The Swedish Cup quarterfinals have been drawn, with Malmö FF facing Mjällby away. Other matches include the derby between Hammarby and Djurgården as well as Gais against AIK. For Malmö FF, winning the cup is the last chance to qualify for European play this summer.
The Swedish Cup quarterfinals were drawn on Monday evening. Malmö FF, which won all three of its group stage matches against Varberg, Karlstad, and Halmstad but did not finish as one of the top group winners, will play away at Mjällby. The other matches are Sirius versus IFK Göteborg, Hammarby versus Djurgården, and Gais versus AIK. The quarterfinals are scheduled for the upcoming weekend, with exact dates and times not yet finalized.
MFF coach Miguel Angel Ramirez emphasizes the importance of winning the cup to reach European play. “We want to play in Europe and then you have to win all the matches along the way, regardless of the opponent and whether it's at home or away,” he tells Sydsvenskan. He adds that the team should show its identity: “We should be active, we should be solid, dare to go forward and love to compete.”
If Malmö FF defeats Mjällby, it will face the winner of Gais and AIK in the semifinal at home on March 21–22. In the other semifinal, the winner of Hammarby/Djurgården will host the winner of Sirius/IFK Göteborg. The final is scheduled for Thursday, May 17, according to Sydsvenskan, while Dagens Nyheter states May 14.
AIK advanced to the quarterfinals after a 4–0 win over Häcken, with 18-year-old Zadok Yohanna scoring two goals. “A great feeling to score two goals. I'm really happy, like the whole team,” Yohanna tells Expressen.
Winning the cup would give Malmö FF a spot in this summer's European play, as they missed it through the league.
