The King Cup returns after a three-month hiatus this week to offer Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr a chance to refocus on other competitions after losing their position atop the Saudi Pro League to Al-Ittihad.
While just one point and two goals separate the title contenders with 10 matches of the season remaining, the kingdom's knockout cup competition offers another avenue to silverware this season. It is one of three trophies available at the start of every season, the others being the league title and the Saudi Super Cup.
Former Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers head coach Nuno Espirito Santo led Al-Ittihad to the latter in January after eliminating Al-Nassr in the semi-finals. The winners and runners-up of the league and cup competitions compete in the following season's Super Cup, but how does one win the King Cup in the first place? The Manchester Evening News explains all.
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What is the King Cup?
To give it its official title, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup is the kingdom's oldest competition and dates back to 1957. Then, it was the country's only nationwide competition and came to be almost two decades before the first professional league began.
The cup took place every year until 1990, after which it took a 17-year hiatus before being reformatted and rebranded as the King's Cup of Champions. That experiment was short-lived as the original name returned seven years later as the competition reverted to its original form.
Who competes in it?
Ordinarily, 64 teams from across the top four tiers of Saudi football compete, but that has been reduced to a field of 16 over the previous three editions due to first in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and then the subsequent congested fixture schedule to fit in the Saudi national team participating in the Arab Cup and World Cup qualifiers. This season's edition shrunk after the kingdom qualified for the World Cup finals in Qatar. So only the 16 Saudi Pro League teams are competing
How are Al-Nassr doing?
Before Ronaldo's arrival, they won their opening tie 2-0 against Al-Adalah in late December. They now host Abha in the quarter-finals and would face either Al-Wehda or Al-Batin in the semi-finals should they advance.
When is the final?
The final is due to take place in May. An exact date is yet to be confirmed.
Is there extra time and penalties or replays?
There are no replays. Al-Nassr's opponents Abha know that all too well after putting out Al-Taawoun after extra time in the round of 16. Al-Fateh and Al-Ittihad also required penalty shootouts to reach the quarter-finals.
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