Al-Gharafa, the defending champion of the Amir Cup, and Al-Sadd, the most successful team in the tournament's history, are set to begin their campaigns in the 54th edition of the Amir Cup this Saturday against lower league teams Al-Kharaitiyat and Al-Muharraq. After suffering a humiliating 0-7 defeat in the recent Asian Champions League against Saudi club Al-Ittihad, Al-Gharafa is looking to recover from this setback and regain local dominance after a surprising loss to Al-Siliya dropped them from the top of the standings.

Al-Sadd, on the other hand, boasts the record for the most Amir Cup titles, with 19 wins to its name. They aim to reclaim the title after an early exit in the previous edition's quarterfinals against Al-Gharafa. The team is buoyed by a recent successful run of seven consecutive domestic victories that have pushed them back to the top of the league standings, coupled with two continental wins that have rekindled their aspirations of advancing to the knockout stage of the Champions League.

Roberto Mancini, the Italian coach of Al-Sadd, expressed ambitions for the tournament, stating that while their goal is to win the title, the road will not be easy. He emphasized the importance of preparing adequately and managing the overlapping schedule of local and continental competitions effectively, indicating that maintaining focus across multiple fronts is crucial, particularly with successive commitments on the horizon.