Sadd face Muaither to begin Amir Cup title defence Sunday

Al Sadd have trained their guns on retaining the prestigious Amir Cup – the 50th edition of which will begin Sunday. The QNB Stars League leaders are on a record 43-match unbeaten streak but their coach Javi Gracia is aware that nothing can be taken for granted when it comes to playing at the Amir Cup.
The Wolves, who won the last year title after defeating Al Rayyan in the final, will start their title defence with a Round of 16 clash against second Division side Muaither Sunday at the Grand Hamad Stadium.
Two-time defending champions Al Sadd have won the Amir Cup title a record 18 times and are favourites to retain their title again, with Gracia saying his team will take every match as the final. “We know the importance of the Amir Cup, and we know that we have to continue playing with the same winning mentality, especially since this match is not like the league matches and we have to focus more,” Al Sadd said Saturday. “We are well aware of the importance of the Muaither match, and the ambition of all the clubs in this important, or rather the most important, tournament in Qatari football,” he added.
Should Al Sadd get past Muaither Sunday, they will face the winner of the tomorrow’s clash between Al Ahli and Al Markhiya in the quarter-final. “Our goal is to reach the final and to win the title, and this is only possible if we win every match,” said Gracia.
The Spanish coach, who will have his first Amir Cup experience, hinted at fielding his full-strength side in Sunday’s match.
“It is a very important tournament for me and we will go into this competition to defend the title. We have to put forward all the players who are ready, as there is no room for experimenting in this important tournament.”
Meanwhile, Muaither coach Jose Gonzalez said he would like to guide his team far in the tournament but admitted his side has a mountain to climb for the task.
“We know how difficult it is to face Al Sadd. We will give everything and we have to show our best performance on the pitch against the defending champions,” Gonzalez told reporters Saturday.
Sunday’s second Round of 16 match will pit Qatar SC and Al Shamal at the Grand Hamad Stadium.
Qatar SC have been performing well, occupying eighth spot in the QSL standings with 22 points while Al Shamal are 10th with 13 points.
According to the draw rules, the 16 teams were ranked according to their positions in the QNB Stars League (QSL) and the Second Division League (SDL) last season. The top eight teams from the QSL – Al Sadd, Al Duhail, Al Rayyan, Al Gharafa, Al Ahli, Qatar SC, Al Arabi and Al Wakrah – were placed in the first pool. The second pool consisted of the remaining teams in the QSL, from positions 9-12 – Al Sailiya, Umm Salal, Al Khor and Al Kharaitiyat – along with the top three teams from the SDL – Al Shamal, Al Shahania and Muaither – and also Al Markhiya, who qualified from the preliminary phase after defeating Mesaimeer in the clash between the fourth and fifth-placed teams from the SDL.

Amir Cup: Round of 16 fixtures

Sunday
: 4:40pm: Al Sadd vs Muaither at Grand Hamad Stadium; 7:30pm: Qatar SC vs Al Shamal at Grand Hamad Stadium

Tomorrow: 4:40pm: Al Ahli vs Al Markhiya at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium; 7:30pm: Al Arabi vs Al Sailiya at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium

Tuesday: 4:40pm: Al Duhail vs Al Khor at Thani Bin Jassim Stadium; 7:30pm: A Rayyan vs Umm Salal at Thani Bin Jassim Stadium

Wednesday: 4:40pm: Al Gharafa vs Al Kharaitiyat at Grand Hamad Stadium; 7:30pm: Al Wakrah vs Al Shahania at Grand Hamad Stadium