QNB Stars League leaders Al Duhail will open their Amir Cup 2020 title defence campaign against Second Division team Muaither according to the Round of 16 draw held yesterday.
The draw for the marquee tournament was held yesterday in the presence of top officials of Qatar Football Association (QFA), including QFA President Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed al-Thani, and the participating clubs.
The Amir Cup is contested between teams from both the QNB Stars League and the Second Division. The Round of 16 ties are scheduled to run from February 5-8, while the quarter-finals will be played from March 11-14.
QNB Stars League defending champions Al Sadd will face Al Kharaitiyat, while Al Rayyan, currently the only other unbeaten team in Qatar’s top league besides Duhail, will take on Mesaimeer. The latter locked their place in the tournament after beating Al Shamal 1-0 in a playoff held on Sunday.
Al Sailiya will play Umm Salal, Al Shahania face Al Wakrah, Al Ahli take on Qatar SC, Al Arabi play Al Khor, and Al Gharafa meet Al Markhiya.
Last year, Al Duhail had won the Amir Cup after beating Al Sadd 4-0 in the final.
While speaking to the media, Al Arabi coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said, “We have played so good in the last two games we played against Al Khor and both matches ended in draw. So we know it will be a tough match for us. At the same time we know how it works.”
Speaking about the players, Hallgrimsson said, “We have got a very defensive team. We have played last three months without losing a game. As a coach, I believe we need to keep on moving with such quality players and have always worked to improve the game and add new talents in the squad.”
Al Rayyan coach Diego Aguirre is hoping to win another Amir Cup title after they bagged the same in 2013. “For us Amir Cup is one of the key targets. We won the title in 2013 and we hope to win again. We have many matches on schedule and we will try to win match by match and hopefully win the title again,” Aguirre said.