Doha: The Round of 16 of the 53rd edition of the 2025 Amir Cup will kick off tomorrow, Sunday, and continue through next Wednesday, as teams compete for spots in the quarterfinals.
According to Qatar News Agency, the draw for this stage divided the 16 participating teams into two tiers. The first tier includes the top eight teams from the league, while the second tier consists of teams that ranked 9th to 12th in the league, along with four clubs that advanced from the preliminary round, which involved eight Second Division sides.
Tomorrow’s matchday features two fixtures: Al Shahania vs. Mesaimeer at Al Thumama Stadium, and Al Ahli vs. Qatar SC at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium. In the first game, Al Shahania will aim to make a strong showing in the Amir Cup. Led by Spanish coach Jose Murcia, the team will rely on key players such as Dutch striker Pelle Van Amersfoort, who netted 13 league goals. Mesaimeer, for their part, are looking to continue their solid form after defeating Al Markhiya 2-1 in the preliminary round. They also finished their Second Division campaign strongly, defeating Al Kharaitiyat 4-0 to end the season in seventh place with 12 points.
In the second match, Al Ahli will seek to build on a strong domestic season, having finished fourth in the league with 35 points. Croatian coach Igor Biscan will look to extend the club’s positive momentum, counting on star players like German international Julian Draxler. Qatar SC, who were runners-up in last season’s Amir Cup after narrowly losing the final to Al Sadd, hope to go far this year despite finishing 10th in the league with 23 points. Moroccan coach Youssef Safri will turn to standout talents like South African Percy Tau and Egyptian Ahmed Abdel Kader.
The Round of 16 continues on Monday with two more matchups, with Al Duhail taking on Al Sailiya at Khalifa International Stadium, and Al Rayyan facing Lusail at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium. Al Duhail, league runners-up and four-time Amir Cup champions, will be seeking a win against Al Sailiya. French coach Christophe Galtier knows his team must give their all to keep progressing. Star players like Almoez Ali and Moroccan international Hakim Ziyech are expected to play pivotal roles. Al Sailiya, finalists in 2014, go into this round having earned promotion to the First Division after topping the Second Division with 28 points. They also defeated Muaither 1-0 in the preliminary round. Coach Mirghani Al Zain hopes to recreate their 2022-2023 magic, when they knocked out Al Duhail on penalties (5-4) after a 2-2 draw in regular time.
In the fourth matchup of the Round of 16, Al Rayyan will aim to secure a spot in the next round against Lusail. Theoretically, Al Rayyan are the favorites. Lusail reached this stage by defeating Al Waab 1-0. They finished fifth in the Second Division with 18 points.
The Round of 16 of the Amir Cup will then continue with two more matches on Tuesday. In the first encounter, Al Gharafa will face Al Khor at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, while Al Sadd will play Al Kharaitiyat at Al Thumama Stadium. Al Gharafa, a seven-time Amir Cup champion, enters the match with strong motivation, especially after finishing third in the league and missing out on the title. Under Portuguese coach Pedro Martins, the team hopes to bounce back and push forward in their quest for the Cup. On the other hand, Al Khor will need to overcome the psychological and technical challenges stemming from their relegation to the Second Division. They must remain focused on the match to keep their hopes alive despite the difficulty of the task.
Al Sadd, the most decorated team in Amir Cup history with 19 titles, will begin their title defense against Al Kharaitiyat. Fresh off winning the league, Al Sadd is aiming for another Cup success. Al Kharaitiyat meanwhile finished third in the Second Division with 23 points. They reached this stage after defeating Al Bidda in the preliminary round, winning 3-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regular and extra time.
The Round of 16 concludes Wednesday with two more matches. Al Wakrah will meet Umm Salal at Khalifa International Stadium, while Al Shamal will face Al Arabi at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium. Al Wakrah, still seeking their first Amir Cup title, hope to make amends for an underwhelming league season that saw them finish eighth with 25 points. The team aims to replicate their strong form from last season when they won the Qatar Cup. Umm Salal are looking to make a strong impression after narrowly avoiding relegation by beating Al Markhiya 2-1 in a playoff match. The prestigious tournament offers them a chance to present a new, improved version of the team. The match between Al Arabi and Al Shamal carries particular significance, as both sides are eager to secure a place in the quarterfinals. Al Arabi are aiming to make up for a disappointing league campaign that saw them finish ninth with 23 points. Al Shamal meanwhile are determined to keep their Cup run alive.
It’s worth noting that under the tournament’s rules, if a match ends in a draw during regulation time, it proceeds to extra time and then to penalty shootouts.