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The next stage of the President’s Cup starts tomorrow

Nine teams from the Etisalat Pro-league Competition, along with seven others from the 1st division ("A" and "B") will do battle this Wednesday (February 9th) and Thursday (February 10th) to determine the qualifiers for the quarterfinals of the President's Cup Championship, which will take place on March 5th and 6th.

The matches of the preliminary phase of the competition were played in September 2010, with Al Wahda (current champions of the Etisalat Pro-League) and Emirates Club (winners of the last President's Cup) among the qualifyers for this next stage.

The remaining teams are divided into two groups with the first group including Al Wahda, Ajman, Al Ain, Al Ahli, Al Wasl, Al Dhafra, Masafi and the Armed Forces. The second group includes Emirates, Al Jazira, Bani Yas, Al Nasr, Al Shabab, Al Orooba, Al Zaid and Diba Al Fujairah.

The decisive stage will commence tomorrow with four games: Al Wahda will meet Ajman at Al Wasl Stadium, Dubai, kick off at 4:05; Al Ain will face Masafi at Al Nasr's Al Maktoum Stadium at 8pm; Al Jazira will tackle Al Nasr in Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain at 4.05pm; and finally Al Ahli will take on Al Dhafra at 8pm also in Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium. Al Nasr will miss the efforts of their Guinean player  Ismael Bangoura who will be taking part in a friendly match with his national team tomorrow.

The competition will continue on Thursday when Al Zaid will meet Diba Al Fujairah at Emirates' ground at 4:05pm and Al Orooba will face Emirates at Sharjah's ground at 8pm. Two other encounters will be played on the same day, with Bani Yas facing Al Shabab at 4.05 pm and the Armed Forces playing Al Wasl at 8.oo pm at Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain.

For a number of teams it means they will face familiar opponents with some match-ups mirroring the last round of the Etisalat Pro-League - Al Nasr v Al Jazira, Al Ahli v Al Dhafra and Bani Yas v Al Shabab.