The Iranian «Foolad», «Shabab Al-Ahli » from UAE and Qatari «Al-Gharafa» will be the opponents of the Turkmen «Ahal» as a result of the draw for the group stage of the 41st main football clubs tournament of AFC and 20th under the name of AFC Champions League, which was held today in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia).
40 teams will play in the group stage of the AFC Champions League, geographically divided into 2 zones – West and East.
Vice-champion of Turkmenistan and its opponents compose group «C» in «West» zone, the matches of which will be held in the centralized format from 7 to 27 April, 2022.
Group stage in «West» zone:
Group «А»: « Al-Hilal» (Saudi Arabia), « Al-Rayyan» (Qatar), «Istiklol » (Tajikistan), Winner of Play-off «Sharjah» (UAE) – « Al-Zawraa» (Iraq).
Group «В»: « Al-Jazira» (UAE), « Al-Shabab» (Saudi Arabia), « Mumbai City» (India), «Air Force» (Iraq).
Group «D»: «Al-Duhail» (Qatar), « Sepahan» (Iran), « Pakhtakor» (Uzbakistan), Winner of Play-off «Al-Taawoun» (Saudi Arabia) – «Al-Jaish» (Siria).
Group «Е»: « Al-Sadd» (Qatar), « Al-Faisaly» (Saudi Arabia), « Al-Wehdat» (Jordan), Winner of Play-off «Bani Yas» (UAE) – «Nasaf» (Uzbakistan).
Group round of AFC Champions League in «East» zone «will be also held in centralized format from 15 April to 1 May, 2022.
Group stage in «East» zone:
Group «F»: « Shandong Taishan» (China), « Urawa Red Diamonds» (Japan), « Lion City Sailors» (Singapur), Winner of Play-off «Tegu» (South Korea) – «Buriram United» (Thailand).
Group «G»: « BG Pathum United» (Thailand), « Jeonnam Dragons» (Korea), «United City» (Philippines), « Melbourne City» (Australia).
Group «Н»: « Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors» (Korea), « Yokohama F. Marinos» (Japan), « Hoang Anh Gia Lai» (Vietnam), Winner of Play-off 4th club of China – 3rd club of Australia/« Kaya Iloilo » (Philippines).
Group «I»: « Kawasaki Frontale» (Japan), « Guangzhou» (China), « Johor Darul Ta'zim» (Malaysia), Winner of Play-off «Ulsan Hyundai» (Korea) – «Port» (Thailand).
Group «J»: « Shanghai Port» (China), « Chiangrai United» (Thailand), « Kitchee» (Hong Kong), Winner of Play-off «Vissel Kobe» (Japan) – 2nd club of Australia /« Shan United» (Myanmar).
Group winners and 3 best teams among the runners-up both in West and East regions will advance to the 1/8 finals.
The location for the group tournaments will be announced later.
Let us recall, last time the Turkmen clubs played in the ACF Champions League in 2003. Ashgabat's «Nisa» reached the quarterfinals of the group tournament that year, as a result of which it could not break into the top four teams of Asia. And 19 years later «Ahal» will represent Turkmenistan for the first time in the main Asian Football Clubs Tournament. This was possible thanks to the fact that the team of the Main Directorate «Turkmennebitonumleri» is the only of all Turkmen clubs, which managed to be licensed for participation in the 2022 AFC Champions League.
