2008 Asian Champions League Draw: Group Stage
Thursday, 13. March 2008, 00:42:55
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The draw for the 2008 AFC Champions League at AFC House on Monday set up a number of mouth watering fixtures including a rematch between 2007 ACL runners-up Sepahan and Syrian side Al Ittihad, who lost home and away to the Iranians in this year’s event.
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galleria zoom Sepahan, who hammered Al Ittihad 5-0 in Aleppo and won 2-1 in Esfahan, were the first club to be drawn and they were placed in Group A along with tournament debutants Kuruvchi and a more illustrious Al Ittihad, in the shape of the two-time AFC Champions League winners from Saudi Arabia.
Kuruvchi finished runners-up in the 2007 Uzbekistan league and cup behind Tashkent giants Pakhtakor, who have been ever-present in the AFC Champions League since the tournament’s inception in the 2002/03 season.
Pakhtakor, winners of the Uzbekistan league and cup double for the past six years, have been drawn in Group D along with Kuwait’s Al Qadisiya, Iraqi champions Arbil and Al Gharafa, who qualified as runners-up to 2006/07 Qatar treble winners Al Sadd.
Al Sadd, the only club from Qatar to have tasted continental glory thanks to their victory in the 1989 Asian Club Championship, is the only other side in the competition to have qualified for all six AFC Champions Leagues.
Standing between the 11-time Qatar champions and a place in the quarter-finals for only the second time since reaching the last eight of the 2005 are three teams who all have Champions League experience.
Pooled alongside Al Sadd in Group C are four-time qualifiers Al Wahda, who reached the semi-finals of the 2007 competition, 2006 runners-up Al Karama from Syria and Saudi Arabian side Al Ahli, quarter-finalists in 2005.
Meanwhile UAE double winners Al Wasl, who are currently coached by Brazilian Ze Mario, the man who guided Saudi side Al Shabab to the last eight of the 2005 ACL, are in Group B alongside Al Kuwait Sports Club, Iran champions Saipa, and Iraq’s Al Quwa Al Jawiya, returning to the competition for the for the third time after taking part in the 2003 and 2004 events.
The Eastern side of the competition was notable by the exclusion of Indonesia’s representatives, whose domestic campaign didn’t finish in time to be included in the competition and the void has been filled with an additional side from Thailand and Vietnam.
As runners-up to Chonburi, Krung Thai Bank have been given a third crack at continental glory having failed to get beyond the group stage in 2004 and 2005 but the two-time Thai champions face a difficult campaign.
In addition to 2007 Vietnamese cup winners Nam Dinh, the other club to benefit from Indonesia’s exclusion, Krung Thai Bank must also take on China Super League runners-up Beijing Guoan and Group F favourites Kashima Antlers, who pipped AFC Champions League champions Urawa Reds to the 2007 J.League title on the final day of the season.
With Urawa Red receiving a bye to the ACL 08 quarter-finals, their J.League runners-up finish and their Emperor’s Cup success, allowed Gamba Osaka a ticket to next year’s continental club extravaganza.
After failing to get beyond the group stage in 2005, Gamba must take on 2006/07 A-League double winners Melbourne Victory, Korean FA Cup winners Chunnam Dragons, who are in the hunt for a new coach since Huh Jung-moo’s appointment to the Korea Republic national team position, and Chonburi, the first side from outside Bangkok to win the Thailand Premier League.
Meanwhile, Group E consists of K-League champions Pohang Steelers, Changchun Yatai, who claimed the Chinese Super League title just one year after being promoted to the top flight, and Australia’s other representatives Adelaide United.
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