DOHA: The Qatar Football Association (QFA) has announced the launch of the Cups competition for junior age groups (U-13, U-14, U-15-, U-17 and U-19) for 2021/2022.

The competitions would be held according to the precautionary MOPH-approved measures adopted to tackle or avoid Covid-19 situations.

The participation of players and technical, administrative and medical bodies in the competition is limited to:

A. People who have completed doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

B. People taking the Rapid Antigen Test for those who have not received doses of COVID-19.

All clubs/teams will have to adopt MOPH measures like wearing masks maintaining social distance around the stadiums, dressing rooms, and gyms.

Participating clubs

Al Duhail
Al Sadd
Al Gharafa
Al Ahli
Al Rayyan
Al Arabi
Umm Salal
Al Wakrah
Muaither
Al Khor
Al Sailiya
Al Shamal
Al Kharitiyat
Al Shahaniya

Participation in the competition is compulsory for all 17 clubs split into four groups.

The championship matches for the youth categories (U-13, U-14, U-15-, U-17 and U-19) will be played on a home and away basis.

The first and second-placed teams in each group qualify for the knockout stage of the competitions (quarter-finals, semi-finals and final).

The rest of the teams which finish third and fourth from each group will continue to play the ranking matches to get the places from the ninth to the sixteenth.

In the second stage of the competition

A: The teams that obtained first and second places from each group after the end of the matches of the first stage of the competition play the matches of the quarter-finals, the semi-finals and the final to determine the positions from the third to the second stage.

B: The teams that rank third and fourth in each group after the end of the first-round matches of the competition play the ranking matches for the ninth to 16th places.

C: If all matches of the second round of the competition have ended in a tie, then direct penalty kicks will be played out to determine the outcome of the match.

Criteria for determining the ranking of the teams during the first stage of the age group cup competition:

1. Total points in the head-to-head match or head-to-head matches between the teams concerned.

2. The difference in goals scored in the match or matches of the teams concerned (the head-to-head confrontation between the teams involved).

3. The difference in goals scored between the teams involved in the first round matches.

4. A team scored the highest number of goals in all its matches during the first stage.

5. The team’s highest number of wins in all its matches during the first stage.

6. Draw.

Cups Competition Prizes in Youth Categories

1. First place: the championship trophy and gold medals.
2. Second place: Silver medals.
3. Third place: Bronze medals.

Match schedule

The matches of the first phase for the cups of the under-13, 14 and 15 years old groups will start on February 25 with the games of the first week, and the matches of the second week will be held on March 17, and the games of the first matches of the sixth week will end in the last week of the next stage.

While the matches of the first phase of the Cup for the U-17 and 19-year-olds categories will start on February 24. The second week’s games will be held on March 19, and the first phase will conclude with the matches of April 8 the week before.