AFC Champions League Draw Highlights: Mumbai City in Group D with Neymar’s Al Hilal; Ronaldo’s Al Nassr in Group E

Group F - Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC, Bangkok United, Lion City Sailors FC, Kitchee

Group G - Yokohama F. Marinos, Shandong Taishan, Kaya FC-Iloilo, Incheon United

Group H - Buriham United, Ventforet Kofu, Melbourne City FC, Zheijiang FC

Group I - Ulsan Hyundai FC, Kawasaki Frontale, Johor Darul Ta’zim, BG Pathum United

Group J - Wuhan Three Towers, Pohang Steelers, Hanoi FC, Urawa Red Diamonds

Group A

Pakhator

AL Fayha

Ahal FC

Al Ain FC

Group B

Al Sadd

FC Nassaf

Al Faisaly

Sharjah FC

Group C

Al Ittihad

Sepahan SC

Air Force Club

AGMK FC

Group D

Al Hilal

FC Nassaji

Mumbai City FC

Navbahor

Group E

Persepolis

AL Duhail

FC Istiklol

Al Nassr

AGMK FC is the first pick and they go into Group C.

UAE’s Al Ain FC go into Group A.

Sharjah FC is the next pick in Group B. Al Nassr automatically goes into Group E and Navbahor is the fourth side in Group D.

Ahal FC from Turkmenistan is the third team in Group A.

Jordanian side Al Faisaly in Group B, along side Al Sadd and FC Nasaf.

Iraq side Air Force Club is picked for Group C.

Mumbai City FC are into Group D, along with Al Hilal SFC.

FC Istiklol is automatically into Group E.

Al Fayha picked first and they are into Group A.

Joining Al Sadd in Group B will be Uzbek side FC Nassaf.

Into Group C goes Iranian side Sepahan SC.

Due to country protection, Al Duhail, the next pick goes to Group E and FC Nassaji Mazanadran will join Al Hilal in Group D.

From Pot 1, the first pick is Pakhtakor from Uzbekistan. They go into Group A as the top seed.

Group B will be headed by Al Sadd.

Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad into Group C.

Four-time champion Al Hilal to head Group D.

And that leaves us with Persepolis, who will top Group E.

The draw begins. Avazbek Berdikulov, the deputy director of competiton, AFC is the draw conductor.

Ahead of the Islanders’ landmark second appearance in the AFC Champions League, Mumbai City FC has announced that the club will be playing its ‘home’ games at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Balewadi, Pune.

The present infrastructural setup at the Mumbai Football Arena makes the venue ineligible to host AFC Champions League games. Mumbai City FC will thus set up base in Pune for its three ‘home’ games in the group stage of the 2023-24 Champions League.

“While all of us at Mumbai City are excited about a huge season ahead of us, we are very disappointed at not being able to bring AFC Champions League football to Mumbai. Unfortunately, the current infrastructure in Andheri does not allow us to host Champions League games,” Club CEO Kandarp Chandra said.

Al-Nassr clinched a 4-2 win against UAE’s Shabab Al Ahli 4-2 in the AFC Champions League playoff to confirm its participation in group stages. The Saudi-based club has been drawn into Pot 4 of the West Zone, which means there is a chance that Ronaldo and his team can be drawn into the same group as ISL club Mumbai City FC, which is in Pot 3 and is the only club from India in the competition.

Following the group stages, all 10 group winners, along with the three best runners-up will qualify for the knockout stages, which is scheduled to take place from February to April.

The final will take place over two legs on May 11 and May 18, 2024, respectively.

West Zone

Pot 1: Al Ittihad (KSA), Persepolis FC (IRN), Al Sadd SC (QAT), Pakhtakor (UZB), Al Hilal SFC (KSA)

Pot 2: Sepahan SC (IRN), Al Duhail SC (QAT), FC Nasaf (UZB), Al Fayha FC (KSA), Nassaji Mazandaran FC (IRN)

Pot 3: Al Faisaly (JOR), FC Istiklol (TJK), Air Force Club (IRQ), Ahal FC (TKM), Mumbai City FC (IND)

Pot 4: Al Ain FC (UAE), Al Nassr (KSA), Sharjah FC (UAE), AGMK FC (UZB), Navbahor (UZB)

East Zone

Pot 1: Ulsan Hyundai FC (KOR), Yokohama F. Marinos (JPN), Wuhan Three Towns FC (CHN), Buriram United (THA), Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC (KOR)

Pot 2: Ventforet Kofu (JPN), Shandong Taishan FC (CHN), Bangkok United (THA), Pohang Steelers (KOR), Kawasaki Frontale (JPN)

Pot 3: Hanoi FC (VIE), Kaya FC-Iloilo (PHI), Johor Darul Ta’zim (MAS), Melbourne City FC (AUS), Lion City Sailors (SGP)

Pot 4: Kitchee SC (HKG), Incheon United FC (KOR), Urawa Red Diamonds (JPN), Zhejiang FC (CHN), BG Pathum United (THA)

The AFC Champions League group-stage draw can be live-streamed on the AFC Hub YouTube channel from 1:30 PM IST onwards in India.

40 teams will be divided into 10 groups of four teams each.

Teams in the West Zone will be categorised in Groups A to E and teams in the East Zone will be in Groups F to J.

Clubs from the same Member Association (MA) will not be drawn into the same group.

The West Zone will see Saudi Arabian heavyweights such as Al Hilal, Al Ittihad and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr, while the United Arab Emirates will have representation from Al Ain FC. From Qatar, there will be Al Sadd SC, which will look to reclaim the title.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League 2023-24 group-stage draw will take place at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur on August 24, at 1:30 PM IST.

This edition of the AFC Champions League is the first competition since the governing body decided to shift from its current Spring-Autumn season to an Autumn-Spring calendar. It will be held from September 2023 to May 2024.