The 2016–17

Moldovan Cup The Moldovan Cup ( ro, Cupa Moldovei) is a football competition, held annually in Moldova. The winner qualifies for the UEFA Europa Conference League first qualifying round. Finals The finals were: Goalscorers Soviet time winners * 1945: ...

( ro, Cupa Moldovei) was the 26th season of the

Moldova Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The unrecognised state of Transnistr ...

n annual football tournament. Zaria Bălți entered as the defending champions after winning the 2015–16 edition. The competition started on 20 August 2016 with the first preliminary round and concluded with the final at the

Zimbru Stadium The Zimbru Stadium () is a football-specific stadium in Chișinău, Moldova, completed in May 2006 with a capacity of 10,400 people, corresponds to all norms required by UEFA and FIFA for national and international matches. It is currently used ...

on 25 May 2017. Sheriff won a record 9th title following a 5–0 win over Zaria in the final. As winners, Sheriff would have been assured a place for the 2017–2018 UEFA Europa League first qualifying round; however, since they already qualified for the 2017–2018 UEFA Champions League second qualifying round by winning the title in the Divizia Națională, the Europa League entry went to Zaria Bălți, the highest team in the Divizia Națională table which had not already qualified for European competitions.

Format and Schedule

51 clubs entered this season's competition, an increase of four clubs compared with the 2015–16 total of 47 clubs. Both preliminary rounds and the first two rounds proper were regionalised to reduce teams travel costs. All ties level after 90 minutes used extra time to determine the winner, with a penalty shoot-out to follow if necessary.

Participating teams

The following teams are qualified for the competition. Reserve teams are excluded. Number in brackets denote the level of respective league in

Football in Moldova After gaining its independence from the USSR in 1992, Moldova became a member of FIFA in 1994. Football is the most popular sport in Moldova. In qualification for Euro 2004, Moldova beat Austria 1-0 and Belarus 2–1, but lost to the Netherl ...

First Preliminary Round

28 clubs from the

Divizia B The Liga 2, most often spelled as Liga II, is the second level of the Romanian football league system. The league changed its name from Divizia B just before the start of the 2006–07. It is currently sponsored by Casa Pariurilor, a betting c ...

entered this round. Teams that finished higher on the league in the previous season played their ties away. All matches were played on 20 August 2016. Teams in bold continue to the next round of the competition.

Second Preliminary Round

4 clubs from the

entered this round. Teams that finished higher on the league in the previous season played their ties away. Matches were played on 23 August 2016. Teams in bold continue to the next round of the competition.

Rîșcani Rîșcani (, also spelled ''Râșcani'') is a city in Moldova, the capital of the Rîșcani District. It is located along the Copăceanca river, about 22 kilometres from the station in Drochia. Two villages are administered by the city, Bălanu ...

, Intersport Sănătăuca, Maiac Cioropcani, Grănicerul Glodeni, Cruiz Camenca, Sinteza Căușeni, Anina Anenii Noi, Sparta Chișinău, Sireți and Congaz received a bye for the second preliminary round.

First round

The 12 winners from the preliminary rounds joined the 12 Divizia A teams. In a match, the home advantage was granted to the team from the lower league. All matches were played on 3 September 2016. Teams in bold continue to the next round of the competition.

Second round

The 11 winners from the previous round joined the 3 Divizia Națională sides seeded 9-11,

Academia An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, ...

, Saxan and

Ungheni Ungheni () is a municipality in Moldova. With a population of 35,157, it is the seventh largest town in Moldova and the seat of Ungheni District. There is a bridge across the Prut and a border checkpoint to Romania. There is another border ...

.
Gagauziya-Oguzsport received a bye for the second round. The home teams and the pairs for 3 Divizia Națională sides were determined in a draw held on 7 September 2016. Matches were played on 20 and 21 September 2016. Teams in bold continue to the next round of the competition.

Final stage

Bracket

Round of 16

The 7 winners from the previous round and Gagauziya-Oguzsport joined the remaining 8 Divizia Națională sides seeded 1-8. The home teams and the pairs were determined in a draw held on 23 September 2016. Matches were played on 25 and 26 October 2016. Teams in bold continue to the next round of the competition.

Quarter-Finals

The 8 winners from the previous round entered the quarter-finals. The home teams were determined in a draw held on 28 October 2016. Matches were played on 26 April 2017. Teams in bold continue to the next round of the competition.

Semi-Finals

The 4 winners from the previous round entered the semi-finals. The home teams were determined in a draw held on 28 April 2017. Matches were played on 16 May 2017. Teams in bold continue to the next round of the competition.

Final

The final was played on Thursday 25 May 2017 at the

in Chișinău. The "home" team (for administrative purposes) was determined by an additional draw held on 17 May 2017.

References

External links

Cupa Moldovei
on soccerway {{DEFAULTSORT:2016-17 Moldovan Cup Moldovan Cup seasons Cup