Al Nasr drawn against Sharjah in 2015/2016 President’s Cup

The eventual winner of that match will play either 2014/2015 semifinalists Al Dhafra or Al Jazira for a place in the final four shake-up.

Ahmed Al Fardan presents a memento to Shaikh Abdullah bin Salem bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah as Yousuf Al Serkal, President of the UAE Football Association (left); and Mohammed Abdul Aziz look on during the draw of the President’s Cup. — Supplied photo

Dubai: Al Nasr will begin the defence of the President’s Cup against a familiar foe at the round-of-16 stage come the 2015/2016 season.

The Blue Wave beat Sharjah to reach the quarterfinals in the campaign just gone and Ivan Jovanovic’s men will have to do so again this time around if they want to make it through to the last eight once more.

The eventual winner of that match will play either 2014/2015 semifinalists Al Dhafra or Al Jazira for a place in the final four shake-up.

Elsewhere in the draw, Al Ahli — the runners-up for the past two seasons — have been dealt a prospectively advantageous route through to the semis.

The Red Knights await an as-yet-unspecified qualifier from Division One, while they’ll then play a promoted team in the quarters — should they get that far, of course — as champions Dibba Al Fujairah and runners-up Al Shaab have been drawn against each other first up.

Meanwhile, over on the opposite side of proceedings, Zlatko Dalic’s Al Ain squad are in a similar predicament to Ahli as they await confirmation of their initial opponents.

Al Wahda or Al Wasl will block the pathway through to the semis for The Boss or their unknown adversaries, whereas — in the adjoining quarter of this half — Emirates Club encounter Fujairah and Al Shabab face Bani Yas.

These round-of-16 clashes are pencilled in to be played across two days on Tuesday, January 12^th and Wednesday, January 13^th 2016.

The quarterfinals are scheduled on Sunday, April 24, with the semis slated for Thursday, May 12. The final will take place on Monday, May 30.

alex@khaleejtimes.com