Asian Champions League East Zone to resume on November 18

AFC Champions League East Zone group stage matches did not resume since the tournament was suspended in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Defending champions Al Hilal was kicked out of the AFC Champions League after it was unable to field a full team due to multiple coronavirus cases.

The Asian Champions League's rescheduled group stage matches for clubs in the East Zone will take place from November 18-December 4, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirmed on Tuesday with the release of the fixture list.

Asia's elite club competition was suspended in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resumed in the West Zone hub of Qatar on September 14, with Iran's Persepolis reaching the final after a penalty shootout win over Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr on Saturday.

They will meet the top team from the East Zone in the title clash on December 19.

Perth Glory, one of three Australian teams in the competition, kick off the East Zone restart with a Group F game against China's Shanghai Shenhua on November 18.

 

Fixtures in Groups G and H resume the following day, with Malaysian champion Johor Darul Ta'zim facing Guangzhou Evergrande and Sydney FC meeting Shanghai SIPG.

Group E leader FC Seoul take on second-placed Beijing Guoan on November 21.

Teams in Groups G and H will to play in a centralised location in Malaysia, while the venue for clubs in Groups E and F has not been determined, Yonhap news agency reported.

Clubs in the East Zone could face difficulties with their fixtures due to rescheduled domestic league campaigns, border closures and COVID-19 protocols.