Al Duhail players in action during a training session.
The 49th edition of the Amir Cup will begin today with former champions Al Duhail and Al Ahli squaring off in a marquee clash of the opening day of Qatar’s most popular football tournament.
The Round of 16 matches on the inaugural day of the 16-team event will also see Al Wakrah clashing with Al Kharaitiyat at Qatar SC Stadium, and Qatar SC taking on Al Shamal at the Suheim Bin Hamad Stadium.
However, the spotlight will be on Al Duhail’s battle against Al Ahli at the Grand Hamad Stadium as the ‘Red Knights’ begin campaign to regain the prestigious title, which they won in 2019 after defeating Al Sadd 4-1 in a memorable final at Al Janoub Stadium.
Al Sadd avenged the defeat with the same score-line by beating Al Duhail in the semi-final of previous edition before eventually lifting the trophy with a 2-1 win over Al Arabi in the final at brand new Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium last month.
For Al Duhail, who will face African champions Al Ahly at the FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2020 on February 4, today’s game is of utmost important as a win will not just help them advance at the Amir Cup, it will also give them confidence ahead of clash against the Egyptians.
“It is a crucial game for us,” Al Duhail coach Sabri Lamouchi said at a pre-match press conference yesterday.
“Amir Cup is a big tournament and every team wants to perform well and advance in the tournament. Yes, we have an important match at the FIFA Club World Cup but now we are focusing on our first Amir Cup match,” the Frenchman added.
“Our first target is to reach the Amir Cup quarter-finals after that we will shift our focus on match against Al Ahly,” he added.
Kenyan striker Michael Olunga, who has recently joined Al Duhail, said his team is ready for the match.
“It is going to be a tough match and we are ready. We realise the importance of the competition and will try our best to qualify for the quarter-finals,” he said yesterday.
In their QNB Stars League (QSL) match last month, Al Duhail defeated Al Ahli 5-3 but Al Ahli coach Nebojsa Jovovic hoped for a turnaround from his side.
“Al Duhail are a strong side and it is a difficult match for us but we will play the match with a positive intent,” said Jovovic, whose side was leading the QSL standings in the first few weeks before falling to sixth spot.
The match will kick off at 7:15pm after the opening match between Qatar SC vs Al Shamal that will start at 4:30pm.
Defending champions Al Sadd will be seen in action tomorrow with a game against Muaither at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.
The Amir Cup has kicked off early this season with Qatar Football Association aiming to wrap up the football season before the end of April.
