Alkass Digital
The round of 16 matches of the fifty-second edition of the Amir Cup for football 2024 will kick off tomorrow, Monday, and will continue until next Thursday in search of quarter-final spots.
The schedule of the round of 16 matches took into account the achievements of some teams, such as the four clubs that participated in the Qatar Cup, including the finalists of yesterday's match between Al-Wakrah and Al-Rayyan, in addition to Al-Markhiya, which will play the playoff match against Al-Shahaniya today.
The draw for the tournament was held last Monday, revealing the competitive landscape, following two different paths leading to the final match. The sixteen teams were divided into two levels: the first level included teams ranked from first to eighth in the Expo Stars League which just ended, while the second level included teams ranked from ninth to twelfth in the league, in addition to the four teams that qualified from the preliminary round, where eight second-division clubs participated.
Al-Duhail and Al-Shamal will kick off the round of 16 matches when they meet tomorrow, Monday, at Al Janoub Stadium, in a promising encounter open to all possibilities.
Al-Duhail, the four-time champion, looks forward to winning the current edition of the Amir Cup as it is the only way to secure a spot in the newly established AFC Elite Champions League, which will be held in the next season 2024-2025, with the participation of the top 24 teams in the continent. This comes after failing to defend their league title won by Al-Sadd, settling for sixth place with 28 points due to inconsistent performances.
On the other hand, Al-Shamal, which finished the league in ninth place with 25 points, hopes to advance to the quarter-finals, armed with good performances the team displayed in the final meters of the league, securing an early seat away from the threat of relegation.
In the same round, Al-Arabi, the title holder of the last edition of the tournament in 2023, and the winner of nine titles in the past, will face Al-Sailiya, one of the second division teams, Monday, at Ahmed bin Ali Stadium.
Al-Arabi, the runner-up of the last league edition, did not meet the expected level this season and failed to reach the semifinals, settling for fifth place with 29 points. Thus, retaining the Amir Cup title becomes the last resort for participating in the AFC Elite Champions League next season. Meanwhile, Al-Sailiya, fifth in the second division league, hopes to defend its chances of qualification despite the difficulty of the task.
The round of 16 matches of the tournament continue the day after tomorrow, Tuesday, with Qatar Sports Club, twice winner of the cup in the past, facing Al-Waab, sixth in the second division league, which marks its first appearance in the tournament, at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium.
The odds seem to be in favor of Qatar Sports Club, which finished the league in eighth place with 25 points, to advance to the quarter-finals, with a possibility of surprises.
On the same day, at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Umm Salal, once a cup winner, faces Al-Bidaa, seventh in the second division league, which also marks its first appearance in the tournament.
Umm Salal, seventh in the league with 28 points, aims to secure a spot in the next round, while Al-Bidaa seeks to defy preconceptions and defend its chances of advancing despite the difficulty of the task.
The match between Al-Gharafa and Al-Ahli, scheduled for next Wednesday at Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, in the round of 16 of the Amir Cup for football 2024, will witness a special competition amidst an anticipated struggle to secure a spot in the quarter-finals.
Al-Gharafa, which has won the cup seven times, hopes to compensate for the loss in the Qatar Cup final against Al-Wakrah and restore the good form it showed in the final meters of the league, finishing second with 47 points and securing a seat in the AFC Elite Champions League playoffs, which could turn into a direct seat if they win the Amir Cup.
However, the task will not be easy for Al-Gharafa in the face of Al-Khor, which has great experience in the tournament. Al-Khor was the runner-up in the 2007 edition when it lost the final match to Al-Sadd on penalties.
According to the competition schedule based on the draw, the first path to the round of 16, leading to the final match, may witness anticipated strong matches. The winner of the match between Al-Duhail and Al-Shamal will face the winner of the match between Al-Arabi and Al-Sailiya in the quarter-finals. The winner of the match between Al-Wakrah and Al-Muaither will meet the winner of the match between Al-Sadd and Al-Markhiya, with the winners meeting in the semi-finals.
In the second path, the winner of the match between Qatar SC and Al-Waab will play against the winner of the match between Al-Rayyan and Al-Khor in the quarter-finals. The winner of the match between Umm Salal and Al-Bidaa will meet the winner of the match between Al-Gharafa and Al-Ahli, with the winners meeting in the semi-finals in search of the second spot in the final match.