Umm Salal face Al Shamal in the first quarterfinal of 2023-2024 season Ooredoo Cup at the Hamad Bin Khalifa Stadium of Al Ahli club on Wednesday, December 27, 2023. The kick-off is at 5.30pm.

Both teams are expected to battle hard to reach the semifinals.

Umm Salal had advanced to the last eight, having topped the Group A standings with 11 points, while Al Shamal had finished fourth in Group B with three points. Having made the grade, both sides will aim to put up their best to move into the last four with a fresh start.

The tussle would be tough for both Umm Salal and Al Shamal, especially since Umm Salal defeated Al Shamal in the league championship (3-1 in Week 5) and have also come up with some strong performances in the Ooredoo Cup. The Orange Fortress would thus strive to continue that winning run though they would be missing the services of their professional player Oussama Tannane, who suffered an injury during their Week 12 match of Expo Stars League against Al Sadd.

As for Al Shamal, they will look to challenge Umm Salal, given the great desire of players to benefit from the tournament and be ready for the resumption of Expo Stars League.