Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Dubai: Al Nasr of the United Arab Emirates host Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor in the 2019 AFC Champions League Play-off round at Al Maktoum Stadium on Tuesday with the two sides aiming to return to the Continental competition for the first time since 2016.
Al Nasr finished third in the 2017-18 UAE Pro League but are sitting below mid-table in the current campaign and lost 1-0 to Al Sharjah on Thursday as their poor run of domestic form continued.
The Dubai side – who have only once reached the knockout rounds (in 2016) – faced Uzbek opposition in the form of Lokomotiv three years ago, with the teams playing out a pair of draws in the group stage. They have never before met Pakhtakor in the competition.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Jinan: China’s Shandong Luneng and Hanoi FC of Vietnam will kick off the AFC Champions League Play-off round when they meet at Jinan Olympic Sports Centre on Tuesday.
Shandong have made the group stage of the tournament eight times, with their last appearance coming in 2016 when they reached the quarter-finals before elimination to FC Seoul.
A third-place finish in the 2018 Chinese Super League ensured the Jinan side moved within 90 minutes of returning to the competition, while they warmed up for the match by winning the Lunar New Year Cup pre-season tournament in Hong Kong two weeks ago.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Ibaraki: Defending champions Kashima Antlers of Japan will face Australia’s Newcastle Jets in the 2019 AFC Champions League Play-off round at Kashima Soccer Stadium on Tuesday determined to advance to the group stage.
The J.League side were crowned Continental champions for the first time last year but their third-place finish in the league was only enough to grant entry into the 2019 competition’s qualifying rounds.
Kashima, who also reached the semi-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup in December, appeared in the inaugural AFC Champions League and have qualified for the knockout round six times.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Hiroshima: Sanfrecce Hiroshima will look to return to the AFC Champions League for the first time since 2016 when they host Thailand’s Chiangrai United in the Play-off round at Hiroshima Athletic Stadium on Tuesday.
The three-time J.League champions finished second in the league last year, having only narrowly avoided relegation a year earlier. But while they have long since been a force in their homeland, they have failed to emulate that on the continent.
Sanfrecce’s best performance in the AFC Champions League came in 2014 when they advanced to the Round of 16 before defeat to eventual champions Western Sydney Wanderers of Australia, while in 2010, 2013 and 2016 they fell at the group stage.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Ulsan: Ulsan Hyundai of Korea Republic and Malaysia’s Perak will meet in the AFC Champions League Play-off round at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium on Tuesday with the winners to book their passage to the group stage.
Ulsan were crowned champions in 2012 after winning nine games in a row that culminated in a 3-0 victory over Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli in the final, while they also reached the semi-finals back in 2006.
Last year they were eliminated in the Round of 16 by domestic rivals Suwon Samsung Bluewings, before finishing third in K League 1. They are looking to progress to the competition for the third successive year.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: Eight spots remain up for grabs in the 2019 AFC Champions League group stage ahead of the final Play-off round on Tuesday when four crucial fixtures will take place in West Asia.
The Islamic Republic of Iran, Qatar and Uzbekistan each have two clubs vying to reach the Continental competition while both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have one, with all to be decided in the one-legged match-ups.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: Ahead of the 2019 AFC Champions League West Asia play-offs, the-AFC.com looks at eight players who could make the difference for their respective sides.
Two teams from Uzbekistan (Pakhtakor and AGMK) and as many from IR Iran (Zobahan and Saipa) made their way to the play-off stage, joining Qatari duo Al Gharafa and Al Rayyan, while Al Nasr of the UAE and Al Nassr of Saudi Arabia round off the West Asian sides competing for four spots in the AFC Champions League group stage.
From those who starred in the 2018 FIFA World Cup and AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 to a former Premier League and a journeyman of Asian football, these eight players will be key for their teams' chances of progressing to the next stage.