
