AFC Champions League 2023-24 Group Stage Draw
The AFC Champions League group stage draw took place earlier this week and many fans across Asia are excited to see the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema play in the competition for the first time.
40 clubs across Asia qualified for the Champions League and were drawn into 10 groups divided into West and East Zones. Each team will play 6 matches in the group stages. The winners of each group and the three top runners-up from each zone will qualify for the Round of 16.
The winners of each zone will face off in the Champions League final which is a two-leg fixture in May 2024. Last season’s champions, Urawa Red Diamonds were drawn into Group J along with Hanoi FC, Pohang Steelers and Wuhan Three Towns. They will battle it out with 3-times AFC Champions League winners Pohang Steelers for a spot in the round of 16.
This year’s competition will also see Japan’s Ventforet Kofu making their debut in the Champions League as a second division team. Ventforet Kofu qualified for the Champions League after winning the Emperor’s Cup last season.
Former Nigeria international Peter Utaka is the only member of the Ventforet Kofu squad with AFC Champions League experience. He had previously featured in the tournament with Beijing Guoan and Sanfrecce Hiroshima.
Mushfiqur Rahim’s International Cricket Career
Manager, Yoshiyuki Shinoda will lean on Utaka’s experience to help guide the team for the tournament. Ventforet Kofu are in Group H with Thailand’s Buriram United, Australia’s Melbourne City and China’s Zhejiang.
India’s sole representative, Mumbai City FC meanwhile have been grouped in Group D along with F.C Nassaji Mazandaran from Iran, PFC Navbahor Namangan from Uzbekistan and Al-Hilal from Saudi Arabia that boast the likes of Neymar, Ruben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly and Aleksandar Mitrovic.
Al-Hilal are the AFC Champions League record holders winning the competition 4 times and are also last season’s runners-up. They are one of the favourites to win the competition this year especially with Neymar leading the attack.
Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr were drawn into Group E along with Iran’s Persepolis F.C., Qatar’s Al-Duhail SC and Tajikistan’s FC Istikol. Fans will get the chance to watch Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane play against their team as they make their AFC Champions League debuts.
Al-Nassr have never won the AFC Champions League before and were runners-up in the 1995 competition. With Ronaldo looking to add to his trophy cabinet, Al-Nassr will be spurred on to qualify for the round of 16.
2-time AFC Champions League winners Al-Ittihad will be confident to finish top of their group with the addition of French stars Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante along with Fabinho of Brazil during the summer transfer window. They are in Group C along with Iran’s Sepahan SC, Air Force Club of Iran and Uzbekistan’s AGMK FC.
The AFC Champions League kicks off on 18th September and we can be assured that this season’s competition will be the most watched in it’s 57-year history.
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