The Albanian Cup has entered the most decisive phase of this season. The draw held at midday today at the “House of Football” determined the quarterfinal matchups, setting the teams up for challenges that will separate the true contenders from the race for the trophy.
Representatives of the participating clubs, members of the sports media, and the President of the Albanian Football Association, Armand Duka, attended the draw ceremony.
In a brief address before the draw, President Duka called on the teams to show maximum fair play on the field and encouraged strong fan support, just as in the championship, describing the Albanian Cup as one of the most important events in the country.
“I am pleased that we are gathered here today for a very important event related to one of Albania’s most important competitions, the Republic Cup. It is a traditional Albanian event that has always delivered emotions, fair play, and respect on the field of play.
We are now at a very interesting stage, where the eight best teams of this competition this year are competing to win one of Albania’s most important trophies. I hope we see highly competitive matches, as much fair play as possible on the field, and strong cooperation between the FSHF and the clubs.
I also hope to see as many spectators as possible in the stadium stands to support this important Albanian competition, just as they do in the national championship. Once again, congratulations and best of luck in the continuation of the Albanian Cup. One team will win the Cup, but everyone will gain what is most important—the development of the game of football,” said President Duka at the draw ceremony.
Following the draw, the following quarterfinal pairings were determined:
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Teuta – Egnatia, 11 February / Egnatia – Teuta, 4 March
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Tirana – Dinamo City, 11 February / Dinamo City – Tirana, 4 March
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AF Elbasani – Partizani, 11 February / Partizani – AF Elbasani, 4 March
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Bylis – Vllaznia, 11 February / Vllaznia – Bylis, 4 March
The first-leg matches will be played on 11 February at the home grounds of the Pot 2 teams, while the return legs will take place on 4 March, in encounters expected to be fiercely contested and decisive for the outcome of this edition of the Albanian Cup.
The quarterfinals promise excitement and high-level clashes, in a competition where every match now feels like a final.
