“The quarterfinals of the 54th edition of the Amir Cup will witness four promising matches taking place tomorrow, Friday, May 1st.The first match to kick off the series will be Al Rayyan vs Al Wakrah at Al Thumama Stadium, followed by Al Duhail vs Al Arabi at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, then defending champions Al Gharafa vs Umm Salal at Al Bayt Stadium, and finally, Al Shamal vs Al Sadd at Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium.Six-time Amir Cup winner Al Rayyan will aim to progress further into the tournament, which they last won in 2013, after defeating Al Khor 2-0 in the round of 16.Al Rayyan enters this match after securing third place in the Doha Bank Stars League by defeating Al Arabi 4-0. Coach Vicente Moreno explained that the match against Al Wakrah, whom he previously coached, won't be easy.Meanwhile, Al Wakrah aims to win the Amir Cup for the first time in its history, after finishing eighth in the league with a 3-1 win against Al Sailiya. Coach Jose Sierra explained that several players have performed brilliantly this season and is counting on them to secure a path into the next stage of the competition.In the match between Al Duhail and Al Arabi, the former won the Amir Cup four times, most recently in 2022, while Al Arabi is the second most decorated team in the tournament with nine wins, which they last won in 2023.Al-Duhail coach Djamel Belmadi explained the goal is to secure AFC Champions League participation, which requires winning the Amir Cup, as the team failed to secure a spot in the top four in the league, finishing fifth.In turn, Al Arabi coach Cosmin Contra expressed hope to get the team back on track following the 4-0 league loss against Al Rayyan in the league, which saw Al Arabi place seventh.In the match between Al Gharafa and Umm Salal, the former seeks to defend its title after winning the Amir Cup last year, bringing its tally to seven. The team beat Al Kharaitiyat with a clean 2-0 win in the round of 16.The current season was not ideal for Al Gharafa under coach Pedro Martinez after the team failed to maintain its lead in the Qatari league, subsequently falling to fourth place.Umm Salal, meanwhile, seeks to overcome the negative results of its last league matches that consequently relegated the club to the second division. Umm Salal won the title once in 2008 and secured their place in the Amir Cup quarterfinals by defeating Al Ahli 4-2 in the round of 16.In the last of the Amir Cup quarterfinal matches, Al Sadd will face a tough test against Al Shamal in a match expected to be full of competitiveness between the two to reach the semifinals.Al Sadd, the current league champion and the most decorated team in the Amir Cup with 19 titles, will aim to continue its goal of achieving a double this season. Coach Roberto Mancini will enter the match with high morale after winning the Doha Bank Stars League title on Monday after defeating Al Shamal 3-2.Meanwhile, Al Shamal aims to secure its first Amir Cup title in the club's history, following an exceptional season in the league by finishing second with 40 points. Al Shamal was victorious in the round of 16 against Qatar SC, winning 2-1, securing them a spot in the quarterfinals against Al Sadd.
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