AFC Champions League 2008

OFFICIAL GUIDE 2008

Adelaide United (Australia) Al Ahli (Saudi Arabia) Al Gharafa (Qatar)

Al Ittihad (Syria) Al Karama (Syria) Al Qadsiya (Kuwait) Al Quwa Al Jawiya (Iraq)

Al Ittihad (Saudi Arabia)

Al Wahda (UAE) Al Wasl (UAE) Arbil (Iraq)Al Sadd (Qatar)

Beijing Guoan (China) Changchun Yatai (China) Chonburi FC (Thailand)Binh Duong (Vietnam)

Gamba Osaka (Japan) Kashima Antlers (Japan) Krung Thai Bank (Thailand)Chunnam Dragons (Korea Republic)

Kuwait SC (Kuwait) Melbourne Victory (Australia)

Nam Dinh (Vietnam)Kuruvchi (Uzbekistan)

Pohang Steelers (Korea Republic)

Saipa (Iran) Sepahan (Iran)Pakhtakor (Uzbekistan)

Participating Clubs

OFFICIAL GUIDE

2008www.the-afc.com

2 www.the-afc.com

Contents

Official Sponsors

Official Supporters

INTRODUCTION

Intro-duction

Introduction AFC Message

FormatScheduleRules & Regulations (Summary)

Group ASepahan (Iran)Kuruvchi (Uzbekistan)Al Ittihad (Saudi Arabia)Al Ittihad (Syria)

Group BAl Wasl (UAE)Saipa (Iran)Kuwait FC (Kuwait) Al Quwa Al Jawiya (Iraq)

Group CAl Sadd (Qatar) Al Wahda (UAE) Al Karama (Syria) Al Ahli (Saudi Arabia)

Group DPakhtakor (Uzbekistan)Al Gharafa (Qatar) Arbil (Iraq) Al Qadsiya (Kuwait)

Group EChangchun Yatai (China)Adelaide United (Australia) Pohang Steelers (Korea Republic) Binh Duong (Vietnam)

Group FKrung Thai Bank (Thailand) Beijing Guoan (China) Nam Dinh (Vietnam) Kashima Antlers (Japan)

Group GMelbourne Victory (Australia) Chonburi FC (Thailand)Gamba Osaka (Japan)Chunnam Dragons (Korea Republic)

Knockout stageScheduleUrawa Red Diamonds

ACL 2007HistoryResults




ACL 2002/03HistoryResults

Roll of honour

Useful contacts

35

79

10

1316202428

3336404448

5356605468

7376808488

9396

100104108

113116120124128

133136140144148

153155156

161163165

169171173

177179181

185187189

192195197

201

205

5

AFC Champions League Official Guide 2008

www.the-afc.com

AFC Message

Dear friends,

AFC is once again pleased to present the Official Media Guide for the 2008 edition of the AFC Champions League.

Since the inaugural publication in 2005, the Official Media Guide has become an indispensable tool for media attending and cover-ing Asia’s premier club competition.

As the AFC Champions League continues to grow in stature, drawing elite clubs from the furthest corners of our vast continent, AFC strives to deliver more information and data concerning the competitions, clubs and players.

New features include a distinct and elaborate section on ‘Players to watch’ which fully addresses a long-standing demand of the media for more information on the players who make the AFC Champions League one of the best football shows around the world.

We sincerely hope you will find this edition as useful, informative and helpful as the earlier editions, and look forward to your feed-back and suggestions.

Asian club football is on the rise and we look forward to, and ap-preciate, your on-going support and interest.

Mohamed Bin HammamPresident, Asian Football Confederation

AFC President Mohamed Bin Hammam presenting the AFC Champions League trophy to inaugural winners Al Ain in 2003

6 www.the-afc.com

FORMAT

Format

Keita Suzuki (L), captain of 2007 ACL winners Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan, receiving the championship trophy from AFC President Mohamed Bin Hammam in Saitama last year

9


www.the-afc.com

Group Stage Schedule

Matchday One - 12/03/2008 (Wednesday)

Sepahan (IRN) vs Al Ittihad (SYR)Al Ittihad (KSA) vs Kuruvchi (UZB)Al Wasl (UAE) vs Al Quwa Al Jawiya (IRQ)Kuwait SC (KUW) vs Saipa (IRN)Al Sadd (QAT) vs Al Ahli (KSA)Al Karama (SYR) vs Al Wahda (UAE)Pakhtakor (UZB) vs Al Qadsiya (KUW)Arbil (IRQ) vs Al Gharafa (QAT)Changchun Yatai (CHN) vs Binh Duong (VIE)Pohang Steelers (KOR) vs Adelaide United (AUS)Krung Thai Bank (THA) vs Kashima Antlers (JPN)Nam Dinh (VIE) vs Beijing Guoan (CHN)Melbourne Victory (AUS) vs Chunnam Dragons (KOR)Gamba Osaka (JPN) vs Chonburi FC (THA)

Matchday Two - 19/03/2008 (Wednesday)

Al Ittihad (SYR) vs Al Ittihad (KSA)Kuruvchi (UZB) vs Sepahan (IRN)Al Quwa Al Jawiya (IRQ) vs Kuwait SC (KUW)Saipa (IRN) vs Al Wasl (UAE)Al Ahli (KSA) vs Al Karama (SYR)Al Wahda (UAE) vs Al Sadd (QAT)Al Qadsiya (KUW) vs Arbil (IRQ)Al Gharafa (QAT) vs Pakhtakor (UZB)Binh Duong (VIE) vs Pohang Steelers (KOR)Adelaide United (AUS) vs Changchun Yatai (CHN)Kashima Antlers (JPN) vs Nam Dinh (VIE)Beijing Guoan (CHN) vs Krung Thai Bank (THA)Chunnam Dragons (KOR) vs Gamba Osaka (JPN)Chonburi FC (THA) vs Melbourne Victory (AUS)

Matchday Three - 09/04/2008 (Wednesday)

Al Ittihad (SYR) vs Kuruvchi (UZB)Sepahan (IRN) vs Al Ittihad (KSA)Al Quwa Al Jawiya (IRQ) vs Saipa (IRN)Al Wasl (UAE) vs Kuwait SC (KUW)Al Ahli (KSA) vs Al Wahda (UAE)Al Sadd (QAT) vs Al Karama (SYR)Al Qadsiya (KUW) vs Al Gharafa (QAT)Pakhtakor (UZB) vs Arbil (IRQ)Binh Duong (VIE) vs Adelaide United (AUS)Changchun Yatai (CHN) vs Pohang Steelers (KOR)Kashima Antlers (JPN) vs Beijing Guoan (CHN)Krung Thai Bank (THA) vs Nam Dinh (VIE)Chunnam Dragons (KOR) vs Chonburi FC (THA)Melbourne Victory (AUS) vs Gamba Osaka (JPN)

Matchday Four - 23/04/2008 (Wednesday)

Kuruvchi (UZB) vs Al Ittihad (SYR)Al Ittihad (KSA) vs Sepahan (IRN)Saipa (IRN) vs Al Quwa Al Jawiya (IRQ)Kuwait SC (KUW) vs Al Wasl (UAE)Al Wahda (UAE) vs Al Ahli (KSA)Al Karama (SYR) vs Al Sadd (QAT)Al Gharafa (QAT) vs Al Qadsiya (KUW)Arbil (IRQ) vs Pakhtakor (UZB)Adelaide United (AUS) vs Binh Duong (VIE)Pohang Steelers (KOR) vs Changchun Yatai (CHN)Beijing Guoan (CHN) vs Kashima Antlers (JPN)Nam Dinh (VIE) vs Krung Thai Bank (THA)Chonburi FC (THA) vs Chunnam Dragons (KOR)Gamba Osaka (JPN) vs Melbourne Victory (AUS)

Matchday Five - 07/05/2008 (Wednesday)

Al Ittihad (SYR) vs Sepahan (IRN)Kuruvchi (UZB) vs Al Ittihad (KSA)Al Quwa Al Jawiya (IRQ) vs Al Wasl (UAE)Saipa (IRN) vs Kuwait SC (KUW)Al Ahli (KSA) vs Al Sadd (QAT)Al Wahda (UAE) vs Al Karama (SYR)Al Qadsiya (KUW) vs Pakhtakor (UZB)Al Gharafa (QAT) vs Arbil (IRQ)Binh Duong (VIE) vs Changchun Yatai (CHN)Adelaide United (AUS) vs Pohang Steelers (KOR)Kashima Antlers (JPN) vs Krung Thai Bank (THA)Beijing Guoan (CHN) vs Nam Dinh (VIE)Chunnam Dragons (KOR) vs Melbourne Victory (AUS)Chonburi FC (THA) vs Gamba Osaka (JPN)

Matchday Six - 21/05/2008 (Wednesday)

Sepahan (IRN) vs Kuruvchi (UZB)Al Ittihad (KSA) vs Al Ittihad (SYR)Al Wasl (UAE) vs Saipa (IRN)Kuwait SC (KUW) vs Al Quwa Al Jawiya (IRQ)Al Sadd (QAT) vs Al Wahda (UAE)Al Karama (SYR) vs Al Ahli (KSA)Pakhtakor (UZB) vs Al Gharafa (QAT)Arbil (IRQ) vs Al Qadsiya (KUW)Changchun Yatai (CHN) vs Adelaide United (AUS)Pohang Steelers (KOR) vs Binh Duong (VIE)Krung Thai Bank (THA) vs Beijing Guoan (CHN)Nam Dinh (VIE) vs Kashima Antlers (JPN)Melbourne Victory (AUS) vs Chonburi FC (THA)Gamba Osaka (JPN) vs Chunnam Dragons (KOR)

Urawa Reds’ Yuki Abe celebrating after the Japanese club’s crowning as Asian club champions in Saitama last year

10 www.the-afc.com 11


www.the-afc.com

Rules & Regulations (Summary)

The AFC Champions League is Asia’s premier club competition, pitting 28 club sides from 15 countries against one another for a US$600,000 winners’ purse – and a place in the FIFA Club World Cup 2008.

The competition is open to national league champions and national knock-out competition champions of the following AFC member nation-al associations: Australia, China P.R., I.R. Iran, Iraq, Japan, Korea Republic, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Thailand, UAE, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Indonesia. In addition, the defend-ing champions of the AFC Champions League are also invited to participate.

The 15 countries providing teams for the com-petition are those designated ‘mature’ by the AFC’s Vision Asia blueprint for the development of Asian football. The AFC’s Vision Asia rank-ing takes a number of factors into consideration

days before Match Day 1 for medical reasons).Of the 30 players registered, three may be non-citizens or foreign players. Of the 30 players registered, three must be goalkeepers.

The club must provide official documents to prove that each player has entered into a con-tract for a period of not less than six months.

Once a player is registered for one club, he can-not register for another club in the competition until the knockout stage.

Match Registration

Clubs are required to file a final registration of 18 players (11 players and seven substitutes) from the preliminary registration list 90 minutes before kick-off. Only these 18 players are eligi-ble to play in the match.

Of the 18 players on the final registration list, only three may be non-citizens or foreign play-ers.

Disciplinary matters

A player who receives two yellow cards during the competition shall automatically be suspend-ed from the match following the match in which he received the second caution.

Single yellow cards received in the group stage will not be carried forward to the knockout stage.

A player who receives an expulsion (a red card) during the competition shall automatically be suspended from the match following the match in which he received the expulsion. This will be carried forward to the knockout stage.

A player or club official expelled shall remain suspended from further play until his case has been decided by the AFC Disciplinary Commit-tee.

League winners, Urawa Red Diamonds of Ja-pan, joining at the quarter-final stage.

The 28 teams in the group stage are separated into seven groups of four on a regional basis – four groups from West and Central & South Asia (West Asian Group) and three from ASEAN and East Asian (East Asian Group).

Clubs from the same country are kept apart in the draw. Clubs from the same country do not play at home on the same day. Clubs play one another on a home and away basis, with three points awarded for a win and one point for a draw.

The winner on points of each group qualifies for the last eight. If two clubs are level on points at the end of the group stage, the following tie-breaker(s) apply (in the following order):

i. Greater number of points obtained in all group matches; ii. If two or more Teams are equal on the basis of the above criterion, their place shall be deter-mined in the following sequence and order: A) Greater number of points obtained in the group matches between the Teams concerned; B) Goal difference resulting from the group matches between the Teams concerned; (Away Goals do not apply) C) Greater number of goals scored in the group matches between the Teams concerned; D) Goal difference in all the group matches; E) Greater number of goals scored in all the group matches; F) Kicks from the penalty mark if only two Teams are involved and they are both on the field of play; G) Drawing of lots

Preliminary Registration

Teams must lodge a preliminary squad list of 30 players with the AFC by February 11, 2008. Once the squad list has been received by AFC, no player may be replaced or substituted (ex-cept for a maximum of three players up to three

and, unlike the FIFA/Coca-Cola rankings, is not purely based on performance at the national team level.

However, Indonesian clubs have been excluded from this edition of the AFC Champions League as both the Indonesian League and national knockout competition do not finish before Janu-ary 2008.

Format

The competition runs from March to Novem-ber, with a three-month break in June, July and August. The group stage takes place between March and May, the knockout stage from Sep-tember to November.

Twenty-eight (28) teams are entered for the group stage, with the 2007 AFC Champions

AFC Director of Competitions Michelle Chai (at right) conducting the 2008 ACL Group Stage draw at AFC House

12 www.the-afc.com

GROUP A

Group A

Urawa Reds fans celebrating with the ACL trophy in Saitama last year after their team became the first Japanese club to win the continental title

15


www.the-afc.com

Group A

Sepahan (Iran)– Hazfi Cup winners

Kuruvchi (Uzbekistan)– Uzbekistan League runners-up

Al Ittihad (Saudi Arabia)– Saudi League winners

Al Ittihad (Syria)– Syrian League runners-up

Two-time champions Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia are back in the ACL fray



www.the-afc.com

Sepahan (Iran)

President Mohamed Reza SaketEstablished 1944Address Kavah Street, 10th Kilometer IsfahanTel +98 311 6673018Fax +98 311 6673018Email [email protected] www.fooladsepahansport.comStadium Foolad Shahr Stadium Capacity 15,000

Club

Club Colours

Home Away

Profile

Sepahan make their fourth appearance in the AFC Champions League in 2008, having lost in the final of the 2007 edition to champions Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan.

The Hazfi Cup champions were edged out during the group stage by eventual winners Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia on head-to-head records in 2004 and went out the following year to Al Ain after a 3-2 loss in the UAE in their final group game.

In 2006, they failed to qualify but in the next instalment they smashed their way through to the final before falling to Urawa despite a 1-1 draw in the first leg. Coached by AFC Asian Cup™ winning coach Jorvan Vieira of Brazil, they are heavily tipped to attempt another impressive run this year.

Facts & Stats

Domestic Record2007 Hazfi Cup winners and league runners-up______________________________________

Domestic HonoursLeague 2001-02Cup x3 (2003 -2004, 2005 - 2006, 2006-2007)______________________________________

Continental RecordACC Did not participateACWC Did not participateACL 2004, 2005 (both group stage), 2007 (runners-up)

Name Hamid BagheriTel +98 311 6248403Mobile +98 913 3196782Fax +98 311 6673018Email [email protected]

Media Contact

ACC Asian Club ChampionshipACWC Asian Cup Winners CupACL AFC Champions League

*

Coach

Name Jorvan VieiraNationality BrazilianD.O.B 24/05/53Appointed February 2008

The architect of Iraq’s historic AFC Asian Cup™ triumph, Jor-van Vieira replaced Luka Bonac-ic in the Sepahan hot seat after originally agreeing a deal to coach Iran Pro League rivals Mes, only to see his contract with the Kerman-based club cancelled just days after it was signed.

A multi-lingual, coaching nomad Vieira’s first job outside his native Brazil was in 1980 when he took the helm of Qatar Sports Club and his career has taken him to Oman, Morocco, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, where he won the 1999 league title with Al Qadsiya.

Fixtures

Domestic Record

2004League – 6th

Cup – WinnersBeat Esteghlal 5-2 on aggregate in final

P W D L F A Pts26 21 6 9 47 36 39

2005League – 10th

Cup – 1st RdLost 4-1 to Pas

P W D L F A Pts30 7 14 9 30 33 35

2006League – 7th

Cup – WinnersBeat Persepolis 4-2 on pen-alties, 2-2 on aggregate aet

P W D L F A Pts30 12 7 11 38 32 43

2007League – 5th

Cup – WinnersBeat Saba Battery 4-0 on aggregate in final

P W D L F A Pts30 14 7 9 41 28 49

ACL Record

2004Group Stage

2005Group Stage

2006Did not qualify

2007Runners-up

H AAl Shabab W 1-0 D 1-1 GSAl Ain D 1-1 L 2-3 GSAl Wahda W 2-0 L 3-1 GS

H AAl Shabab W 2-0 W 1-0 GSAl Ain D 1-1 L 2-3 GSAl Ittihad W 2-1 W 5-0 GS

1st 2nd Urawa Reds D 1-1 L 0-2 FAl Wahda W 3-1 D 0-0 SFKawasaki Frontale

D 0-0 W 5-4 QF

MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1530Sepahan vs Al Ittihad (SYR) Foolad Shahr Stadium, Isfahan, Ir Iran

MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1500Kuruvchi vs Sepahan Mhsk Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1600Sepahan vs Al Ittihad (KSA)Foolad Shahr Stadium, Isfahan, Ir Iran

MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 2045Al Ittihad (KSA) vs Sepahan Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1900Al Ittihad (SYR) vs Sepahan International Stadium, Aleppo, Syria

MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1730Sepahan vs Kuruvchi Foolad Shahr Stadium, Isfahan, Ir Iran

All kick-off times are local and correct at the time of going to press

H ANeftchi W 4-0 W 3-1 GSAl Arabi W 3-1 D 2-2 GSAl Ittihad W 3-2 L 0-4 GS

pen(0-0 aet)

Sepahan’s Mohsen Bangar (in front) and Urawa’s Marcus Tulio Tanaka eye the ball in last year’s ACL final



www.the-afc.com

Sepahan (Iran)

SquadJersey No. Name DOB Height Weight Nationality

Goalkeepers MM/DD/YY

1 Abbas Mohammadi 8/23/75 187 82 I.R. Iran

14 Amirhossein Sadeghzadeh 6/30/90 190 70 I.R. Iran

22 Mohammad Savari 2/13/85 198 81 I.R. Iran

24 Masoud Hamami 5/1/83 184 82 I.R. Iran

Defenders

2 Hamid Azizzadeh 3/26/81 193 82 I.R. Iran

3 Seyed Reza Talabeh 2/26/89 180 75 I.R. Iran

5 Hadi Aghily 1/15/81 185 80 I.R. Iran

8 Mohsen Bengar 7/6/79 185 82 I.R. Iran

9 Jaba Mujiri 6/7/80 180 78 Georgia

27 Abolhassan Jafari 7/21/90 170 69 I.R. Iran

Midfielders

4 Moharram Navidkia 11/1/82 181 71 I.R. Iran

6 Jalal Akbari 7/5/83 177 74 I.R. Iran

7 Farshad Bahadorani 8/28/82 184 73 I.R. Iran

11 Hossein Kazemi 10/3/79 177 73 I.R. Iran

12 Abdul Wahab Abulhail 12/21/75 180 78 Iraq

15 Hossein Papi 2/27/85 170 57 I.R. Iran

17 Hadi Jafari 8/4/82 178 75 I.R. Iran

18 Mohsen Hamidi 9/30/85 175 70 I.R. Iran

20 Hojatolah Zad Mahmoud 9/13/83 183 80 I.R. Iran

21 Saeid Bayat 8/17/76 183 80 I.R. Iran

25 Ebrahim Lovinian 9/10/78 174 73 I.R. Iran

26 Amir Radi 1/7/85 179 70 I.R. Iran

28 Ehsan Hajy Safi 2/25/90 180 75 I.R. Iran

29 Behzad Soltani 9/15/88 170 68 I.R. Iran

30 Shahryar Shirvand 3/21/91 172 61 I.R. Iran

Forwards

10 Emad Mohamed Ridha 7/24/82 172 70 Iraq

13 Mahmoud Karimi 5/9/78 168 60 I.R. Iran

16 Hamed Rasouli 1/18/85 177 74 I.R. Iran

19 Jalalaldin Alimohammadi 6/15/90 170 68 I.R. Iran

23 Mehdi Seyed Salehi 7/27/81 188 72 I.R. Iran

Moharram Navidkia

Position: MidfielderDate of Birth: 01/11/82Country: Iran

A supremely gifted midfield playmaker known for his passing ability, Moharram Navidkia will be keen to display his talents on the continental stage after the Sepahan skipper missed the FIFA Club World Cup 2007 due to a reoccurrence of a knee injury that limited his time with German side Vfl Bochum.

Navidkia picked up the injury in a 2004 Olympic qualifier against Korea Republic at a time when he was one of the most promis-ing players in his country, after the 2003/04 Iran Player of the Year had helped Sepahan to their first league title and Iran to a gold medal win at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan.

Hadi Aghili

Position: DefenderDate of Birth: 15/01/81Country: Iran

Two own-goals at the 2007 FIFA Club World Cup should not take away from the fact that Hadi Aghili is one of the most re-spected defenders in the Iran Pro League.

Renowned for his tackling ability, commanding presence and aerial challenges, the 27-year-old joined Sepahan from fellow AFC Champions League qualifiers Saipa in 2004 and has been a regular fixture in the national team squad since making his Iran debut against Iraq in October 2006.

Players to Watch

Mahmoud Karimi

Position: ForwardDate of Birth: 09/05/78Country: Iran

One of the most prolific strikers in the AFC Champions League, Mahmoud Karimi has already scored 11 times in Asia’s premier club competition, the most recent of which came in the first leg of the 2007 final as Sepahan held eventual winners Urawa Reds to a 1-1 draw.

Highly-rated by the fans and the Iranian media for his pace and ability to take on defenders, Karimi has helped Sepahan win the 2002/03 Iran Pro League and two Hazfi Cups but had yet to be capped for Iran since joining the Isfahan side in 1998 and the turn of 2008.



www.the-afc.com

Kuruvchi (Uzbekistan)

President Isok AkbarovEstablished 2005Address Drujba Narodov 47, TashkentTel +998711507004Fax +998711507007Email [email protected] www.pfc-kuruvchi.comStadium Army StadiumCapacity 10,000

Club

Club Colours

Home Away

Profile

Kuruvchi Tashkent have been going from strength to strength in the Uzbekistan League and setting themselves up as challengers to Pakhtakor’s long and powerful reign.

They finished second in both the league and Cup to Pakhtakor last year to earn their first shot at the AFC Champions League.

Coached by Uzbek legend Mirdjalol Kasimov, the Tashkent side will be eager to make an impression on their debut.

Facts & Stats

Domestic Record2007 League and Cup runners-up ______________________________________

Domestic HonoursLeague Cup ______________________________________

Continental RecordACC Did not participateACWC Did not participateACL Did not participate

Name Bahodir Mirzaev Tel +998977674714Mobile Fax +998711507007Email [email protected]

Media Contact


*

Coach

Name Mirdjalol KasimovNationality UzbekD.O.B 17/09/1970Appointed Dec 2007

Uzbek football legend Mirdjalol Kasimov will be looking to com-bine his vast experience as a player with the knowledge he learned as an assistant to AFC Coach of the Year Rauf Inileev in the Uzbekistan senior team as he finds his feet as the head coach of Kuruvchi.

Kasimov took over the Kuruvchi managerial reins from Khikmat Ergashev only in December 2007 but the former national team skipper, who was part of the Uzbeks’ 1994 Asian Games winning squad, will know exactly how to mo-tivate his charges having had successful spells with Pa-khtakor and Mash’al as well as stints with clubs in Russia and the UAE before ending his playing career in 2005.

Fixtures

Domestic Record

2004Club did not exist

20053rd division

20062nd division

2007League – Runners-up

Cup - Runners-upLost to Pakhtakor 6-7 on penalties in final (aet 0-0)

P W D L F A Pts30 22 5 3 62 16 71

ACL Record

2004Club did not exist

2005Did not qualify

2006Did not qualify

2007Did not qualify


MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 2030Al Ittihad (KSA) vs Kuruvchi Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1500Kuruvchi vs Sepahan Mhsk Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1900Al Ittihad (SYR) vs Kuruvchi International Stadium, Aleppo, Syria

MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1630Kuruvchi vs Al Ittihad (SYR) Mhsk Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1700Kuruvchi vs Al Ittihad (KSA) Mhsk Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1730Sepahan vs Kuruvchi Foolad Shahr Stadium, Isfahan, IR Iran

Kuruvchi have been gaining in strength in recent years and challenging Uzbek giants Pakhtakor



www.the-afc.com

Kuruvchi (Uzbekistan)

Squad Players to WatchJersey No. Name DOB Height Weight Nationality


1 Oleg Belyakov 2/1/72 188 90 Uzbekistan

12 Murotjon Zukhurov 2/23/83 189 80 Uzbekistan

25 Pavel Bugalo 8/21/74 186 75 Uzbekistan

Defenders

2 Bakhtiyor Ashurmatov 3/25/76 186 74 Uzbekistan

3 Gochguly Gochguliyev 5/26/77 185 79 Turkmenistan

4 Hayrulla Karimov 4/22/78 184 72 Uzbekistan

5 Timur Yafarov 11/30/86 184 80 Uzbekistan

13 Alexander Khvostunov 1/9/74 176 70 Uzbekistan

14 Shavkat Raimkulov 5/7/84 184 80 Uzbekistan

23 Sakhob Jurayev 1/19/87 172 64 Uzbekistan

Midfielders

6 Ibrohimjon Rahimov 9/29/84 175 67 Uzbekistan

7 Sergey Lushchan 4/9/73 186 80 Russia

8 Rashidjon Gofurov 9/26/77 168 63 Uzbekistan

9 Shavkat Salomov 11/13/85 172 65 Uzbekistan

11 Vyacheslav Ponomarev 1/2/78 176 70 Uzbekistan

18 Yannis Mandzukas 5/8/84 180 68 Uzbekistan

19 Jasur Hasanov 8/2/83 171 63 Uzbekistan

22 Victor Karpenko 9/7/77 180 79 Uzbekistan

24 Jamol Otakulov 12/6/85 172 65 Uzbekistan

26 Azizbek Haydarov 7/8/85 182 78 Uzbekistan

27 Anvar Rakhimov 2/20/88 185 74 Uzbekistan

28 Aleksey Nikolaev 9/5/79 184 74 Uzbekistan

29 Timur Kapadze 9/5/81 185 80 Uzbekistan

30 Server Djeparov 10/3/82 170 64 Uzbekistan

Forwards

10 Ulugbek Bakaev 11/28/78 185 78 Uzbekistan

15 Miraziz Jalolov 1/22/92 168 51 Uzbekistan

16 Anvar Rajabov 1/23/88 185 79 Uzbekistan

17 Dmitriy Kuzin 7/11/91 173 68 Uzbekistan

20 Anvarjon Soliev 2/5/78 187 78 Uzbekistan

21 Ilkhom Muminjanov 1/21/79 185 76 Uzbekistan

Pavel Bugalo

Position: GoalkeeperDate of Birth: 21/08/74Country: Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan’s Player of the Year in 1996 and 1997, Pavel Bu-galo formed his reputation as one of the continent’s top keepers at Pakhtakor but was ultimately lured to the lucrative Russian league, signing with Alania Vladikavkaz in 2000 before moving on to Kazakhstan and spells with Zhenis Astana, Zhetysu and Ordabasy, his last club before joining Kuruvchi in 2007.

At one time Bugalo was first choice keeper for his country but a disastrous 2000 AFC Asian Cup™, where he conceded 14 goals in three games saw him lose his place but his fine form for Kuruvchi earned him a call to Uzbekistan’s squad at last year’s continental showcase.

Server Djeparov

Position: MidfielderDate of Birth: 03/10/82Country: Uzbekistan

After a short trial with Russian side Amkar Perm, creative mid-fielder Server Djeparov joined Kuruvchi at the start of the 2008 season from Uzbek giants Pakhtakor, where the 25-year-old twice reached the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League.

A regular in the Uzbekistan national team, Djeparov enjoyed considerable domestic success at Pakhtakor, winning both the league and the cup six times as well as being named Uz-bekistan’s player of the year in 2003, just one season after arriv-ing at the Tashkent club from Navbakhor.

Victor Karpenko

Position: MidfielderDate of Birth: 07/09/77Country: Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan international Victor Karpenko returned to the local football scene in March 2007, signing for Kuruvchi from two-time Kazakhstan Super League champions Kairat Almaty after a number of years spent plying his trade in the Russian league.

Karpenko, who was part of the Uzbekistan side that reached the quarter-finals of the 2007 AFC Asian Cup™, was part of Pakhta-kor’s youth academy but never made a senior appearance for the Tashkent giants, beginning his career with Bukhara before joining Russian outfit Shinnik Yaroslavl in 1999.



www.the-afc.com


President Jamal AbuemarhEstablished 1929Address P.O. Box 5945, Press Street, Jeddah, 21432, Saudi ArabiaTel +966 2672 8888Fax +966 2672 0112Email Website www.alittihad.com.saStadium Prince Abdullah Al Faisal StadiumCapacity 40,000

Club

Club Colours

Home Away

Profile

One of Asia’s top clubs, Al Ittihad are coming back to the tourna-ment they lorded over by winning twice on the trot in 2004 and 2005. In 2006, their hat-trick run was stunningly halted by Syrian surprise package Al Karama in the quarterfinals after an unex-pected 4-0 drubbing in the second leg (aggregate 4-2).

In 2004, they defeated Korean giants Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma in the final with what must rank as one of the most remarkable comebacks in Asian football history, before making shortwork of inaugural winners Al Ain in 2005.

The Saudi powerhouse are in great form again, winning the league title and finishing as runners-up to Al Ahli in the cup com-petition.

Facts & Stats

Domestic Record2007 League champions and Cup runners-up_______________________________________

Domestic HonoursLeague x7 (2006, 2002, 2000, 1999,1998, 1996, 1981)Cup x7 (2003, 2000, 1996, 1990, 1962, 1958, 1957)_______________________________________

Continental RecordACC 2000 (SFs), 2001 (2nd round)ACWC 1999 – QFs; 1998– Winners; 1994– Third place; 1992– Semi-finalsACL 2006 – QFs, 2005, 2004 – Champions

Name Mohamed Ali BinbazTel +966 2670 0678Mobile Fax +966 2672 0112Email [email protected]

Media Contact


*

Coach

Name Estevam SoaresNationality BrazilianD.O.B 10/06/56Appointed December 2007

Estevam Soares took over the managerial reins of Al Ittihad in December last year when he replaced caretaker coach Salem Halilhodzic, who had filled the void when Brazilian Can-dinho stepped down in September 2007 citing personal reasons.

Joining the two-time AFC Champions League winners from Brazilian second-tier side Grêmio Barueri marks only the second time Estevam Soares has coached in Asia, fol-lowing a spell with Lebanese side Olympic Beirut in 2002.

Fixtures

Domestic Record

2004League – 2ndLost 1-0 to Al Shabab in championship playoffRegular season – 1st

Cup – WinnersDefeated Al Ahli 1-0

P W D L F A Pts22 17 5 0 57 15 56

2005League – 4thLost 1-0 to Al Hilal in cham-pionship playoffRegular season – 3rd

Cup – Semi-finalsLost 1-2 on aggregate to Al Hilal

P W D L F A Pts22 11 5 6 53 37 38

2006League – 3rdLost 1-2 to Al Hilal in step-ladder top-four playoffRegular season – 3rd

Cup – Quarter-finalsLost to Al Ahli 2-4 on penal-ties (aet 1-1)

P W D L F A Pts22 11 9 2 47 28 42

2007League – WinnersBeat Al Hilal 2-1 in champi-onship playoff final Regular season – 2nd

Cup – Runners-upLost to Al Ahli 2-1 in final

P W D L F A Pts22 15 3 4 52 25 48

ACL Record

2004Winners

2005Winners

2006Quarter-finals

2007Did not qualify

1st 2ndSeongnam L 1-3 W 5-0 FJeonbuk W 2-1 D 2-2 SFDalian Shide D 0-0 W 1-0 QF

H ANeftchi W 3-0 W 3-1 GSAl Arabi W 2-0 D 0-0 GSSepahan W 4-0 L 2-3 GS


1st 2ndAl Ain D 1-1 W 4-2 FBusan I’Park W 5-0 W 2-0 SFShandong D 1-1 W 7-3 QF

As defending champions, Al Ittihad received a bye into the knockout stage.

1st 2ndAl Karama W 2-0 L 0-4 QF

As defending champions, Al Ittihad received a bye into the knockout stage.

MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 2030Al Ittihad vs Kuruvchi Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1800Al Ittihad (SYR) vs Al Ittihad International Stadium, Aleppo, Syria

MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1600Sepahan vs Al Ittihad Foolad Shahr Stadium, Isfahan, Ir Iran

MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 2045Al Ittihad vs Sepahan Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1700Kuruvchi vs Al Ittihad Mhsk Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 2055Al Ittihad vs Al Ittihad (SYR) Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

aet (FT 2-2)

Saudi giants Al Ittihad have won the ACL twice in 2004 and 2005



www.the-afc.com


Squad Players to Watch

Mohammed Noor

Position: MidfielderDate of Birth: 26/02/78Country: Saudi Arabia

Controversially omitted from Saudi Arabia’s 2007 AFC Asian Cup™ squad, Al Ittihad skipper Mohammed Noor nevertheless remains one of the Kingdom’s top players, whose ability is re-flected in the amount of silverware he has won throughout his glittering career.

On the continental stage a 1999 Asian Cup Winners’ triumph was followed up with glory in the 2004 and 2005 AFC Cham-pions Leagues, while domestically the 2003 Arab Player of the Year has helped the Tigers win five Saudi premier league titles, two Crown Prince Cups and the 1999 Saudi Federation Cup to go along with victories in the 2004 Arab Champions League, the 1999 Gulf Club Cup and two Saudi-Egyptian Super Cups.

Redha Tukar

Position: DefenderDate of Birth: 29/11/75Country: Saudi Arabia

Veteran defender Redha Tukar is look-ing for a hat-trick of AFC Champions League titles after inspiring Al Ittihad to victory in the 2004 tournament – where he was named MVP – before helping the Tigers successfully defend their conti-nental crown the fol-lowing year.

An experienced, goal-scoring centre-back the 37-year-old

veteran of two FIFA World Cups was part of the Saudi Arabia side that finished run-ners-up at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup™ and first tasted Asian club glory in 2001 when he won the Asian Cup Winners’ cup with former employers Al Shabab.

Magno Alves

Position: ForwardDate of Birth: 13/01/76Country: Brazil

Al Ittihad will be hoping that Magno Alves can repeat the sensational form he displayed in the 2006 AFC Champions League when the pro-lific Brazilian found the net eight times in six games for his previous club Gamba Osaka to emerge as the competi-tion’s top scorer.

The 32-year-old, who played three times for his country at the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup, began his Asian adventure in Korea in 2003 with a spell at former ACL champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors before heading to Japan, firstly to Oita Trinita and then to Gamba, where he averaged almost a goal every two games prior to his move to Jeddah.

Jersey No. Name DOB Height Weight Nationality


1 Mabrouk Zaid 2/11/79 185 62 Saudi Arabia

22 Tisir Al Antaif 2/16/74 180 79 Saudi Arabia

25 Mustafa Malaeka 5/21/86 184 83 Saudi Arabia

26 Ali Al Mazyadi 9/24/85 182 82 Saudi Arabia

Defenders

2 Ahmed Dokhi 10/25/76 175 72 Saudi Arabia

4 Redha Tukar 11/29/75 180 83 Saudi Arabia

5 Mohammed Abdullah 8/6/85 177 78 Saudi Arabia

6 Obaid Al Shamrani 7/24/85 177 75 Saudi Arabia

13 Talal Assiri 8/28/88 166 61 Saudi Arabia

19 Saleh Al Saqri 1/23/79 174 70 Saudi Arabia

20 Adnan Falatah 10/20/83 168 65 Saudi Arabia

21 Hamad Al Montashari 6/22/82 181 72 Saudi Arabia

28 Osama Al Muwalad 5/16/84 185 83 Saudi Arabia

Midfielders

7 Mohammed Ameen 4/29/80 175 66 Saudi Arabia

8 Manaf Aboshgair 2/5/80 169 59 Saudi Arabia

10 Abdulrahman Al Qahtani 5/22/83 178 68 Saudi Arabia

11 Tcheco 4/11/76 178 75 Brazil

14 Saud Khariri 7/8/80 184 68 Saudi Arabia

16 Abdullah Hidar 3/27/85 170 68 Saudi Arabia

17 Ali Al Falati 6/13/86 170 65 Saudi Arabia

18 Mohammed Noor 2/26/78 188 70 Saudi Arabia

24 Aqeal Al Qarni 12/22/87 167 61 Saudi Arabia

27 Ibrahim Sowed 7/21/74 182 76 Saudi Arabia

30 Sultan Al Numare 1/27/86 175 63 Saudi Arabia

Forwards

3 Alhassane Keita 6/26/83 169 69 Guinea

9 Magno Alves 1/13/76 176 70 Brazil

12 Abdulaziz Al Sibyani 9/15/87 174 70 Saudi Arabia

15 Mohammed Labieb 9/22/86 178 68 Saudi Arabia

23 Naif Hazazi 7/27/88 175 70 Saudi Arabia

29 Talal Al Meshal 6/6/78 183 76 Saudi Arabia



www.the-afc.com

Al Ittihad (Syria)

President Basid HammoudiEstablished 1953Address Shahbaa Street, AleppoTel +96 3212679800Fax +96 3212679801Email Website www.alitihadclub.comStadium Aleppo International StadiumCapacity 30,000

Club

Club Colours

Home Away

Profile

This is Al Ittihad’s third straight appearance in the AFC Champi-ons League alongwith archrivals Al Karama.

However, in contrast with Al Karama’s sterling showing, Al Ittihad have struggled to move beyond the group stage of the continental showcase.

The Aleppo-based side, who won the inaugural Syrian League title in 1967, have six league triumphs and seven cup wins to their name. They have qualified this time by virtue of finishing second in the league behind double winners and 2006 ACL final-ists Al Karama.

Facts & Stats

Domestic Record2007 League runners-up______________________________________

Domestic HonoursLeague x6 (2005, 1994, 92, 76, 68, 67)Cup x8 (2006, 05, 1998, 85, 84, 82, 73, 65)______________________________________

Continental RecordACC 1986 – SFACWC Did not participateACL Did not participate

Name Mohamed Hammami Tel +96 3212679801Mobile Fax Email [email protected]

Media Contact


*

Coach

Name Tita ValeroNationality D.O.B Appointed

Fixtures

Domestic Record

2004League – 4th

Cup – 2nd roundLost 3-2 on aggregate to Tishrin

P W D L F A Pts28 15 7 6 49 15 52

2005League – Winners

Cup – WinnersBeat Al Majd 3-1 in final

P W D L F A Pts26 15 8 3 50 20 53

2006League – 4th

Cup – WinnersBeat Tishrin 3-0 in final

P W D L F A Pts26 10 10 6 33 20 40

2007League – 2nd

Cup – Quarter-finalsLost to Al Majd 3-1 on aggregate

P W D L F A Pts26 17 4 5 44 20 55

ACL Record

2004Did not qualify

2005Did not qualify

2006Group Stage

2007Group Stage

H APakhtakor W 2-1 L 0-2 GSFoolad D 0-0 W 2-1 GSAl Qadisiya D 2-2 L 0-1 GS

H ASepahan L 0-5 L 1-2 GSAl Shabab D 1-1 L 0-4 GSAl Ain D 0-0 D 1-1 GS


MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1530Sepahan vs Al Ittihad Foolad Shahr Stadium, Isfahan, Ir Iran

MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1800Al Ittihad vs Al Ittihad (KSA) International Stadium, Aleppo, Syria

MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1900Al Ittihad vs Kuruvchi International Stadium, Aleppo, Syria

MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1630Kuruvchi vs Al Ittihad Mhsk Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1900Al Ittihad vs Sepahan International Stadium, Aleppo, Syria

MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 2055Al Ittihad (KSA) vs Al Ittihad Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Syrian club Al Ittihad will be participating in the ACL for the third time



www.the-afc.com

Al Ittihad (Syria)

Squad Players to WatchJersey No. Name DOB* Height Weight Nationality


1 Mahmoud Karkar 10/21/74 188 81 Syrian Arab Republic

24 Yasser Jarkas 6/11/78 185 81 Syrian Arab Republic

30 Khaled Hajj Othman 5/1/87 185 75 Syrian Arab Republic

Defenders

2 Mohamad Daas 7/1/89 180 75 Syrian Arab Republic

3 Rajab Tubarakji 2/16/90 175 68 Syrian Arab Republic

4 Hossen Klawi 1/1/86 172 68 Syrian Arab Republic

5 Omar Hemidi 5/1/86 178 73 Syrian Arab Republic

6 Majd Homsi 12/12/83 180 78 Syrian Arab Republic

12 Zakariya Al Kaddour 1/1/86 175 74 Syrian Arab Republic

14 Wael Ayan 6/13/85 171 67 Syrian Arab Republic

20 Salah Chahrour 1/2/88 190 77 Syrian Arab Republic

21 Yousef Chikhal Eshra 1/15/79 177 74 Syrian Arab Republic

22 Bakri Tarrab 1/20/85 180 73 Syrian Arab Republic

Midfielders

7 Ammar Rihawi 6/20/75 173 67 Syrian Arab Republic

8 Obaid Al Salal 1/2/87 176 73 Syrian Arab Republic

11 Jesus Gomez 8/6/84 168 66 Venezuela

16 Jonathan Perez 10/2/77 179 77 Venezuela

17 Mahmoud Al Amena 1/15/83 175 75 Syrian Arab Republic

19 Yahia Al Rached 2/1/82 180 75 Syrian Arab Republic

23 Ayman Habbal 3/17/85 178 74 Syrian Arab Republic

26 Darwish Midou 6/11/90 177 70 Syrian Arab Republic

27 Obada Al Said 1/1/86 175 70 Syrian Arab Republic

28 Ayman Salal 11/28/90 168 63 Syrian Arab Republic

29 Taha Dyab 7/23/90 182 70 Syrian Arab Republic

Forwards

9 Mohammad Al Damen 1/25/86 174 70 Syrian Arab Republic

10 Abdulfatah Al Agha 8/1/84 179 75 Syrian Arab Republic

15 Mahmod Al Peef 1/3/86 182 83 Syrian Arab Republic

18 Otobong Ene Edet Otudor 6/18/86 186 76 Cameroon

25 Tamer Rashed 1/15/89 176 72 Syrian Arab Republic

Mahmoud Al Amena

Position: MidfielderDate of Birth: 15/1/83Country: Syria

One of his country’s best midfielders, Aleppo-born Mahmoud Al Amena has emerged as Al Ittihad’s midfield lynchpin since joining his home-town club from city rivals Al Horriya in 2003 in what was considered one of the highest transfer deals for a Syrian player.

The 25-year-old, who will be appearing in the AFC Champions League for a third time, is often the attacking catalyst for club and country and regularly attracts interest from top teams in Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan.

Jesus Gomez

Position: MidfielderDate of Birth: 06/08/84Country: Venezuela

Jesus Gomez was brought to Al Ittihad in September 2007 by ex-manager Oscar Fullone, who coached the former Venezuela under-21 international at Moroccan side Raja Casablanca, and the diminutive Venezuelan made an immediate impression as he scored nine times in his first 15 league matches.

Born in the central Ven-ezuelan city of Maracay, Gomez began his ca-reer at two-time national champions Estudiantes de Mérida before ar-riving in Aleppo after a relatively unsuccessful season in Morocco with Raja.

Abdulfatah Al Agha

Position: ForwardDate of Birth: 01/08/84Country: Syria

A product of the Al Ittihad youth system, local lad Abdulfatah Al Agha played at all age levels for the Aleppo side before breaking into the first team in 2002 and going on to appear in two AFC Champions League tournaments.

A tireless worker known for his goal scoring instinct, Al Agha was instrumental in helping Syria to a surprise fourth-place fin-ish at the 2004 AFC Youth Championship but injury robbed him of the chance to test his skills on the international stage in the subsequent FIFA U-20 World Cup in Holland.

32 www.the-afc.com

GROUP B

Group B

Group A Fixtures

Day/Date Kick-Off Match Score

Matchday One

12/03/2008 (Wednesday)

1530 SEPAHAN (IRN) vs AL ITTIHAD (SYR) ___ ___

2030 AL ITTIHAD (KSA) vs KURUVCHI (UZB) ___ ___

Matchday Two


1800 AL ITTIHAD (SYR) vs AL ITTIHAD (KSA) ___ ___

1500 KURUVCHI (UZB) vs SEPAHAN (IRN) ___ ___

Matchday Three


1900 AL ITTIHAD (SYR) vs KURUVCHI (UZB) ___ ___

1600 SEPAHAN (IRN) vs AL ITTIHAD (KSA) ___ ___

Matchday Four


1630 KURUVCHI (UZB) vs AL ITTIHAD (SYR) ___ ___

2045 AL ITTIHAD (KSA) vs SEPAHAN (IRN) ___ ___

Matchday Five


1900 AL ITTIHAD (SYR) vs SEPAHAN (IRN) ___ ___

1700 KURUVCHI (UZB) vs AL ITTIHAD (KSA) ___ ___

Matchday Six


1730 SEPAHAN (IRN) vs KURUVCHI (UZB) ___ ___

2055 AL ITTIHAD (KSA) vs AL ITTIHAD (SYR) ___ ___

All kick-off times are subject to change. Simultaneous kick-off times may be required on Matchday Six

35


www.the-afc.com

Group B

Al Wasl (UAE)– UAE League and Cup winners

Saipa (Iran)– Iran League winners

Kuwait SC (Kuwait)– Kuwait League winners

Al Quwa Al Jawiya (Iraq)– Iraq League runners-up

Al Wasl’s Khaled Darwish (in yellow) in action during a league match. Al Wasl are the UAE League and Cup winners



www.the-afc.com

Al Wasl (UAE)

President Sheikh Ahmed Bin Rashed Al MaktoumEstablished 1960Address P.O. Box 3888, Dubai, UAETel +971 4324 3333Fax +971 4324 4472Email Website www.alwaslsportclub.comStadium Al Maktoub StadiumCapacity 12,000

Club

Club Colours

Home Away

Profile

Though not exactly a heavyweight in the highly competitive UAE League, Al Wasl completed a fantastic domestic double last sea-son and marked their coming of age. They have won the league six times and clinched the cup twice.

The Dubai-based outfit, popularly known as Al Fhood (the chee-tahs), reached the quarterfinals of the Asian Club Championship in 1994, their only claim to fame till date in continental football.

Facts & Stats

Domestic Record2007 League champions and Cup winners______________________________________

Domestic HonoursLeague x7 (2007, 1997, 92, 88, 85, 83, 82)Cup x4 (2007, 1986, 82, 81)______________________________________

Continental RecordACC 1994-QuarterfinalsACWC Did not participateACL Did not participate

Name Abdullah Al KaabiTel Mobile +971 50 774 1477Fax +971 4324 4472Email [email protected]

Media Contact


*

Coach

Name Ze MarioNationality BrazilianD.O.B 01/02/1949Appointed 2006

One of the most experienced coaches leading a team in this year’s AFC Champions League, Ze Mario is no stranger to the Asian game having worked in Iraq, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Japan, where he led Kashima Antlers to the 1998 J.League title.

But it is in the UAE where he made the biggest impact, etching his name in the annals of Emirati football history by leading Al Wasl from relative obscurity to the 2006/07 league and cup double.

Fixtures

Domestic Record

2004League – 4th in final top-fourRegular season - 2nd in Group B

Cup – Semi-finalsLost 4-3 on penalties to Al Ahli (aet 1-1)

P W D L F A Pts10 6 2 2 18 8 20

2005League – 8th

Cup – Semi-finalsLost 0-2 to Al Ain

P W D L F A Pts26 9 7 10 36 35 34

2006League – 8th

Cup – Last eight Finished last among four teams in Group B and failed to qualify for semi-finals

P W D L F A Pts22 9 2 11 33 32 29


Cup – WinnersBeat Al Ain 4-1 in the final

P W D L F A Pts22 13 8 1 45 24 47

ACL Record

2004Did not qualify

2005Did not qualify

2006Did not qualify

2007Did not qualify


MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1930Al Wasl vs Al Quwa Al Jawiya Al Wasl Stadium, Dubai, UAE

MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1430Saipa vs Al Wasl Enghaleb Stadium, Karaj, Ir Iran

MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1945Al Wasl vs Kuwait SC Al Wasl Stadium, Dubai, UAE

MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 2030Kuwait SC vs Al Wasl Kuwait Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait

MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 2000Al Quwa Al Jawiya vs Al Wasl Kuwait Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait

MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 2030Al Wasl vs Saipa Al Wasl Stadium, Dubai, UAE

Al Wasl completed a fantastic double last year



www.the-afc.com

Al Wasl (UAE)


Majed Nasser

Position: GoalkeeperDate of Birth: 01/04/84Country: UAE

Fast emerging as one of the top custodians in the region, Majed Nasser was a key figure in Al Wasl’s incredible double-winning season and not surprisingly was named as the best keeper in the UAE for 2006/07.

Last year couldn’t have started any better for the 1.79m shot-stopper with Majed picking up the goalkeeper of the tournament award as the UAE won the Gulf Cup back in January but it couldn’t have ended much worse as he missed five matches of the new season having been suspended following an altercation with a linesman in Al Wasl’s 2007/08 opener against Al Jazira.

Mohamed Salem Al Enazi

Position: ForwardDate of Birth: 22/11/74Country: UAE

One of the Gulf region’s best ever strikers, Qatar-born Mohamed Salem Al Enazi has consistently found the back of the net with Al Wasl, his third UAE club following spells with Al Jazira and Al Wahda, where he netted 22 times to finish top of the 2000/01 scoring charts in his debut season in the Emirates.

Before moving to the UAE, Al Enazi was the last lo-cal player to be the Qatar league’s top scorer when

he struck 14 times for Al Rayyan in the 1999/2000 season after which he became the first Qatari to sign for a European club, joining Turkish side Yozgatspor.

Alexandre

Position: MidfielderDate of Birth: 22/01/79Country: UAE

Alexandre, or Alexandre Aparecido de Oliveira to give him his full name, has created such an impact in the Emirates since joining Al Wasl in August 2005 that there were reports that the country’s football authori-ties asked the Brazilian to consider UAE citizenship ahead of their 2007 AFC Asian Cup™ campaign.

The 29-year-old came to the Gulf from Paraná-based outfit Iraty Sports Club and has been a leading scorer

for Al Wasl in the last two seasons, netting two goals in the 4-1 hammering of Al Ain in the President’s Cup final as the Dubai club did the 2006/07 UAE double.



1 Ahmed Salem 4/12/79 179 75 United Arab Emirates

12 Majed Nasser 4/1/84 178 82 United Arab Emirates

22 Salah Hussain 11/7/77 173 70 United Arab Emirates

29 Ali Amir 2/21/87 180 75 United Arab Emirates

Defenders

2 Yaser Salem 10/13/86 175 70 United Arab Emirates

3 Omran Abdulrahman 9/14/88 176 72 United Arab Emirates

5 Sami Rubaiya 5/22/80 179 73 United Arab Emirates

6 Waheed Ismail 7/1/83 174 74 United Arab Emirates

8 Ali Mahmoud 11/14/79 176 68 United Arab Emirates

9 Tariq Hassan 3/18/83 173 65 United Arab Emirates

14 Khalaf Ismail 12/7/80 178 72 United Arab Emirates

16 Abdulla Essa 5/6/77 175 74 United Arab Emirates

19 Radhwan Saleh 11/3/86 171 64 United Arab Emirates

26 Humaid Hamed 4/18/90 176 58 United Arab Emirates

30 Hassan Ali 2/19/83 180 70 United Arab Emirates

Midfielders

4 Mohammed Jammal 7/22/89 180 75 United Arab Emirates

7 Essa Ali 4/2/81 178 71 United Arab Emirates

10 Khaled Darwish 10/17/79 164 58 United Arab Emirates

11 Rogerinho 12/24/84 171 71 Brazil

13 Mohammed Mubarak 1/1/77 165 62 United Arab Emirates

17 Alexandre Oliveira 1/22/75 181 73 Brazil

18 Talal Fahad 12/10/85 168 62 United Arab Emirates

21 Jassem Mubarak 10/27/86 167 63 United Arab Emirates

25 Tariq Darwish 7/23/77 163 57 United Arab Emirates

27 Faisal Ahmed 8/18/88 192 80 United Arab Emirates

28 Habib Fardan 11/11/90 178 68 United Arab Emirates

Forwards

15 Faisal Salem 4/16/86 170 68 United Arab Emirates

20 Andre Dias 3/11/81 179 79 Brazil

23 Mohamed Salem Al Enazi 11/22/74 187 91 United Arab Emirates

24 Rashed Essa 8/24/90 171 68 United Arab Emirates



www.the-afc.com

Saipa (Iran)

President Mehrdad HashemiEstablished 1989Address Saipa Sport & Culture Co, No. 20, Vali Asr BLV, Shishe Mina St, Makhsoos Karaj Road, Tehran, Iran. Tel +98 21 44 52 8015Fax +98 21 44 52 8016Email [email protected] www.saipasport.comStadium Enghelab Karaj StadiumCapacity 15,000

Club

Club Colours

Home Away

Profile

Saipa smashed their way to the Iran Pro League title in 2007, led by Asian football legend Ali Daei who immediately called time on his playing career to focus on full-time coaching.

Saipa, who finished third in the Asian Club Championship in 1996, will be keen to improve their Asian record under a deter-mined Daei.

Facts & Stats

Domestic Record2007 League champions______________________________________

Domestic HonoursLeague x3 (1994, 1995, 2007) Cup 1995______________________________________

Continental RecordACC 1995-96 – Third placeACWC Did not participateACL Did not participate

Name Saeed TaghizadehTel +98 21 44 52 8008Mobile +98 9122490363Fax +98 21 44 52 8016Email [email protected], [email protected]

Media Contact


*

Coach

Name Ali Daei Nationality IranianD.O.B 21/03/69Appointed Oct 2006

A legend of Iranian and Asian football, 1999 AFC Player of the Year Ali Daei was thrust into foot-ball management perhaps sooner than expected, when he became player-coach of Saipa following Werner Lorant’s sudden departure early on in the 2006/07 season.

True to character Daei embraced the challenge and led Saipa to the league title before concentrating exclusively on the head coach’s role, hanging up his boots after an illustrious playing career that included spells with Bayern Munich, Hertha Berlin, Persepolis, and Saba Battery, who he skippered during their 2006 AFC Champions League campaign. Daei was also handed over additional charge of Team Melli in a surprise move in March.

Fixtures

Domestic Record

2004League – 13th

Cup – Semi-finalsLost to Esteghlal 2-1

P W D L F A Pts26 3 12 11 23 36 21

2005League – 13th

Cup – Quarter-finalsLost to Fajr-Sepasi 5-6 on penalties (0-0 aet)

P W D L F A Pts30 7 10 14 24 34 31

2006League – 3rd

Cup – Round of 16Lost to Tractorsazi Tabriz 0-2

P W D L F A Pts30 13 13 4 41 21 52


Cup – Quarter-finalsLost to Sepahan 0-2

P W D L F A Pts30 15 11 4 45 31 56

ACL Record

2004Did not qualify

2005Did not qualify

2006Did not qualify

2007Did not qualify


MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1945Kuwait SC vs Saipa Kuwait Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait

MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1430Saipa vs Al Wasl Enghaleb Stadium, Karaj, Ir Iran

MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1945Al Quwa Al Jawiya vs Saipa Kuwait Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait

MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1530Saipa vs Al Quwa Al Jawiya Enghelab Stadium, Karaj, IR Iran

MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1545Saipa vs Kuwait SC Enghelab Stadium, Karaj, IR Iran

MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 2030Al Wasl vs Saipa Al Wasl Stadium, Dubai, UAE

Saipa players warming up before an Iran Pro League game



www.the-afc.com

Saipa (Iran)


Jalal Hosseini

Position: DefenderDate of Birth: 03/02/82Country: Iran

Fast emerging as one of the most consistent defenders in Iran, Jalal Hosseini made 28 full appearances in his final season with former club Malavan before moving to Saipa and started just two times less as he helped the Karaj-based side win the 2006/07 Iran Pro League title.

Powerful in the air at both ends of the pitch, the 26-year-old six-footer made his senior national team debut against Belarus in February 2007 and went on to appear in every match as Iran reached the quarter-finals of the AFC Asian Cup™, scoring Team Melli’s first goal in their opening game against Uzbekistan.

Adriano Alves


A familiar face in the local football scene Adriano Alves has been plying his trade in Iran since November 2002 and is taking part in his second AFC Champions League after being part of the Pas squad that reached the quarter-finals in 2005.

Plucked from the relative obscurity of Campeonato Brasileiro Série C side Central Sport Club, Adriano Alves came to Iran to join Azadegan League outfit Shahab Zanjan before spend-ing four years with Esteghlal Ahvaz and also had a season with newly-promoted side Mes prior to his move to Saipa at the start of the 2007/08 campaign.

Issa Traoré

Position: MidfielderDate of Birth: 09/09/79Country: Mali

Like his Saipa team-mate Adriano Alves, Issa Traoré was part of the Pas squad that made it to the last eight of the 2005 AFC Champions League having joined the 2003/04 Iran Pro League winners following a season with Tehran giants Perspolis.

Traoré has played in three continents during his career so far, with the 30-year-old Malian also having stints in Africa with hometown club Djoliba Athletic and Algerian side JS Kabylie and in Europe with ten-time Armenian champions Pyunik.



1 Rahman Ahmadi 7/3/80 - - I.R. Iran

21 Misagh Memarzadeh 1/9/83 185 80 I.R. Iran

29 Vahid Sheikhveysi 1/10/87 192 86 I.R. Iran

Defenders

2 Alou Traore 10/8/74 175 75 Mali

3 Habib Houshyar 5/31/78 180 81 I.R. Iran

4 Jalal Hosseini 2/3/82 184 80 I.R. Iran

5 Majid Ayyoubi 9/21/80 179 78 I.R. Iran

6 Kazem Bozcheloo 11/21/80 184 75 I.R. Iran

12 Mohsen Arzani 9/23/84 180 78 I.R. Iran

22 Mohammadali Ashourizad 8/1/80 184 75 I.R. Iran

27 Nader Houshyar 2/5/90 176 65 I.R. Iran

28 Hani Baghaechehrebargh 4/7/87 186 79 I.R. Iran

Midfielders

7 Omid Sharifi Nasab 5/22/77 176 72 I.R. Iran

8 Ebrahim Sadeghi 2/4/79 178 75 I.R. Iran

10 Kianoush Rahmati 9/18/78 177 75 I.R. Iran

13 Saeid Shademani 3/31/85 180 75 I.R. Iran

15 Roozbeh Shahalidoust 5/21/86 180 81 I.R. Iran

16 Javad Ashtiyani 8/20/81 171 70 I.R. Iran

17 Milad Zanidpour 2/11/87 178 71 I.R. Iran

18 Mageed Gholamnejhad 6/18/83 178 68 I.R. Iran

20 Meisam Armian 6/28/84 184 79 I.R. Iran

23 Hossein Hosseini 8/31/88 175 71 I.R. Iran

24 Issa Traore 9/9/79 186 76 Mali

25 Saman Aghazamani 1/14/89 180 65 I.R. Iran

26 Mehrdad Azizvand 2/24/89 180 70 I.R. Iran

Forwards

9 Adriano Alves 1/5/77 - - Brazil

11 Amin Manouchehry 2/6/86 191 85 I.R. Iran

14 Hamidreza Zohani 5/21/80 180 81 I.R. Iran

19 Karim Ansari Fard 4/3/90 175 65 I.R. Iran

30 Amir Vaziri 2/5/79 - - I.R. Iran



www.the-afc.com

2004League – 4thLost 3-1 to Al Arabi in third place play-offRegular season – 4th

Cup – Runners-upLost 2-0 to Al Qadsiya in final

P W D L F A Pts13 7 4 2 26 9 25

Kuwait SC (Kuwait)

President Marzouk Al GhanimEstablished 1960Address P.O. Box 450, 13005, Kaifan City, Kuwait. Tel +965 4811 791Fax +965 483 6506Email [email protected] www.alkuwaitclub.comStadium Al Kuwait Sports Club Stadium Capacity 18,000

Club

Club Colours

Home Away

Profile

Nine-time league champions Kuwait Sports Club (SC) have been one of the dominant forces in Kuwaiti club football since the 1960s. The 2008 AFC Champions League marks the third time that Kuwait SC have qualified for the continental championship by virtue of clinching the league title.

Kuwait SC, quarter-finalists in the Asian Club Championship in 2002, bowed out from the group stage of the last edition of the AFC Champions League.

Facts & Stats

Domestic Record2007 League champions______________________________________

Domestic HonoursLeague x9 (2007, 06, 01, 1979, 77, 74, 72, 68, 65)Cup x2 (2003, 1994)______________________________________

Continental RecordACC 2002 - QFACWC Did Not ParticipateACL 2005, 2007 (both group stage)

Name Tamer TawfikTel +965 4832 958Mobile +965 9521 661Fax +965 483 6506Email [email protected], [email protected]

Media Contact


*

Coach

Name Radion Gacanin Nationality CroatD.O.B 13/01/67Appointed May 2007

Radion Gacanin took over the Al Kuwait managerial hot seat from Dutchman Willem Leushuis and from his appointment in May 2007 to the turn of the year the Croat had masterminded a run that saw the reigning champions lose just once in nine league matches and reach the semi-finals of the Crown Prince Cup.

At the end of 2007 there were doubts he would still be at the club when he was linked with the Kuwait national team head coach position but Gacanin was allowed to do dou-ble duty, remaining at the helm of the nine-time champions while also guiding Al Azraq through their 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign.

Fixtures

Domestic Record

2005League – 2ndTop Four play-off

Regular season – 2nd

Cup – 1st RdLost 3-2 to Al Tadamon

P W D L F A Pts3 2 0 1 10 4 8


Cup – Semi-finalsLost 1-0 to Al Qadsiya

P W D L F A Pts26 21 3 2 63 10 66


Cup – 3rdLost to Al Arabi 2-3 in third-fourth place playoff

P W D L F A Pts14 10 2 2 24 12 32

ACL Record

2004Did not qualify

2005Group Stage

2006Did not qualify

2007Group Stage

H ANeftchi W 1-0 L 0-1 GSAl Sadd L 0-1 L 0-1 GSAl Ahli W 1-0 D 3-3 GS

H AAl Hilal D 0-0 D 1-1 GSPakhtakor L 0-1 L 1-2 GS


P W D L F A Pts13 8 3 2 27 12 27

MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1945Kuwait SC vs Saipa Kuwait Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait

MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1945Al Quwa Al Jawiya vs Kuwait SC Kuwait Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait

MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1945Al Wasl vs Kuwait SC Al Wasl Stadium, Dubai, Uae

MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 2030Kuwait SC vs Al Wasl Kuwait Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait

MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1545Saipa vs Kuwait SC Enghelab Stadium, Karaj, Ir Iran

MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 2030Kuwait SC vs Al Quwa Al Jawiya Kuwait Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait

Iran’s Esteghlal were dis-qualified for failing to meet the registration deadline.

Kuwait Sports Club have qualified for the ACL for the second time after 2005



www.the-afc.com

Kuwait SC (Kuwait)


Andre Macanaga

Position: MidfielderDate of Birth: 14/05/78Country: Angola

A no-nonsense defensive midfielder, Angolan international An-dré arrived at Al Kuwait in September 2005 from Turkish Su-per League side Gaziantepspor, who he joined after spending seven seasons in Portugal with seven different clubs.

Angola’s midfield engine, André was part of his country’s first ever appearance at the FIFA World Cup finals but Germany 2006 was to be memorable for all the wrong reasons following his red card in the Palancas Negras’ (Black Antelopes) goalless draw with Mexico.

Maurito

Position: MidfielderDate of Birth: 24/06/81Country: Angola

Angolan midfielder Maurito (Norberto Mauro) is back for a sec-ond stint in the AFC Champions League after helping former club Al Wahda win Group A in last year’s competition before making the switch to Al Kuwait in September 2007 after a couple of seasons with the UAE-based club.

Born in the Angolan capital Luanda in 1981, Maurito’s first spell in Asia was with Al Wahda’s Abu Dhabi rivals Al Jazira, who he joined in 2004 from Portuguese side União Desportiva de Leiria.

Ziad Jaziri

Position: ForwardDate of Birth: 12/07/78Country: Tunisia

A member of the 2004 African Cup of Nations winning Tunisian side, Ziad Jaziri started his career with current African club champions Etoile Sportive Du Sahel in 1999 before stints with Gazianstepspor (Turkey) and Troyes (France).

A Tunisian national team striker who featured prominently in the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups, Jaziri joined Kuwait SC in July last year and has found the net eight times in 20 appearances.



1 Musab Al Kandari 1/11/85 180 71 Kuwait

22 Fahad Al Khaledi 9/5/90 180 71 Kuwait

23 Khalid Al Fadhli 5/15/74 184 73 Kuwait

Defenders

2 Yaqoub Al Taher 10/27/83 170 65 Kuwait

3 Fahad Shaheen 2/26/85 170 67 Kuwait

4 Yousef Al Youha 9/2/79 182 77 Kuwait

5 Mubarak Al Enezi 1/18/77 175 68 Kuwait

7 Abdulaziz Al Ahmad 1/19/88 180 68 Kuwait

12 Bader Al Motairat 5/28/91 170 60 Kuwait

14 Khaled Al Kanri 5/12/86 170 68 Kuwait

21 Samer Al Martah 7/1/72 182 73 Kuwait

24 Abdulrahman Al Bader 6/23/89 173 67 Kuwait

25 Ahmad Al Shammari 10/6/80 175 69 Kuwait

28 Abdulrazaq Al Buti 6/28/88 169 60 Kuwait

30 Fahad Al Reshidi 10/3/90 172 65 Kuwait

Midfielders

6 Ebrahim Shehab 1/20/86 178 78 Kuwait

8 Andre Macanga 5/14/78 178 70 Portugal

13 Abdulaziz Al Marshoud 9/20/85 175 65 Kuwait

15 Walied Ali 11/3/80 177 70 Kuwait

18 Jarah Al Ataiqi 10/15/81 175 66 Kuwait

19 Saud Al Otaibi 10/17/87 168 60 Kuwait

20 Husain Al Shammari 6/26/84 178 70 Kuwait

26 Maurito (Norberto Mauro) 6/24/81 181 72 Angola

27 Nawaf Al Owaisi 5/31/86 170 61 Kuwait

Forwards

9 Abdullah Al Fadli 3/31/81 175 68 Kuwait

10 Ziad Jaziri 7/12/78 174 70 Tunisia

11 Mousaed Ali 5/23/83 170 65 Kuwait

16 Khaled Ajab 7/28/86 168 58 Kuwait

17 Abdul Rhman Al Awadhi 8/9/87 170 61 Kuwait

29 Abdullah Al Sallal 1/13/87 175 67 Kuwait



www.the-afc.com

Al Quwa Al Jawiya (Iraq)

President Sameer KadhumEstablished 1931Address Martyr Square, Palestine Street, Baghdad, Iraq.Tel +964 1774 3432Fax +964 1774 3432Email Website www.algharafa.comStadium Al Jawiya StadiumCapacity 10,000

Club

Club Colours

Home Away

Profile

The immensely popular Baghdad outfit lost to Arbil in the final of the Iraqi League and qualified for the AFC Champions League for the third time.

Al Quwa Al Jawiya (Air Force) made their debut in the continental championship in 2003 but fared poorly. Having learnt their les-sons, they went on to play a deciding role in the next edition when they defeated Al Sadd of Qatar by a solitary goal to send the UAE’s Al Wahda through.

Facts & Stats

Domestic Record2007 League runners-up______________________________________

Domestic HonoursLeague x7 (2005, 1997, 91, 90, 89, 75, 73)Cup x3 (1996, 91, 78)______________________________________

Continental RecordACC Did not participateACWC Did not participateACL 2003, 2004, 2006 (both group stage)

Name Majid Salih MotarTel +964 7901 210643Mobile Fax +964 1774 3432Email [email protected]

Media Contact


*

Coach

Name Hamid SalmanNationality IraqiD.O.B 1951Appointed July 2007

Appointed head coach of Al Quwa Al Jawiya in July last year from Al Naft, who he joined after spending three years working in the UAE, Hamid Salman returns to the club where he spent a number of seasons helping to develop some of Iraq’s best players.

His work with Al Quwa Al Jawiya’s youth side led him to be appointed assistant manager of Iraq’s U-19 squad in 2003 alongside Akram Salman, head coach of fellow AFC Champions League qualifiers Arbil.

Fixtures

Domestic Record

2004League – The Iraqi League was cancelled in May 2004. A qualification competition was held in September to decide Iraq’s representa-tives in the AFC Champi-ons League.

Cup – No competition

2005League – WinnersDefeated Al Mina 2-0 in playoff final

First phase, Group 1 – 1st

Second phase, Group 4 – 1st


P W D L F A Pts16 8 7 1 18 7 31

2006First phase, Group 3 – 2nd

Final Phase, Group 4 – 1st


P W D L F A Pts12 6 4 2 19 10 22

2007First phase, Group 3 – 2nd

Final phase, Group 1 – 1st

Championship Final Lost 0-1 to Arbil


P W D L F A Pts6 3 1 2 12 6 10

ACL Record

2004Group Stage

2005Did not qualify

2006Group Stage

2007Did not qualify

H AAl Wahda L 0-3 D 0-0 GSAl Sadd W 1-0 L 0-1 GS

H AAl Shabab L 0-2 L 1-2 GSAl Sadd L 1-2 L 0-3 GSAl Arabi W 3-0 W 1-0 GS


P W D L F A Pts3 2 0 1 7 2 6

P W D L F A Pts4 2 1 1 7 3 7

Semifinals 1st 2ndAl Zawra 1-1 N/A SFThe results of Al Quwa Al Jawiya were declared void after the team withdrew from the pitch during the second leg of their semi-finals against Al Zawra.

P W D L F A Pts5 4 1 0 8 4 13

Al Qadsiya, the third team in the group, were expelled from the competition and all their matches were de-clared void.

MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1930Al Wasl vs Al Quwa Al Jawiya Al Wasl Stadium, Dubai, UAE

MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1945Al Quwa Al Jawiya vs Kuwait SC Kuwait Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait

MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1945Al Quwa Al Jawiya vs Saipa Kuwait Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait

MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1530Saipa vs Al Quwa Al Jawiya Enghelab Stadium, Karaj, IR Iran

MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 2000Al Quwa Al Jawiya vs Al Wasl Kuwait Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait

MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 2030Kuwait SC vs Al Quwa Al Jawiya Kuwait Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait

Iraqi powerhouse Al Quwa Al Jawiya are ready for their third appearance in the ACL



www.the-afc.com

Al Quwa Al Jawiya (Iraq)



1 Wisam Kasid 2/15/77 184 75 Iraq

21 Ali Hussein 9/6/84 188 79 Iraq

22 Zuhair Fadhil 3/2/90 170 67 Iraq

Defenders

2 Hussein Ali 2/27/90 - - Iraq

3 Ali Abdul Gabar 1/17/85 - - Iraq

5 Mokhalad Ali 2/25/81 - - Iraq

6 Hader Raheem 4/22/85 179 67 Iraq

11 Jasim Swadi 9/15/80 - - Iraq

12 Malik Zwaid 4/20/90 - - Iraq

13 Waleed Khaled 6/8/89 169 68 Iraq

27 Haider Alewi 8/13/90 165 64 Iraq

Midfielders

7 Haitham Kadhum 2/2/83 170 70 Iraq

8 Hassan Ismail 1/1/88 - - Iraq

14 Haitham Kadhum Jasim 10/24/79 - - Iraq

16 Hamoodi Kadhum 3/19/85 168 61 Iraq

17 Rafid Ibrahim 1/4/88 169 67 Iraq

19 Ahmed Iyad 1/1/86 169 61 Iraq

20 Mothna Khaled 6/14/89 - - Iraq

23 Azhar Taher 8/4/86 - - Iraq

24 Mohammed Hanoun 1/15/90 168 66 Iraq

25 Kusay Hashim 6/9/81 - - Iraq

28 Ibrahim Kamel 9/9/88 171 70 Iraq

30 Haider Abdul Qadir 7/15/82 - - Iraq

Forwards

9 Ahmed Hanoun 7/15/82 - - Iraq

10 Ali Mansour 9/27/85 179 71 Iraq

15 Alaea’a Mansour 1/1/86 - - Iraq

18 Yasir Abdul Muhsen 5/27/88 168 67 Iraq

26 Akram Hashem 6/3/93 - - Iraq

29 Amjed Radhi 7/17/90 - - Iraq

Wisam Kasid

Position: GoalkeeperDate of Birth: 15/02/77Country: Iraq

The elder brother of Iraq international keeper Mohammed Kasid, Wisam Kasid is taking part in his second AFC Champi-ons League after putting in some impressive performances for Al Quwa Al Juwiya in the 2004 edition of Asia’s premier club competition.

Wisam, who was called up to the Iraq squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, joined the Air Force club in 2004 from Baghdad rivals Al Shorta where he was voted the Iraqi league’s best goalkeeper in the 2000/01 season.

Jassim Swadi

Position: DefenderDate of Birth: 15/09/80Country: Iraq

At the turn of the year, vastly experienced Iraq international Jassim Swadi returned to Al Quwa Al Jawiya after playing in Jordan with Al Ramtha and in Cyprus with Appolon Limas-sol, who he joined following a brief stint with English League Two side Macclesfield Town at the end of 2004.

The 33-year-old was groomed at the youth club of Al Quwa Al Jawiya’s neighbours and rivals Al Shorta but it was

at Al Zawra’a where he first emerged, playing for the Baghdad giants in their 1994 and 1995 league winning campaigns before joining the Air Force where he spent seven seasons prior to his move to Europe.

Haitham Kadhum Jasim

Position: DefenderDate of Birth: 24/10/79Country: Iraq

A natural leader, Haitham Kadhum first caught the eye as the captain of Iraq’s youth team but his name will go down in Al Quwa Al Jawiya folklore as part of the side that made a clean sweep of all four domestic trophies in the 1996/97 season.

The political upheaval in Iraq saw him pursue his career outside his homeland and in 2003 he joined Al Shabab, spending two seasons in Bahrain with the 2004 King’s Cup winners before having a spell with Syrian side Al Futowa prior to his return to the Air Force.

52 www.the-afc.com

GROUP C

Group C

Group B Fixtures


Matchday One


1930 AL WASL (UAE) vs AL QUWA AL JAWIYA (IRQ) ___ ___

1945 KUWAIT SC (KUW) vs SAIPA (IRN) ___ ___

Matchday Two


1945 AL QUWA AL JAWIYA (IRQ) vs KUWAIT SC (KUW) ___ ___

1430 SAIPA (IRN) vs AL WASL (UAE) ___ ___

Matchday Three


1945 AL QUWA AL JAWIYA (IRQ) vs SAIPA (IRN) ___ ___

1945 AL WASL (UAE) vs KUWAIT SC (KUW) ___ ___

Matchday Four


1530 SAIPA (IRN) vs AL QUWA AL JAWIYA (IRQ) ___ ___

2030 KUWAIT SC (KUW) vs AL WASL (UAE) ___ ___

Matchday Five


2000 AL QUWA AL JAWIYA (IRQ) vs AL WASL (UAE) ___ ___

1545 SAIPA (IRN) vs KUWAIT SC (KUW) ___ ___

Matchday Six


2030 AL WASL (UAE) vs SAIPA (IRN) ___ ___

2030 KUWAIT SC (KUW) vs AL QUWA AL JAWIYA (IRQ) ___ ___


55


www.the-afc.com

Group C

Al Sadd (Qatar)– Qatar League and Cup winners

Al Wahda (UAE)– UAE League runners-up

Al Karama (Syria)– Syrian League and Cup winners

Al Ahli (Saudi Arabia)– Saudi Cup winners

Action from the Al Karama-Jeonbuk Motors ACL 2006 final



www.the-afc.com

Al Sadd (Qatar)

President Sheikh Mohamed Bin Khalifa Al ThaniEstablished 1969Address P.O. Box 2122, Doha, Qatar.Tel +974 4448080Fax +974 4448091Email [email protected] www.al-saddclub.comStadium Jassem bin Hamad Stadium Capacity 18,000

Club

Club Colours

Home Away

Profile

Qatar league champions Al Sadd are familiar faces in the AFC Champions League and are making their sixth consecutive ap-pearance in the continental championship in 2008 after a grand but not wholly unexpected treble at home.

Winners of the Asian Club Championship in 1989, Al Sadd are yet to shine in the AFC Champions League, eliminated in 2002/03, 2004, 2006 and 2007 in the group stage.

In 2005, they were stopped in the quarter-finals by Korea’s Busan I’Park following a 5-1 aggregate defeat.

Facts & Stats

Domestic Record2007 League, Emir’s Cup, Crown Prince Cup______________________________________

Domestic HonoursLeague x11 (2006, 04, 00, 1989, 88, 87, 81, 80, 79, 74, 72)Cup X12 (2005, 03, 01, 00, 1994, 91, 88, 86, 85, 82, 77,75)

Continental RecordACC 2000 – 2nd Rd; 1991 – GS; 1990 – Prelim Rd; 1989 – WinnersACWC 2002 – SF; 2001 – 2nd Rd; 1995 – QF; 1992 – 1st RdACL 2005 (QFs), 2003, 04, 06, 07 (all group stage)

Name Mubarak Khalifa Rashid Al AmmariTel +974 4841014Mobile +974 5544221Fax +974 4448091Email [email protected]

Media Contact


*

Coach

Name Hassan HormatullahNationality MoroccanD.O.B 15/04/52Appointed February 2008

Hassan Hormatullah took over the managerial reins at Al Sadd in early February following the sacking of Dutchman Co Adriaanse after the Qatar Foot-ball Association gave the green light for the Olympic head coach and senior national team assistant coach to join the 11-time Q-League champions on loan for the remainder of the season.

The Moroccan has already made a huge impact in the Qa-tar football scene having guided unheralded Umm Salal to promotion in 2005 before leading them to a third-place finish in the top flight the following season.

Fixtures

Domestic Record


Cup – semifinalsLost to Al Rayyan 5-2 on aggregate

P W D L F A Pts18 13 3 2 38 10 42

2005League – 7th

Cup – WinnersDefeated Al Wakra 5-4 on penalties (0-0 aet)

P W D L F A Pts27 9 7 11 35 36 34


Cup – Quarter-finalsLost 2-1 to Al Gharafa

P W D L F A Pts27 16 4 7 48 32 52


Cup – WinnersDefeated Al Khor 5-4 on penalties in final (0-0 aet)

P W D L F A Pts27 17 4 6 52 29 55

ACL Record

2004Group Stage

2005Quarter-finals

2006Group Stage

2007Group Stage

1st 2ndBusan I’Park L 0-3 L 1-2 QF

H AAl Quwa Al Jawiya (IRQ)

W 1-0 L 0-1 GS

Al Wahda (UAE)

D 0-0 D 0-0 GS H ANeftchi W 3-2 L 0-2 GSAl Kuwait W 1-0 W 1-0 GSAl Ahli W 2-0 L 1-2 GS

H AAl Shabab L 2-3 D 0-0 GSAl Arabi W 4-1 W 2-1 GSAl Quwa Al Jawiya

W 3-0 W 2-0 GS

H AAl Najaf L 1-4 L 0-1 GSAl Karama D 1-1 L 1-2 GSNeftchi W 2-0 L 1-2 GS


MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1800Al Sadd vs Al Ahli Al Sadd Stadium, Doha, Qatar

MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 2000Al Wahda vs Al Sadd Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi, UAE

MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1815Al Sadd vs Al Karama Al Sadd Stadium, Doha, Qatar

MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 2030Al Karama vs Al Sadd Khaled Bin Al Waleed Stadium, Homs, Syria

MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 2050Al Ahli vs Al Sadd Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1800Al Sadd vs Al Wahda Al Sadd Stadium, Doha, Qatar

______________________________________

Al Sadd have qualified for all the editions of the ACL so far since 2003



www.the-afc.com

Al Sadd (Qatar)


Carlos Tenorio

Position: ForwardDate of Birth: 14/05/79Country: Ecuador

Carlos Tenorio has been one of the most influential players in Al Sadd since joining the club in the middle of 2003, despite missing a number of key games through injury and commitments to the Ecuador national team.

A composed finisher with both feet and well known for his aerial ability, Tenorio finished runner-up in the scoring charts behind Gabriel Batistuta in his first season with the club before leading the way in 2005/06 with 21 goals, having missed a large portion of the previous campaign through injury.

Khalfan Ibrahim

Position: ForwardDate of Birth: 18/02/88Country: Qatar

One of the most promising footballers in the continent, Khalfan Ibrahim became the first Qatari to take the highest individual honour in Asian football when he was named AFC Player of the Year in 2006, before winning the Arab Player of the Year award in 2007.

Son of former Qatar international Ibrahim Khalfan, the 20-year-old scored twice on his senior national team debut, a 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh, but his career for club and country was temporarily curtailed when he partially tore his cruciate ligaments during a 2008 Olympic qualifier against Bah-rain back in April 2007.

Felipe

Position: MidfielderDate of Birth: 02/09/77Country: Brazil

A skilful attacking midfielder, Felipe is currently in his second spell with Al Sadd having originally joined the Qatari outfit in November 2005 before returning to his native Brazil for a stint with Santos at the end of the season.

Capped eight times for the Selecao, during which time he earned a 2004 Copa America winners’ medal, Felipe has also had club success in his homeland, helping Vasco de Gama to the 1997 and 2000 Brazil-ian league titles as well as glory in the 1998 Copa Lib-ertadores.



1 Saad Al Sheeb 2/19/90 185 80 Qatar

22 Talal Basolaiman 9/27/87 181 78 Qatar

30 Mohamed Saqr 5/17/81 190 80 Qatar

Defenders

3 Tahir Zakaria 8/20/88 182 82 Qatar

4 Sultan Al Shahwani 8/11/88 164 60 Qatar

5 Ibrahim Majed 5/12/90 174 61 Qatar

6 Ali Naser 5/16/86 177 74 Qatar

13 Hamad Al Shamari 4/23/84 - - Qatar

18 Bakhit Al Marri 11/30/84 172 61 Qatar

21 Abdulla Koni 7/19/79 188 80 Qatar

25 Khaled Abdulraaof 11/14/90 170 62 Qatar

Midfielders

2 Jafafal Rashed 9/27/72 182 66 Qatar

7 Wesam Riziq 2/5/81 183 74 Qatar

8 Mesaad Alhamad 2/11/86 163 61 Qatar

12 Magid Mohammed 10/1/85 171 65 Qatar

15 Talal Al Bloushi 5/22/86 178 77 Qatar

16 Mohammed Gholam 11/8/80 168 64 Qatar

17 Khalid Al Hajari 9/1/86 170 57 Qatar

19 Ali Sanad 10/31/85 174 63 Qatar

20 Meshaal Ali 8/7/89 175 69 Qatar

23 Felipe 9/2/77 175 74 Brazil

27 Mohamed Rabia 5/10/81 180 75 Oman

28 Abdulla Hassen 5/3/88 - - Qatar

29 Mohammed Al Yazidi 10/30/88 165 54 Qatar

Forwards

9 Hasan Al Haydos 12/11/90 163 58 Qatar

10 Marcio Emerson 9/6/78 170 65 Qatar

11 Carlos Tenorio 5/14/79 184 83 Ecuador

14 Khalfan Ibrahim 2/18/88 171 62 Qatar

24 Ali Afif 1/20/88 172 65 Qatar

26 Yusef Ahmed 10/14/88 163 61 Qatar



www.the-afc.com

Al Wahda (UAE)

President Sheikh Saeed Bin Zayed Al NahyanEstablished 1984Address P.O. Box 4388, Abu DhabiTel +971 2443 3000Fax +971 2443 3001Email Website www.algharafa.comStadium Al Nahyan Stadium Capacity 18,000

Club

Club Colours

Home Away

Profile

Al Wahda have qualified for the AFC Champions League for the fourth time after finishing as runners-up to Al Wasl, who clinched the cup too, in the UAE League.

The Abu Dhabi side, with a solid fan-base, advanced as far as the semi-finals in the last edition, when they lost to eventual run-ners-up Sepahan.

In 2004, they qualified for the last eight after finishing ahead of Qatari powerhouse Al Sadd in their group but crashed out after a 5-1 aggregate defeat at the hands of Uzbek giants Pakhtakor.

Facts & Stats

Domestic Record2007 League runners-up_______________________________________

Domestic HonoursLeague x3 (2005, 01, 1999) Cup x1 (2000)_______________________________________

Continental RecordACC 2002 – QF, 2000 – 1st RdACWC 2001 – 1st Rd, 1999 – 1st RdACL 2004(QFs), 2006 (Group stage), 2007(SFs)

Name Ahmed Al QubaisiTel Mobile +971 50 446 3446Fax +971 2443 3001Email [email protected]

Media Contact


*

Coach

Name: Ahmed Abdul HalimNationality: EgyptianD.O.B: 12/01/56Appointed: February 2008

This is the second time Al Wahda have turned to trusted old hand Ahmed Abdul Halim after suf-fering a series of reverses under Dutchman Jo Bonfrere which sent the UAE giants spiralling towards the bottom of the league table midway through the season. Halim was the interim coach after the exit of Brazilian Ivo Wortmann who led Al Wahda to the 2007 ACL semi-finals.

In Halim, who started his coaching career in 1983 with the youth team of Egyptian giants Al Zamalek, Al Wahda have a seasoned coach with established credentials. The soft-spoken Egyptian is best known for steering Al Sharjah to the UAE first division five years ago.

Fixtures

Domestic Record

2004League – 6thLost 3-2 to Al Jazira in fifth-place play-off (3rd inpreliminary round group 2)

Cup – 2nd RdLost 4-3 on penalties to Al Ahli (aet 1-1)

P W D L F A Pts10 6 2 2 19 12 20


Cup – Runners-upLost 3-1 aet to Al Ain

P W D L F A Pts26 20 2 4 75 35 62

2006League – 2ndLost 4-1 to Al Ahli in champi-onship play-offRegular season – 1st

Cup – Semi-finalsLost 4-2 on penalties to Sharjah (aet 3-3)

P W D L F A Pts22 15 2 5 64 30 47

2007League – 2nd

Cup – Second roundLost to Al Shaab 2-3

P W D L F A Pts22 13 4 5 40 34 43

ACL Record

2004Quarter-finals

2005Did not qualify

2006Group Stage

2007Semi-finals

1st 2ndPakhtakor D 1-1 L 0-4 SF

H AAl Sadd D 0-0 D 0-0 GSAl Quwa W 3-0 D 0-0 GS

H AAl Karama W 4-2 L 1-2 GSAl Gharafa W 2-0 L 3-5 GSSaba Battery L 2-4 D 2-2 GS

H AAl Zawra D 1-1 W 2-1 GSAl Arabi W 4-1 L 2-3 GSAl Rayyan W 3-0 W 1-0 GS


Al Qadsiya were expelled from the competition and all their matches were de-clared void

1st 2ndSepahan L 1-3 D 0-0 SFAl Hilal D 0-0 D 1-1 QF

MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1930Al Karama vs Al Wahda Khaled Bin Al Waleed, Homs, Syria

MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 2000Al Wahda vs Al Sadd Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi, UAE

MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 2040Al Ahli vs Al Wahda Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1945Al Wahda vs Al Ahli Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi, UAE

MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 2000Al Wahda vs Al Karama Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi, UAE

MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1800Al Sadd vs Al Wahda Al Sadd Stadium, Doha, Qatar

Ismail Matar (No 10) has proved to be the lynchpin of the Al Wahda team



www.the-afc.com

Al Wahda (UAE)


Josiel


Livewire Brazilian forward Josiel arrived at Al Wahda in Janu-ary this year, turning down a number of European sides to sign a three-year contract with the Abu Dhabi giants worth over US$5million.

Josiel caught the eye of last year’s AFC Champions League semi-finalists having finished top scorer in the 2007 Campe-onato Brasileiro Série A, scoring 20 times for Parana to finish one above Nautico’s Uruguayan international Beto Acosta and five clear of Dodo, who previously played in Asia with Ulsan Hy-undai Horang-i and Al Ain.

Ismail Matar

Position: ForwardDate of Birth: 07/04/83Country: UAE

Undoubtedly one of the Arab world’s best strikers, the short but skillful Ismail Matar became a hero in his homeland when he in-spired the UAE to the 2007 Gulf Cup, scoring a tournament best five goals and picking up the MVP award in the process.

Despite Al Wahda reaching the semi-final of the 2007 AFC Champions League it was a relatively disappointing campaign for the 2003 FIFA World Youth Cup Golden Ball winner, finding the back of the net just once in six appearances having been red carded in the Abu Dhabi side’s opening match against Al Rayyan.

Haidar Alo Ali

Position: DefenderDate of Birth: 25/12/79Country: UAE

A long time stalwart for both club and country, the versatile Haidar Alo Ali is equally assured whether employed as a left side defender, a rampaging winger or in midfield and has been known to weigh in with his fair share of goals.

A confident taker of penalties, the 28-year-old featured in all but one match as Al Wahda reached the semi-finals of the 2007 AFC Champions League and scored from the spot in the three-time UAE champions’ 3-0 win over Qa-tari side Al Rayyan.



1 Shaiban Saleh 9/15/74 176 73 United Arab Emirates

17 Nadir Lamyaghri 2/13/76 186 85 Morocco

18 Ali Rabee 3/19/83 - - United Arab Emirates

Defenders

3 Yaser Abdalla 5/10/88 176 65 United Arab Emirates

4 Ali Jomaa Al Zaabi 6/8/85 174 72 United Arab Emirates

8 Omar Ali 6/16/81 - - United Arab Emirates

13 Talal Abdulla 3/23/86 184 79 United Arab Emirates

14 Waleed Ali 3/15/88 - - United Arab Emirates

15 Eisa Ahmed 1/13/87 174 72 United Arab Emirates

21 Basheer Saeed 6/28/81 181 80 United Arab Emirates

23 Haidar Alo Ali 12/25/79 177 74 United Arab Emirates

25 Hamdan Al Kamali 5/2/89 183 73 United Arab Emirates

28 Faisal Ali 1/1/85 177 67 United Arab Emirates

Midfielders

2 Tawfeeq Albdul Razak 7/1/82 183 82 United Arab Emirates

5 Mohamed Othman 2/15/87 - - United Arab Emirates

6 Yaser Matar 9/20/85 182 76 United Arab Emirates

12 Marwan Mohamed 4/26/87 176 68 United Arab Emirates

16 Abdulla Ali 1/8/87 169 69 United Arab Emirates

19 Ahmed Al Abri 1/28/90 - - United Arab Emirates

22 Andre Luciano 4/27/81 174 76 Brazil

24 Abdulraheem Jumaa 5/23/79 180 71 United Arab Emirates

26 Mahmoud Khamees 10/28/87 172 62 United Arab Emirates

29 Hasan Ameen 6/13/85 185 74 United Arab Emirates

30 Eissa Abdulla 6/16/88 - - United Arab Emirates

Forwards

7 Mohamed Al Shehhi 3/28/88 177 68 United Arab Emirates

9 Josiel 8/7/80 174 74 Brazil

10 Ismail Matar 4/7/83 169 68 United Arab Emirates

11 Saeed Salem 3/28/88 - - United Arab Emirates

20 Saleh Al Menhali 1/1/84 173 70 United Arab Emirates

27 Abdulla Ali 6/2/88 - - United Arab Emirates



www.the-afc.com

Al Karama (Syria)

President En Nasouh BaroudiEstablished 1928Address Al Karama, Homs, Syria.Tel +963 31 426 939Fax +963 31 446 926Email Website www.algharafa.comStadium Khalid Bin Waleed StadiumCapacity 35,000

Club

Club Colours

Home Away

Profile

Syrian league and cup winners Al Karama are up for another AFC Champions League campaign after surprising everyone with their unlikely march to the 2006 final and the quarterfinals in 2007, which included a series of memorable wins.

Almost invincible in their citadel of Homs, Al Karama served notice in 2006 by knocking out redoubtable Asian giants like Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia (quarter-finals) and Kuwait’s Al Qadsiya (semi-finals) before their golden run was ended by Korean side Jeonbuk Motors in the final (aggregate 3-2).

To prove that their success was no flash in the pan, Mohamed Kwid’s men repeated a similar performance in 2007 to book their berth in the quarter-finals where they lost to Korean champions Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma.

Facts & Stats

Domestic Record2007 League champions_______________________________________

Domestic HonoursLeague x6 (2007, 06, 1996, 84, 83, 75)Cup x5 (2007, 1996, 95, 87, 83)_______________________________________

Continental RecordACC Did not participateACWC Did not participateACL 2006 – runners-up; 2007(QFs)

Name Fares ChahinTel +963 31 222 707Mobile +963 944 423180Fax +963 31 446 926Email

Media Contact


*

Coach

Name Mohamed KwidNationality SyrianD.O.B 04/09/56Appointed November 2005

Mohamed Kwid made a massive impact in Asian football when he led unheralded Al Karama to the final of the 2006 AFC Champions League before again proving the Syrians could compete with the big guns by reaching the last eight a year later.

Having had a successful spell as coach of the Al Karama youth team, Kwid took the managerial reins of the senior squad in 2005, leading the Homs side to their first league title in a decade before eclipsing that the following season by winning the Syrian Cup as well as successfully defend-ing their league crown.

Fixtures

Domestic Record

2004League – 2nd

Cup – 2nd RdLost 2-0 on aggregate to Hottain

P W D L F A Pts28 16 10 2 51 24 58

2005League – 2nd

Cup – Semi-finalsLost on away goals to Al Majd, 2-2 on aggregate

P W D L F A Pts26 14 8 4 38 24 50


Cup – Semi-finalsLost 3-0 on aggregate to Tishrin

P W D L F A Pts26 17 5 4 60 19 56


Cup – WinnersBeat Al Taleiah 2-1 in final

P W D L F A Pts26 18 8 0 54 14 62

ACL Record

2004Did not qualify

2005Did not qualify

2006Runners-up

2007Quarter-finals

1st 2ndJeonbuk Motors

L 0-2 W 2-1 F

Al Qadsiya D 0-0 W 1-0 SFAl Ittihad L 0-2 W 4-0 OF

H AAl Wahda W 2-1 L 2-4 GSSaba Battery W 1-0 W 2-1 GSAl Gharafa W 3-1 L 0-4 GS

H ANeftchi W 2-0 L 1-2 GSAl Najaf D 1-1 W 4-2 GSAl Sadd W 2-1 D 1-1 GS


1st 2ndSeongnam Ilhwa Chunma

L 1-2 L 0-2 QF

MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1930Al Karama vs Al Wahda Khaled Bin Al Waleed Stadium, Homs, Syria

MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 2045Al Ahli vs Al Karama Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1815Al Sadd vs Al Karama Al Sadd Stadium, Doha, Qatar

MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 2030Al Karama vs Al Sadd Khaled Bin Al Waleed Stadium, Homs, Syria

MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 2000Al Wahda vs Al Karama Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi, UAE

MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1930Al Karama vs Al Ahli Khaled Bin Al Waleed Stadium, Homs, Syria

Al Karama were the losing finalists in 2006



www.the-afc.com

Al Karama (Syria)


Ziad Chaabo

Position: ForwardDate of Birth: 01/01/79Country: Syria

One of Syria’s most decorated players, Ziad Chaabo emerged as the league’s top scorer in 2000 and 2003 when he was also named his country’s player of the year as former club Al Jaish picked up the 2002/03 league title.

Chaabo began his career at Hutteen, where he won the 2000/01 Syrian Cup before moving on to Al Jaish, helping the Damascus side win a league, the 2003/04 cup, and the 2004 AFC Cup prior to joining Al Karama last September after a short stint with Iranian giants Persepolis.

Iyad Mando

Position: MidfielderDate of Birth: 20/02/78Country: Syria

A regular source of goals from midfield, Iyad Man-do has been a hugely influential figure in Al Karama’s recent suc-cess since joining the Homs-based club from Syrian league rivals Al Wahda in 2005.

Despite his goal in the second leg of the 2006 AFC Champions League final, Al Karama lost to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors marking the sec-ond time Mando had missed out on continen-

tal glory after former club Al Wahda were defeated by Al Jaish in the all-Syrian AFC Cup 2004 final.

Fabio Santos

Position: DefenderDate of Birth: 23/02/81Country: Brazil

At well over 2 meters tall, giant Brazilian de-fender Fabio Santos proves a handful for opponents whether in the back-line or upfront for set-pieces and has played an important role in Al Karama’s two previ-ous ACL campaigns.

In his first season since joining the Homs outfit from Lebanese side Al Ansar, the 27-year-old helped Al Karama fin-ish runners-up in the 2006 AFC Champions League before playing

all eight matches as the Syrians reached the quarter-finals the following year.



1 Mosab Balhous 10/5/82 185 88 Syrian Arab Republic

22 Adnan Al Hafez 4/23/84 184 80 Syrian Arab Republic

29 Hussen Rahal 1/1/88 184 80 Syrian Arab Republic

30 Fahd Saleh 4/3/85 178 72 Syrian Arab Republic

Defenders

2 Naser Al Sebai 5/14/85 186 82 Syrian Arab Republic

3 Fabio Santos 2/23/81 204 104 Brazil

4 Hassan Abbas 1/24/74 179 78 Syrian Arab Republic

13 Belal Abduldaim 6/1/83 178 75 Syrian Arab Republic

14 Anas Al Khouja 1/28/80 179 80 Syrian Arab Republic

16 Tamer Hajmohamed 4/3/90 180 77 Syrian Arab Republic

23 Tawfek Taearaa 1/1/84 181 82 Syrian Arab Republic

Midfielders

5 Safir Atasi 11/4/84 175 65 Syrian Arab Republic

6 Jehad Al Hussein 7/30/82 171 65 Syrian Arab Republic

7 Mohamad Idd 1/3/86 171 70 Syrian Arab Republic

10 Iyad Mando 2/20/78 178 77 Syrian Arab Republic

11 Fahed Oudah 1/1/82 179 70 Syrian Arab Republic

12 Mohamad Al Jaja 3/12/86 178 70 Syrian Arab Republic

15 Alaa Alshbli 5/3/90 173 64 Syrian Arab Republic

18 Mahmoud Al Maaloul 1/8/85 176 79 Syrian Arab Republic

21 Aattef Jenniat 5/8/84 170 67 Syrian Arab Republic

24 Mohamad Abdulkader 1/3/85 171 75 Syrian Arab Republic

25 Feras Ismail 1/3/83 182 77 Syrian Arab Republic

Forwards

8 Mohanad Al Ibrahim 2/1/86 176 70 Syrian Arab Republic

9 Mohamad Al Hamwi 1/1/84 171 65 Syrian Arab Republic

17 Youssef Sleman 9/17/86 177 75 Syrian Arab Republic

19 Abdalrahman Akkari 3/3/84 176 74 Syrian Arab Republic

20 Ziad Chaabo 1/1/79 180 80 Syrian Arab Republic

26 Haani Al Taiar 5/1/90 184 78 Syrian Arab Republic

28 Edgard Lima De Melo 6/10/80 186 77 Brazil



www.the-afc.com

Al Ahli (Saudi Arabia)

President Ayman Saleh FadelEstablished 1937Address Al Ahli, Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaTel Fax Email Website Stadium Prince Sultan Bin Fahd StadiumCapacity 24,000

Club

Club Colours

Home Away

Profile

The Jeddah-based Al Ahli are one of Saudi Arabia’s most popular clubs with a mass fan following.

Their league derbies with their illustrious neighbours and two-time AFC Champions League winners Al Ittihad are one of the most keenly contested encounters in this part of the world.

Al Ahli have won the league only twice so far, faring better in the cup competitions which they have clinched thrice.

Facts & Stats

Domestic Record2007 Cup champions_______________________________________

Domestic HonoursLeague x2 (1984, 1978)Cup x3 (2007, 2002, 2001)_______________________________________

Continental RecordACC Did not participateACWC Did not participateACL 2005 (QFs)

Name Mohamed Al SheikhiTel Mobile +966 555 644 547Fax Email

Media Contact


*

Coach

Name Nebojsa Vukovic Nationality SerbianD.O.B 13/05/49Appointed Oct 2007

Nebojsa Vukovic was brought back to Al Ahli last October when the Jeddah side were languish-ing tenth in the 12-team Saudi League under German coach Theo Bucker, the man who took over from the Serb at the start of the 2007/08 sea-son.

Vukovic had already achieved cult status amongst the Al Ahli fans when he masterminded last February’s 2-1 victo-ry over city rivals Al Ittihad that won the club its fifth Crown Prince Cup and a place in the AFC Champions League for a second time.

Fixtures

Domestic Record

2004League – 3rdLost to Al Shabab 1-2 in step-ladder top-four playoffRegular season – 4th

Cup – Runners-upLost to Al Ittihad 0-1 in final

P W D L F A Pts22 10 8 4 31 21 38

2005Did not qualify for step-lad-der top-four playoffsRegular season – 5th

Cup – Round of 16Lost to Al Watani 3-5 on penalties (aet 2-2)

P W D L F A Pts22 10 4 8 41 29 34

2006League – 4thLost to Al Ittihad 0-3 in step-ladder top-four playoffRegular season – 4th

Cup – Runners-upLost to Al Hilal 0-1 in final

P W D L F A Pts22 9 9 4 45 23 36

2007Did not qualify for step-ladder top-four playoffRegular season – 4th

Cup – WinnersBeat Al Ittihad 2-1 in final

P W D L F A Pts22 7 8 7 29 33 29

ACL Record

2004Did not qualify

2005Quarter-finals

2006Did not qualify

2007Did not qualify

1st 2ndShenzen Jianlibao

W 2-1 L 1-3 QF

H APakhtakor W 3-0 L 1-2 GSAl Zawra W 5-1 W 2-1 GSAl Jaish W 3-1 W 4-0 GS


MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1800Al Sadd vs Al Ahli Al Sadd Stadium, Doha, Qatar

MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 2045Al Ahli vs Al Karama Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 2040Al Ahli vs Al Wahda Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1945Al Wahda vs Al Ahli Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi, UAE

MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 2050Al Ahli vs Al Sadd Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1930Al Karama vs Al Ahli Khaled Bin Al Waleed Stadium, Homs, Syria

Al Ahli have qualified for the ACL for the second time



www.the-afc.com

Al Ahli (Saudi Arabia)


Malek Maaz

Position: ForwardDate of Birth: 10/08/81Country: Saudi Arabia

After beginning his professional career in Medina with Al Ansar, Malek Maaz returned to his home-city Jed-dah to sign from Al Ahli in 2003 and after changing position from midfielder to striker has emerged as one of Saudi Arabia’s most electrifying players.

The 26-year-old achieved hero-status at Al Ahli having scored the second in their 2-1 win over Jeddah-rivals Al Ittihad in the 2006/07 Crown Prince Cup final and was one of Saudi Arabia’s stars at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup™, bagging a brace as the Kingdom defeated de-fending champions Japan in the semi-final.

Hussain Abdulghani

Position: DefenderDate of Birth: 21/01/77Country: Saudi Arabia

His rampaging runs down the left flank may have been curtailed recently by his advancing years but Al Ahli legend Hussain Ab-dulghani remains one of the club’s key figures both in defence and attack, where he is known for his accurate crossing as well as his exceptional set-piece delivery.

Although the fiery 31-year-old was not in the Saudi Ara-bia squad that reached the final of the 2007 AFC Asian Cup™ he did represent the Kingdom at three FIFA World Cups and it was his impres-sive displays for the national team that helped earn him a trial with French Ligue 1 side Lorient in October 2006.

Taiseer Al Jassam

Position: MidfielderDate of Birth: 25/07/84Country: Saudi Arabia

Attacking midfielder Taiseer Al Jassam, who is taking part in the AFC Champions League for a second time after helping Al Ahli to the quarter-finals of the 2005 tournament, is regarded as one of Saudi Arabia’s rising stars of the future.

Part of the Saudi Arabia squad that fin-ished runners-up at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup™, Al Jassam en-deared himself to the Al Ahli fans by scoring the opening goal in their 2-1 Crown Prince Cup final victory over arch rivals Al Ittihad, before becoming one of the few Saudis to play outside the King-dom following a brief loan spell with Qatar’s Al Gharafa.



1 Yasser Al Mosailem 2/27/84 186 80 Saudi Arabia

21 Abdullah Al Muaiouf 1/23/87 188 80 Saudi Arabia

22 Abdu Al Bsisi 6/18/77 - - Saudi Arabia

Defenders

2 Leandro Bernardi 10/6/79 183 84 Brazil

3 Mohammed Eid 5/3/87 181 84 Saudi Arabia

4 Ahmed Alassiri 12/3/88 180 64 Saudi Arabia

6 Hassan Al Yamani 10/4/84 - - Saudi Arabia

13 Fawaz Al Mqati 3/2/87 - - Saudi Arabia

14 Mohammed Massad 2/17/83 175 62 Saudi Arabia

16 Mansour Al Harbi 10/19/87 173 63 Saudi Arabia

19 Walid Abdrabh 6/1/82 178 70 Saudi Arabia

20 Ali Al Abdali 2/5/79 177 72 Saudi Arabia

24 Hussain Abdul Ghani 1/21/77 174 70 Saudi Arabia

28 Jufain Al Bishi 5/1/87 179 73 Saudi Arabia

30 Ibrahim Hazzazi 11/22/84 172 63 Saudi Arabia

Midfielders

5 Motaz Al Mosa 8/6/87 174 73 Saudi Arabia

7 Turki Al Thagafi 5/1/86 181 67 Saudi Arabia

8 Taiseer Al Jassam 7/25/84 168 63 Saudi Arabia

10 Antonio Caio 11/10/80 167 63 Brazil

12 Saleh Al Mohammedi 11/18/80 - - Saudi Arabia

15 Saheb Al Abdullha 7/21/77 176 73 Saudi Arabia

18 Ahmed Darwish Faraj 10/29/84 180 75 Saudi Arabia

25 Alaa Al Rishani 10/30/87 180 72 Saudi Arabia

27 Hamoud Abbas 10/4/86 179 70 Saudi Arabia

Forwards

9 Malek Maaz 8/10/81 167 63 Saudi Arabia

11 Waleed Al Gizani 2/26/81 - - Saudi Arabia

17 Osvaldo Felix de Souza 4/17/81 183 90 Brazil

23 Hussain Al Absi 8/7/87 177 68 Saudi Arabia

26 Nasir Al Selimi 4/7/87 177 64 Saudi Arabia

29 Abdelellah Hawsawi 11/1/86 173 73 Saudi Arabia

72 www.the-afc.com

GROUP D

Group D

Group C Fixtures


Matchday One


1800 AL SADD (QAT) vs AL AHLI (KSA) ___ ___

1930 AL KARAMA (SYR) vs AL WAHDA (UAE) ___ ___

Matchday Two


2045 AL AHLI (KSA) vs AL KARAMA (SYR) ___ ___

2000 AL WAHDA (UAE) vs AL SADD (QAT) ___ ___

Matchday Three


2000 AL AHLI (KSA) vs AL WAHDA (UAE) ___ ___

1815 AL SADD (QAT) vs AL KARAMA (SYR) ___ ___

Matchday Four


1945 AL WAHDA (UAE) vs AL AHLI (KSA) ___ ___

2030 AL KARAMA (SYR) vs AL SADD (QAT) ___ ___

Matchday Five


2050 AL AHLI (KSA) vs AL SADD (QAT) ___ ___

2000 AL WAHDA (UAE) vs AL KARAMA (SYR) ___ ___

Matchday Six


1800 AL SADD (QAT) vs AL WAHDA (UAE) ___ ___

1930 AL KARAMA (SYR) vs AL AHLI (KSA) ___ ___


75


www.the-afc.com

Group D

Pakhtakor (Uzbekistan)– Uzbek League and Cup winners

Al Gharafa (Qatar)– Qatar League runners-up

Arbil (Iraq)– Iraq League winners

Al Qadsiya (Kuwait)– Kuwait Cup winners

Pakhtakor during their semi-final experience in the 2003 ACL



www.the-afc.com

Pakhtakor (Uzbekistan)

President Abdukahhor TukhtaevEstablished 1956Address 98 A Uzbekistanskaya Street, Shaykhontokhur District, 70027, TashkentTel +99 871 1322350Fax +99 871 1322350Email [email protected] www.pakhtakor.uzStadium Pakhtakor StadiumCapacity 55,000

Club

Club Colours

Home Away

Profile

Winners of the league and Cup double in Uzbekistan for six con-secutive years, Pakhtakor will be attempting to rediscover the form that carried them to semi-final appearances in 2002/03 and 2004, where they went out to BEC Tero Sasana and Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma, respectively.

They have failed to make it past the group stage in the last three editions, narrowly losing to Al Hilal in 2007. They are coached by old Uzbek hand Ravshan Haydarov.

Pakhtakor and Al Sadd of Qatar are the only teams to have played in all the editions of the AFC Champions League so far.

Facts & Stats

Domestic Record2007 League and Cup champions_______________________________________

Domestic HonoursLeague x8 (2007, 06, 05, 04, 03, 02, 1998, 92)Cup x9 (2007, 06, 05, 04, 03, 02, 01, 1997, 93)_______________________________________

Continental RecordACC 2000 (first round)ACWC 2002 - 2nd Rd; 1999 - QF; 1995 - Prelim RdACL 2003 (SF), 2004 (SF), 2005, 2006, 2007 (all group stage)

Name Salimov RavshanTel +99 871 1130008Mobile +99 898 1289097, +99 893 3829097Fax +99 871 1322350Email [email protected], [email protected]

Media Contact


*

Coach

Name Ravshan HaydarovNationality UzbekD.O.B 15/07/61Appointed Aug 2006

The national coach of Uzbekistan when they reached the quarter-fi-nals of the AFC Asian Cup™ in 2004, Ravshan Haydarov led Pa-khtakor to the Uzbek League and Cup double in 2005 and 2007 too. He was re-appointed as head coach in August 2006 after Russian Valeri Nepomniatchi was removed from his role to concentrate on being Uzbekistan national coach.

Of late, the Uzbek giants have tasted success under Hay-darov in the CIS Cup, where they finished as champions in 2007 and as runners-up in 2008. Haydarov, who is 46 years old, is one of the foremost tacticians of the game in Central Asia.

Domestic Record


Cup – WinnersBeat Traktor 3-2 in final

P W D L F A Pts26 22 3 1 81 15 69


Cup – WinnersBeat Neftchi 1-0 in final

P W D L F A Pts26 21 2 3 78 15 65


Cup – WinnersBeat Mashal 2-0 in final

P W D L F A Pts30 25 2 3 84 12 77


Cup – WinnersBeat Kuruvchi 7-6 on penalties (0-0 aet)

P W D L F A Pts30 26 4 0 83 13 82

ACL Record

2004Semi-finals

2005Group Stage

2006Group Stage

2007Group Stage

1st 2ndSeongnam D 0-0 L 0-2 SFAl Wahda D 1-1 W 4-0 QF

H AQatar SC W 1-0 D 0-0 GSZob Ahan W 2-0 L 0-1 GS

Riffa refused to play in Tashkent citing security concerns and withdrew

H AAl Ahli W 2-1 L 0-3 GSAl Jaish W 4-1 W 2-0 GSAl Zawra’a L 1-2 L 0-1 GS

H AAl Ittihad W 2-0 L 1-2 GSAl Qadsiya D 2-2 L 1-2 GSFoolad W 2-0 W 3-1 GS

H AAl Hilal L 0-2 L 0-2 GSKuwait SC W 2-1 W 1-0 GS

Fixtures


MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1500Pakhtakor vs Al Qadsiya Mhsk Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1848Al Gharafa vs Pakhtakor Al Gharafa Stadium, Doha, Qatar

MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1630Pakhtakor vs Arbil Mhsk Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1700Arbil vs Pakhtakor Prince Mohammad Stadium, Amman, Jordan

MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1905Al Qadsiya vs Pakhtakor Mohammed Al Hamed Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait

MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1700Pakhtakor vs Al Gharafa Mhsk Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Iran’s Esteghlal were dis-qualified for failing to meet the registration deadline.

Pakhtakor have been the undisputed Uzbek champions



www.the-afc.com

Pakhtakor (Uzbekistan)


Ignatiy Nesterov

Position: GoalkeeperDate of Birth: 20/06/83Country: Uzbekistan

One of Asia’s top keepers, Ignatiy Nesterov has emerged as first choice between the sticks for the Uzbekistan national team and Pakhtakor, who he has helped to six league and cup titles since joining the Tashkent giants from Samarqand.

An instrumental figure in Pakhtakor reaching the semi-finals of the 2003 and 2004 AFC Champions Leagues, the 1.82m custodian guarded the nets for Uzbekistan at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup™ having already represented his country at the 2006 Asian Games and the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship.

Akmal Holmatov

Position: MidfielderDate of Birth: 04/04/76Country: Tajikistan

Tajikistan international midfielder Akmal Kholmatov is no stranger to the AFC Champions League having played in four editions of Asia’s premier club competition with Neftchi Fer-gana, where he scored 19 times to finish second in the 2007 Uzbekistan league scoring charts before making the switch to Pakhtakor.

Renowned for his dangerous free-kicks, Kholmatov made his Pakhtakor debut at the 2008 CIS Cup in January and scored the winner against Lithuania’s FBK Kaunas to send the defending champions through to the final.

Asror Aliqulov

Position: DefenderDate of Birth: 12/09/78Country: Uzbekistan

Experienced and assured, Asror Aliqulov has been at the heart of Pakhtakor’s defence since enlisting with the AFC Champi-ons League ever-presents in 2002 after spells with Uzbek rivals Mashal and Nasaf.

A winner of five league and cup titles with the Tashkent giants, Aliqulov is also a mainstay of the Uzbekistan national team and despite missing the 2007 AFC Asian Cup™ due to a head injury he is his country’s fourth most-capped player having racked up over half-a-century of international appearances.



1 Eldor Tadjibaev 6/3/86 180 76 Uzbekistan

12 Ignatiy Nesterov 6/20/83 180 84 Uzbekistan

16 Sardor Kobuljanov 2/2/87 184 80 Uzbekistan

30 Temur Juraev 5/12/84 185 84 Uzbekistan

Defenders

2 Ahrol Riskullaev 5/2/85 180 74 Uzbekistan

3 Rahmatullo Berdimurodov 10/24/87 182 73 Uzbekistan

4 Shavkatjon Mulladjanov 1/19/86 180 78 Uzbekistan

5 Asror Alikulov 9/12/78 183 80 Uzbekistan

10 Farhod Tadjiyev 4/9/86 183 80 Uzbekistan

13 Alexandr Kletskov 9/27/85 185 80 Uzbekistan

21 Komoliddin Tadjiev 5/3/83 183 80 Uzbekistan

27 Ilhomjon Suyunov 5/17/83 180 80 Uzbekistan

Midfielders

6 Leonid Koshelev 12/20/79 178 75 Uzbekistan

7 Darko Markovic 5/15/87 - - Serbia and Montenegro

8 Akmal Holmatov 4/4/76 178 80 Uzbekistan

11 Sadriddin Abdullaev 6/11/86 177 75 Uzbekistan

14 Rustam Azamov 12/15/85 180 79 Uzbekistan

17 Nodirbek Kuziboyev 2/17/85 180 76 Uzbekistan

18 Vladislav Kiryan 7/6/79 180 85 Uzbekistan

19 Islom Inomov 5/30/84 180 79 Uzbekistan

20 Ildar Magdeev 4/11/84 180 80 Uzbekistan

22 Renat Bayramov 9/21/79 178 77 Uzbekistan

24 Anzur Ismailov 4/21/85 185 87 Uzbekistan

25 Odil Ahmedov 11/25/87 180 70 Uzbekistan

28 Stanislav Andreev 5/6/88 177 70 Uzbekistan

Forwards

9 Haydar Pirnazarov 1/3/88 180 78 Uzbekistan

15 Alexander Geynrikh 10/6/84 180 80 Uzbekistan

23 Alisher Azizov 2/14/90 180 73 Uzbekistan

26 Sanat Shikhov 12/28/89 180 69 Uzbekistan

29 Zaynitdin Tadjiyev 6/21/77 185 87 Uzbekistan



www.the-afc.com

Al Gharafa (Qatar)

President Sheikh Hamad Bin ThamerEstablished 1979Address P.O. Box 4767, Al Gharafa, Doha, QatarTel +974 489 1555Fax +974 486 8656Email Website www.algharafa.comStadium Thani bin Jassim StadiumCapacity 25,000

Club

Club Colours

Home Away

Profile

Al Gharafa have qualified for the AFC Champions League for the second time after their lacklustre debut in 2006. Known as Al Ete-had until they changed their name in 2004-05, Al Gharafa are one of Qatar’s more successful clubs, having won the Emir’s Cup four times, three league titles, an Heir Apparent’s Cup and the 1999 Arab Cup Winners’ Cup.

Marcos Paqueta, former coach of Saudi Arabia, is now at the con-trols and expected to work his magic with the Qatari giants.

Facts & Stats

Domestic Record2007 League runners-up _______________________________________

Domestic HonoursLeague x4 (2005, 02, 1998, 1992)Cup x5 (2002, 1998, 97, 96, 95)_______________________________________

Continental RecordACC 1994 – Preliminary roundACWC 1998 – QF; 1997 – 2nd round; 1996 – 1st roundACL 2006 – Group stage

Name Zohir HamaTel Mobile +974 5722280Fax +974 486 8656Email [email protected]

Media Contact


*

Coach

Name Marcos Paqueta Nationality BrazilianD.O.B 27/08/58Appointed August 2007

Marcos Paqueta made an imme-diate impact upon his arrival at Al Gharafa last August, leading the four-time Qatar champions to glory in the season opening Sheikh Jassim Cup before taking the side on a 16-match unbeaten run in the 2007/08 Q-League.

Formerly the head coach of the Saudi Arabian national team, who he joined after impressive work with Riyadh giants Al Hilal, Marcos Paqueta hit the international head-lines in 2003 when he guided Brazil to top honours in both the FIFA World Youth Championship and the FIFA U-17 World Championship.

Domestic Record

2004League – 6th

Cup – Round 2Lost to Al Sailiya 1-3

P W D L F A Pts18 7 5 6 33 24 26


Cup – Quarter-finalsLost 1-0 to Al Ahli

P W D L F A Pts26 20 6 1 71 23 66

2006League – 6th

Cup – Runners-upLost to Al Rayyan 3-5 on penalties in final (aet 1-1)

P W D L F A Pts27 8 10 9 29 30 34

2007League – 2nd

Cup – Semifinals Lost to Al Sadd 4-5 on penalties (aet 0-0)

P W D L F A Pts27 11 10 6 51 41 43

ACL Record

2004Did not qualify

2005Did not qualify

2006Group Stage

2007Did not qualify

H ASaba Battery L 0-2 L 1-4 GSAl Wahda W 5-3 L 0-2 GSAl Karama W 4-0 L 1-3 GS

Fixtures


MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1500Arbil vs Al Gharafa Prince Mohammad Stadium, Amman, Jordan

MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1848Al Gharafa vs Pakhtakor Al Gharafa Stadium, Doha, Qatar

MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1840Al Qadsiya vs Al Gharafa Mohammed Al Hamed Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait

MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1830Al Gharafa vs Al Qadsia Al Gharafa Stadium, Doha, Qatar

MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1848Al Gharafa vs Arbil Al Gharafa Stadium, Doha, Qatar

MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1700Pakhtakor vs Al Gharafa Mhsk Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Al Gharafa are coached by veteran Brazilian Marcos Paqueta



www.the-afc.com

Al Gharafa (Qatar)


Younes Mahmoud

Position: ForwardDate of Birth: 03/02/83Country: Iraq

Younis Mahmoud hit the international headlines when the Iraq skipper lead his country to glory in the 2007 AFC Asian Cup™, netting the winner against Saudi Arabia in the final to emerge as the tournament’s joint-top scorer and MVP.

His first club outside Iraq was Al Wahda, where he took part in the UAE side’s 2004 ACL campaign, before moving to Qatar and becoming one of the Q-League’s most prolific strikers. After scoring 46 times in two seasons with Al Khor he moved to Al Gharafa and the goals followed, finishing runner-up in the top scorer charts in the 2005/06 campaign before going on to win last season’s Golden Boot with 19 goals.

Araújo


Araújo, or Clemerson de Araújo Soares to give him his full name, made a blistering start to his Al Gharafa career, hitting an incredible 14 goals between the start of the current Q-League in September 2007 and the end of the year.

Prior to joining the four-time Qatar champions on a two-year deal from Brazilian side Cruzeiro, Araújo had a highly success-ful spell in Japan. In 2003 he left his homeland to join Shimizu S-Pulse and after a year in Shizuoka he transferred to Gam-ba Osaka, scoring 33 goals in 34 games as Gamba won the 2005 J.League and Araújo picked up the MVP and top scorer awards.

Bilal Mohammed

Position: DefenderDate of Birth: 02/06/86Country: Qatar

Despite not turning 22 until June 2008, defender Bilal Moham-med has packed more highlights in the past few years for club and country than many players get to see in their entire ca-reers.

His consistent perform-ances for Al Gharafa throughout the 2006/07 Q-League saw him win the Player of the Year award, while at international level Bilal has already played in two AFC Asian Cups and bundled home the winning goal against Iraq in the 2006 Asian Games final.



1 Abdulla Aziz 3/5/91 180 90 Qatar

21 Mohammed Al Gamdi 4/28/85 - - Qatar

22 Abdulaziz Ali 6/5/80 178 87 Qatar

27 Amer Al Dosari 3/2/77 184 75 Qatar

Defenders

2 Abdulaziz Yaqout 9/20/90 174 60 Qatar

6 Hamed Shami 11/13/84 - - Qatar

8 Saad Al Shammari 8/6/80 169 65 Qatar

11 Ahmed Fars 8/27/75 170 58 Qatar

13 Saghayer Al Shammari 3/31/79 170 67 Qatar

15 Mohammed Al Haj 10/5/84 183 72 Qatar

17 Ali Fatah 5/22/83 170 62 Qatar

19 Abdulla Eyal 3/3/81 172 64 Qatar

24 Naief Al Enazi 3/24/84 180 70 Qatar

25 Hafiz El Taiyb 3/1/90 175 60 Qatar

26 Bilal Mohammed 6/2/86 182 74 Qatar

28 Mustafa Abdi 1/2/84 182 74 Qatar

Midfielders

3 Abdul Aziz Wadi 6/12/86 170 75 Qatar

4 Lawrence Quaye 8/22/84 175 74 Qatar

16 Rashid Mohammed 2/25/91 179 72 Qatar

18 Hamad Naseer 11/20/84 167 56 Qatar

20 Otman El Assas 1/30/79 175 75 Morocco

23 Mohammed Shaker 6/16/85 182 75 Qatar

30 Soud Al Shimmeri 4/27/78 172 60 Qatar

Forwards

5 Adel Jadoua 9/13/81 - - Qatar

7 Fahid Al Shammari 1/1/82 175 75 Qatar

9 Younes Mahmoud 2/3/83 183 71 Iraq

10 Araujo 8/8/77 172 67 Brazil

12 Mohamed Al Mazroai 5/25/88 180 75 Qatar

14 Mohammed Harees 6/9/91 164 61 Qatar

29 Fahad Al Shamari 2/18/77 179 60 Qatar



www.the-afc.com

Arbil (Iraq)

President Abdallah Meguid DazabiEstablished 1958Address Azadi Street, Arbil Stadium, Arbil, Iraq.Tel +9647705496675Fax +12156234966Email [email protected] www.algharafa.comStadium Franso Hariri StadiumCapacity 40,000

Club

Club Colours

Home Away

Profile

Arbil clinched the Iraqi League title in 2007 to become only the third non-Baghdad club to be crowned champions. To do so they had to keep at bay a clutch of determined contenders, including past champions Mina and Salahdin.

They are also the first Iraqi-Kurdish team to qualify for the AFC Champions League. The club is also known as Hewler (Kurdish for Arbil).

Facts & Stats

Domestic RecordDomestic Record2007 League champions_______________________________________

Domestic HonoursLeague 1 (2007)Cup _______________________________________


Name Jalal Mohammed AbdullahTel +9647504458157Mobile Fax +12156234966Email

Media Contact


*

Coach

Name Akram SalmanNationality IraqiD.O.B 1947Appointed 2007

One of the most respected coaches in Iraq, Akram Ahmed Salman has coached numerous clubs in his homeland, winning titles with Al Talaba and Al Rasheed prior to making Ar-bil only the third non-Baghdad-based side to win the Iraqi league.

A regular feature at various levels of the Iraq national team, most recently helping the side qualify to the 2007 AFC Asian Cup™ before Jorvan Vieira led them to victory in the finals, Salman has also successfully coached in a number of countries throughout the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar.

Fixtures


Arbil (Iraq)

Domestic Record

2004League – The Iraqi League was cancelled in May 2004. A qualification competition was held in September to decide Iraq’s representa-tives (Al Quwa Al Jawiya and Al Shorta) in the AFC Champions League.


2005First phase, Group 1 – 3rd

Second phase, Group 4 – 2nd (failed to qualify for final phase)


P W D L F A Pts16 6 6 4 24 18 24

2006First phase, Group 4 – 3rd

Second phase, Group 1 – 1st

Semi-finalsLost to Al Najaf 2-5 on ag-gregate


P W D L F A Pts12 4 5 3 10 7 17

2007First phase, Group 1 – 1st

Final phase, Group 1 – 1st

Final Beat Al Quwa Al Jawiya 1-0


P W D L F A Pts12 10 1 1 24 9 31

ACL Record

2004Did not qualify

2005Did not qualify

2006Did not qualify

2007Did not qualify

P W D L F A Pts3 2 0 1 5 4 6

P W D L F A Pts4 2 1 1 7 4 7

P W D L F A Pts5 4 0 1 10 3 12

MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1500Arbil vs Al Gharafa Prince Mohammad Stadium, Amman, Jordan

MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1825Al Qadsiya vs Arbil Mohammed Al Hamed Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait

MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1630Pakhtakor vs Arbil Mhsk Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1700Arbil vs Pakhtakor Prince Mohammad Stadium, Amman, Jordan

MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1848Al Gharafa vs Arbil Al Gharafa Stadium, Doha, Qatar

MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1700Arbil vs Al Qadsia Prince Mohammad Stadium, Amman, Jordan

Arbil are the third non-Baghdad team to have won the Iraqi League



www.the-afc.com

Arbil (Iraq)



1 Sardar Adel 1/5/87 - - Iraq

21 Sarhank Muhsen 12/1/86 - - Iraq

22 Dydar Hamed 7/1/84 - - Iraq

Defenders

2 Samal Saeed 1/7/86 - - Iraq

3 Yasser Raad 6/25/83 175 70 Iraq

4 Rafed Badraddin 9/30/76 - - Iraq

5 Salah Aldeen Siamend 7/3/81 - - Iraq

6 Salam Shaker 7/31/86 - - Iraq

30 Dara Mohammed 7/16/87 - - Iraq

Midfielders

7 Alai Nairooz 5/15/83 - - Iraq

8 Haider Sabbah 12/1/86 - - Iraq

9 Kayfi Abdul Rahman 1/1/78 - - Iraq

14 Khaldoon Ibrahim 7/16/87 172 71 Iraq

15 Usama Ali 6/25/88 182 71 Iraq

23 Sherzad Mohammed 4/8/82 - - Iraq

24 Wisam Zaki 9/21/85 165 60 Iraq

25 Ahmed Abid Ali 1/18/86 - - Iraq

Forwards

10 Mouslim Mubarak 9/29/85 - - Iraq

11 Luay Salah 2/7/82 - - Iraq

17 Ahmad Salah 6/18/82 172 70 Iraq

18 Haydar Qaraman 12/12/85 - - Iraq

20 Ahmad Muhammed 10/10/87 - - Iraq

Ahmed Salah

Position: Forward Date of Birth: 18/06/82Country: Iraq

A talented attacker that can create havoc in the opposition’s de-fence, Ahmed Salah was the 2006/07 Iraq league’s top scorer with 12 goals, the most important of which was undoubtedly the winner in Arbil’s 1-0 victory over Al Quwa Al Jawiya in the championship final.

Previously with Egyptian giants Zamalek, Ahmed Salah’s poten-tial was first recognised by Al Zawra’a, where he earned call-ups to the Iraq U-17 and then U-19 teams before moving to Al Talaba and with more first team opportunities he helped the Students win the 2002 league and cup double.

Ahmad Abid Ali

Position: Midfielder Date of Birth: 18/01/86Country: Iraq

Ahmad Abid Ali is one of the his country’s most promising midfielders and he already has considerable big match experi-

ence, making three appearances as Iraq won the 2007 AFC Asian Cup™ and playing all six matches for former club Al Zawra’a in last year’s AFC Champions League.

The 22-year-old, who scored in the 11-time Iraqi cham-pions’ ACL 2007 Group A match against Al Wahda, announced his presence with an impressive season in 2004 with Al Ka-rakh before moving to Al Zawra’ and picking up a 2006 Iraq League win-ner’s medal.

Rafid Badraddin

Position: Defender Date of Birth: 30/09/76Country: Iraq

Captain of the side as they defeated Al Quwa Al Jawiya 1-0 in the 2006/07 Iraq championship final, Rafid Badraddin and fel-low defender Salah Aldeen Siamend are the only two players remaining from the Arbil squad that gained promotion to the top-flight in 1998.

A versatile, attack-minded defender who is comforta-ble playing anywhere along the backline Rafid was called up by Bernd Stange to Iraq’s 2006 World Cup qualifying squad but to the surprise of many observers of Iraqi football never went on to become a national team regular.



www.the-afc.com

Al Qadsiya (Kuwait)

President Sheikh Talal Al FahadEstablished 1960Address Hawalli Yurmouk St., P.O. Box 13016, KuwaitTel +965 265 2322Fax +965 263 2807Email Website www.qadsia.comStadium Mohammad Al HamadCapacity 20,000

Club

Club Colours

Home Away

Profile

The 2006 AFC Champions League semi-finalists are back in con-tention for a shot at the continental silverware, thanks to their title triumph in the cup tournament.

Having won the league 11 times and the Cup 12 times, Al Qadsi-ya’s credentials are as solid as ever. They completed the domes-tic treble in 2004 and won the league and Gulf Club Champion-ship in 2005.

Facts & Stats

Domestic Record2007 Cup winners_______________________________________

Domestic HonoursLeague x11 (2005, 04, 03, 1999, 92, 78, 76, 75, 73, 71, 69)Cup x12 (2007, 04, 03, 1994, 89, 79, 75, 74, 72, 68, 67, 65)_______________________________________

Continental RecordACC Did not participateACWC 1995 – 2nd roundACL 2006 (SFs)

Name Nasser HussainTel +965 265 2322Mobile +965 794 0404 Fax +965 263 2807Email [email protected]

Media Contact


*

Coach

Name Jose Garrido Nationality PortugueseD.O.B 28/11/75Appointed June 2007

Former Benfica central defender Jose Garrido arrived at Al Qad-siya in June 2007 with the unen-viable task of replacing local hero Mohamed Ibrahim, who led the side to the semi-finals of the 2006 AFC Champions league.

Garrido caught the Al Qadsiya eye thanks to an impres-sive 2006/07 campaign with Kazma when the Portuguese tactician took the two-time Gulf Club Championship win-ners to a runners-up finish in the league and in the Crown Prince Cup, where they lost 1-0 to Al Arabi.

Domestic Record


Cup – WinnersBeat Kuwait 2-0 in final

P W D L F A Pts13 10 1 2 27 8 31


Cup – Semi-finalsLost to Kazma 2-3 on penalties (aet 2-2)

P W D L F A Pts13 10 1 2 33 10 31

2006League – 2nd

Cup – Runners-up Lost to Al Arabi 2-0 in final

P W D L F A Pts26 19 5 2 67 14 62

2007League – 4th

Cup – WinnersBeat Al Salmiya 5-0 in final

P W D L F A Pts14 8 1 5 27 19 25

ACL Record

2004Expelled

2005Suspended

2006Semi-finals

2007Did not qualify

H APakhtakor W 2-1 D 2-2 GSAl Ittihad W 1-0 D 2-2 GSFoolad W 2-0 L 0-6 GS

1st 2ndAl Karama D 0-0 L 0-1 SFAl Ain D 2-2 W 3-0 QF

Fixtures


MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1500Pakhtakor vs Al Qadsiya Mhsk Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1825Al Qadsiya vs Arbil Mohammed Al Hamed Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait

MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1840Al Qadsiya vs Al Gharafa Mohammed Al Hamed Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait

MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1830Al Gharafa vs Al Qadsiya Al Gharafa Stadium, Doha, Qatar

MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1905Al Qadsiya vs Pakhtakor Mohammed Al Hamed Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait

MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1700Arbil vs Al Qadsiya Prince Mohammad Stadium, Amman, Jordan

Badr Al Mutawa of Al Qadsiya will be expected to spearhead the Kuwaiti giants’ challenge



www.the-afc.com

Al Qadsiya (Kuwait)


Badr Al Mutawa

Position: ForwardDate of Birth: 10/01/85Country: Kuwait

Since graduating to the senior team at the tender age of 17, Bad-er Al Mutawa has been an integral part of Al Qadsiya’s recent success and his standout performances as his club reached the semi-finals of the 2006 AFC Champions League saw the 23-year-old earn an AFC Player of the Year nomination.

A creative attacker at his best when given licence to drop behind a main striker, Al Mutawa is often see as his country’s natural successor to legendary Kuwait forward Bashar Abdullah, who formed a brief but productive partnership with the youngster at the 2004 Gulf Cup prior to his international retirement soon after.

Selim ben Achour

Position: MidfielderDate of Birth: 08/09/81Country: Tunisia

A talented playmaker who compensates for a lack of physique with his vision and passing ability, Selim ben Achour joined Al Qadsiya in December 2007, bringing with him vast experience from his time with clubs in Europe and in the Tunisian national team.

Born in Paris in 1981, ben Achour played in the UEFA Champi-ons League with Paris Saint Germain and had spells with French clubs FC Martigues and Troyes before moving on to Vitoria Gui-maraes in Portugal and then Russian outfit Rubin Kazan.

Ibrahima Keita

Position: MidfielderDate of Birth: 01/01/84Country: Cote d’Ivoire

Al Qadsiya signed Ibrahima Keita from unheralded Kuwaiti side Al Fahaheel in August 2005 and since then the versatile mid-fielder has played a key role in the club’s recent success, help-ing them to the semi-finals of the 2006 AFC Champions League as well as a number of domestic trophies.

A tireless worker who can operate de-fensively in front of the back four or use his dribbling skills to launch attacks, Keita began his career in France with CS Lou-hans-Cuiseaux be-fore returning to Cote d’Ivoire and a spell with Académie Cyril Domoraud prior to his move to Kuwait.



1 Ali Al Eissa 3/2/84 177 74 Kuwait

21 Ali Jawad 1/31/86 176 71 Kuwait

22 Nawaf Al Khaldi 5/25/81 181 73 Kuwait

Defenders

2 Ali Al Namash 10/31/82 170 63 Kuwait

3 Mohammad Rashed 7/1/87 169 67 Kuwait

4 Hussain Fadhel 10/9/84 183 70 Kuwait

6 Fayez Bandar 12/7/83 179 71 Kuwait

11 Ali Al Shamali 8/17/83 170 66 Kuwait

13 Mesaed Neda 7/8/83 179 70 Kuwait

23 Sadoun Hameed 8/28/77 174 70 Kuwait

25 Nohayr Al Shamari 7/12/76 181 74 Kuwait

28 Dhary Saeed 3/2/87 174 67 Kuwait

29 Tareq Al Khulaifi 1/18/82 176 70 Kuwait

30 Mohammad Al Nemesh 3/13/87 165 62 Kuwait

Midfielders

5 Ibrahima Keita 1/1/85 180 84 Ivory Coast

8 Saleh Al Sheikh 5/29/82 175 65 Kuwait

10 Abdullah Al Dhafeeri 4/29/86 172 66 Kuwait

12 Fawaz Buhamad 5/27/84 174 77 Kuwait

14 Selim Ben Achour 9/8/81 175 69 France

15 Fahed Al Ebrahim 2/25/87 190 73 Kuwait

19 Nawaf Al Mutairi 9/28/82 170 72 Kuwait

20 Abdulrahman Mousa 12/4/81 178 72 Kuwait

24 Mohammad Fahaad 1/17/81 175 64 Kuwait

26 Mladen Jovancic 3/17/80 180 79 Serbia And Montenegro

Forwards

7 Khalaf Al Salama 7/25/79 178 68 Kuwait

9 Ahmad Ajab 5/13/84 181 75 Kuwait

16 Ahmad Abdulla 4/11/81 168 66 Kuwait

17 Badr Al Mutawa 1/10/85 174 71 Kuwait

18 Ali Al Kandari 3/12/85 174 71 Kuwait

27 Hamad Al Enezi 10/5/86 170 69 Kuwait

92 www.the-afc.com

GROUP E

Group E

Group D Fixtures


Matchday One


1500 PAKHTAKOR (UZB) vs AL QADSIYA (KUW) ___ ___

1500 ARBIL (IRQ) vs AL GHARAFA (QAT) ___ ___

Matchday Two


1825 AL QADSIYA (KUW) vs ARBIL (IRQ) ___ ___

1848 AL GHARAFA (QAT) vs PAKHTAKOR (UZB) ___ ___

Matchday Three


1840 AL QADSIYA (KUW) vs AL GHARAFA (QAT) ___ ___

1630 PAKHTAKOR (UZB) vs ARBIL (IRQ) ___ ___

Matchday Four


1830 AL GHARAFA (QAT) vs AL QADSIYA (KUW) ___ ___

1700 ARBIL (IRQ) vs PAKHTAKOR (UZB) ___ ___

Matchday Five


1905 AL QADSIYA (KUW) vs PAKHTAKOR (UZB) ___ ___

1848 AL GHARAFA (QAT) vs ARBIL (IRQ) ___ ___

Matchday Six


1700 PAKHTAKOR (UZB) vs AL GHARAFA (QAT) ___ ___

1700 ARBIL (IRQ) vs AL QADSIYA (KUW) ___ ___


95


www.the-afc.com

Group E

Changchun Yatai (China)– China League winners

Adelaide United (Australia)– Australian League runners-up

Pohang Steelers (Korea Republic)– Korean League winners

Binh Duong (Vietnam)– Vietnamese League winners

Richie Alagich (centre) in action for Adelaide United in an A-League match



www.the-afc.com

Changchun Yatai (China)

President Liu YumingEstablished 1996Address No.13 Yang Jia Dian, Changchun Economic Development Zone, ChangchunTel +86 431 8483 9747Fax +86 431 8483 9693Email [email protected] www.yataifc.comStadium Changchun StadiumCapacity 40,000

Club

Club Colours

Home Away

Profile

Changchun Yatai were founded in 1996 by the Jilin Yatai Group at Changchun, Jilin, during the football boom which swamped China in the mid-nineties.

The club failed to win promotion from the Yi Division, until they were bought by upper division club Bayi Chaoneng in 2000. The merger saw the new team finish fifth and maintain an unbeaten record at home before finishing second in the following season. However, the club did not get promoted to the Chinese Super League until 2006 and they surprised everyone by clinching the title last year.

Facts & Stats


Domestic HonoursLeague 2007Cup _______________________________________


Name Zhang Ning YunTelephone Mobile +86 13844147768Fax +86 431 8483 9693Email [email protected]

Media Contact


*

Coach

Name Gao Hongbo Nationality ChineseD.O.B 25/01/66Appointed January 2007

Gao Hongbo began his coaching career at the age of 32 when he took over the managerial reins at Guangzhou Songri in 1998 but after a difficult time went to study in Europe, returning to take helm of the China U-17 in 2000.

The former Beijing Guoan striker, who was China’s player of the year in 1991, has also had spells as assistant coach for the national team but it was his work with Xiamen Lan-shi that most caught the eye of prospective suitors as he took the Blue Lions to the Chinese Super League after winning the 2005 Jia A having led them to a third-place finish the previous season.

Domestic Record

2004League – 5th (First Division)

CupFirst round play-off

P W D L F A Pts32 13 12 7 53 34 51

2005League – 2nd (Division 1; promoted to Chinese Super League)


P W D L F A Pts26 20 4 2 71 22 64

2006League – 4th


P W D L F A Pts28 13 7 8 41 29 46


No Cup competition in China

P W D L F A Pts28 16 7 5 48 26 55

ACL Record

2004Did not participate




Fixtures


MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1530Changchun Yatai vs Binh Duong Changchun City Stadium, Changchun, China PR

MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1930Adelaide United vs Changchun Yatai Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, Australia

MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1530Changchun Yatai vs Pohang Steelers Changchun City Stadium, Changchun, China PR

MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1900Pohang Steelers vs Changchun Yatai Pohang Steelyard, Pohang, Korea Republic

MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1700Binh Duong vs Changchun Yatai Binh Duong Stadium, Vietnam

MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1530Changchun Yatai vs Adelaide United Changchun City Stadium, Changchun, China PR

Changchun Yatai’s Du Zhenyu is expected to play a key role for the Chinese team



www.the-afc.com

Changchun Yatai (China)


Du Zhenyu

Position: ForwardDate of Birth: 01/02/83Country: China

Du Zhenyu had a stellar 2007 in which he scored nine times in 20 games to help Chanchung Yatai win their first Chinese league title and himself a player of the year nomination.

Du’s performances last season for the club he has played for since 2001 didn’t go unnoticed by the Chinese football au-thorities and although he didn’t make the cut for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup™ the 25-year-old was called up for China’s 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying squad and is also a candidate for his country’s side for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Chinwuzo Gabriel Melkam

Position: MidfielderDate of Birth: 13/03/80Country: Germany

An end-of-the-season buy from relegated Xiamen Lanshi, Chinwuzo Gabriel Melkam is a Nigerian-born German midfielder expected to pull the strings from the centre of the park with Du Zhenyu.Melkam is no stranger to big tem-perament games, having finished runners-up at the 1999 African Youth Championship and bowing out as quar-ter-finalists from the FIFA World Youth Championship the same year.

Before joining Xiamen in 2006, Melkam proved his credentials with German clubs like Karl-sruhrer, Hansa Rostock and Sportfreunde Siegen.

Zadi Guillaume Dah

Position: ForwardDate of Birth: 01/01/78Country: Cote d’Ivoire

Powerful Ivorian striker who joined Changchun Yatai in April 2007 ini-tially on-loan form Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia, Zadi put his European experience to good use by bag-ging ten goals in 18 games to finish the Jilin Province side’s second high-est scorer in their championship win-ning season.

Prior to his move to China via Bulgaria Zadi was groomed as a youth at 14-time Cote d’Ivoire champions Africa Sports before hav-

ing spells with Abid-jan rivals FC Satellite, Moroccan outfit Wydad Casablanca, and EOGK Tunisie.



1 Zong Lei 7/26/81 188 81 China P.R.

22 Wang Peng 9/19/89 188 75 China P.R.

28 An Qi 6/21/81 192 82 China P.R.

Defenders

2 Wang Wanpeng 6/9/82 186 78 China P.R.

3 Tang Jing 2/14/75 191 86 China P.R.

4 Jorge Samuel Caballero Alvarez 12/24/74 184 93 Honduras

12 Cui Wei 4/7/83 182 78 China P.R.

16 Li Bin 5/13/81 180 74 China P.R.

20 Liu Chengyu 10/15/85 186 75 China P.R.

25 Lu Jianjun 8/1/85 180 70 China P.R.

26 Wang Bo 5/8/82 185 72 China P.R.

27 Chen Lei 10/16/85 180 68 China P.R.

Midfielders

5 Chinwuzo Gabriel Melkam 3/13/80 187 82 Germany

6 Wang Dong 9/10/81 181 68 China P.R.

7 Jiang Pengxiang 2/9/81 179 67 China P.R.

13 Tang Tao 8/1/87 182 67 China P.R.

15 Yang Haibo 12/2/80 178 72 China P.R.

17 Huang Jie 2/28/87 175 70 China P.R.

18 Ma Xiaohuan 7/18/87 175 65 China P.R.

19 Haw Dongri 9/20/83 178 70 China P.R.

23 Zhang Xiaofei 7/11/82 179 70 China P.R.

24 Yan Feng 2/7/82 173 68 China P.R.

29 Zhang Tianhan 10/22/87 184 75 China P.R.

Forwards

8 Du Zhenyu 2/1/83 177 75 China P.R.

10 Zadi Guillaume Dah 1/1/78 186 80 Cote D'ivoire

11 Wang Rui 4/23/82 174 66 China P.R.

14 Cao Tianbao 4/3/82 185 73 China P.R.

21 Liu Weidong 1/29/87 177 68 China P.R.

30 Liu Yulong 6/14/88 180 72 China P.R.



www.the-afc.com

Adelaide United (Australia)

Chairman Dario FontanarosaEstablished 2003Address Hindmarsh Stadium, Holden Street, PO Box 620, Hindmarsh, AustraliaTel +61 88340 3000Fax +61 88340 3033Email [email protected] www.adelaideunited.com.auStadium Hindmarsh StadiumCapacity 16,500

Club

Club Colours

Home Away

Profile

Adelaide United became one of Australia’s first representatives in Asian club competition last year but fared poorly and crashed out in the group stages.

They get another crack at the AFC Champions League as A-League runners-up after a 6-0 defeat to Melbourne Victory in the Grand Final. Established only in 2005, they won the league the very next year.

Facts & Stats


Domestic HonoursLeague Cup ________________________________________

Continental RecordACC Did not participateACWC Did not participateACL 2007(Group Stage)

Name Dominic RinaldoTel +61 88340 3000Mobile +61 (0) 402293 470Fax +61 88340 3033Email [email protected]

Media Contact


*

Coach

Name Aurelio Vidmar Nationality AustralianD.O.B 03/02/67Appointed 2007

Aurelio Vidmar’s prestigious senior career started at Adelaide City, where he played for seven seasons in the NSL before mov-ing abroad for eight years. In 1994/95 at Standard Liege he was Belgium’s top scorer, with 22 goals for the sea-son. He was voted Oceania’s player of the year in 1995. In a senior club career spanning 20 years, he played over 500 national league matches and scored over 120 league goals in six different countries.

Aurelio Vidmar’s international career was brilliant. He played in the 1996 Olympic Games, played 53 games for the Socceroos and scored 18 goals. He also figured in the Confederations Cup 1997 and 2001.

Domestic Record

2004No A-League

2006League – 1st

Note: Lost 1-0 to Central Coast Mariners in the Preliminary final.

P W D L F A Pts21 13 4 4 33 25 43

2007League – Runners up

Note: Lost 6-0 to Melbourne Victory in the Grand Final

P W D L F A Pts21 10 3 8 32 27 33

ACL Record




2007Group Stage

H ASeongnam Ilhwa

D 2-2 L 0-1 GS

Shandong Luneng

L 0-1 D 2-2 GS

Dong Tam Long An

W 3-0 W 2-0 GS

Fixtures


MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1900Pohang Steelers vs Adelaide United Pohang Steelyard, Pohang, Korea REP

MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1930Adelaide United vs Changchun Yatai Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, Australia

MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1800Binh Duong vs Adelaide United Binh Duong Stadium, Vietnam

MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1930Adelaide United vs Binh Duong Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, Australia

MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1930Adelaide United vs Pohang Steelers Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, Australia

MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1530Changchun Yatai vs Adelaide United Changchun City Stadium, Changchun, China PR

Adelaide United were A-League runners-up

2005No A-League



www.the-afc.com

Adelaide United (Australia)



1 Daniel Beltrame 12/28/75 190 96 Australia

20 Robert Bajic 7/29/77 195 87 Australia

30 Eugen Galekovic 6/12/81 186 91 Australia

Defenders

2 Richie Alagich 10/30/73 177 74 Australia

3 Milan Susak 1/29/84 - - Australia

4 Angelo Costanzo 5/9/76 183 88 Australia

5 Michael Valkanis 8/23/73 181 80 Australia

6 Cassio Oliveira 1/8/80 168 71 Brazil

17 Isyan Erdogan 9/25/82 175 77 Australia

18 Robert Cornthwaite 10/24/85 193 85 Australia

19 Sasa Ognenovski 4/3/79 195 95 Australia

24 Alvin Ceccoli 8/5/74 - - Australia

Midfielders

7 Lucas Pantelis 3/12/82 166 66 Australia

8 Kristian Sarkies 10/25/86 177 78 Australia

12 Matthew Mullen 2/24/89 181 76 Australia

13 Travis Dodd 1/6/80 177 80 Australia

14 Shaun Ontong 3/25/87 175 71 Australia

15 Gyawe Salley 3/16/82 179 76 Cote D’Ivoire

21 Jason Spagnuolo 8/2/84 172 64 Australia

22 Diego Walsh 12/8/79 183 84 Brazil

26 Fabian Barbiero 5/2/84 176 72 Australia

Forwards

9 Paul Agostino 6/9/75 184 82 Australia

10 Nathan Burns 5/7/88 173 72 Australia

11 Bruce Djite 3/25/87 183 86 Australia

23 Dezmon Giraldi 3/24/86 185 80 Australia


Richie Alagich

Position: DefenderDate of Birth: 30/10/1973 Country: Australia

Richie’ Alagich played representative football for his home state from 1985 through to 1991.

He started his professional football career with the Port Adelaide Lions in the South Australia Super League in 1990 at the age of 16, continuing until 1993. Alagich then moved into the National Soccer League with the Adelaide Sharks, having already represented Australia at schoolboys and under-20 levels. 1993 also marked his debut with the Australian under-23 team. Alagich played regularly with the Olyroos up until 1996, and helped them qualify for the 1996 Olympics but did not play in the actual tournament where Australia were unable to progress past the group stage.

When the A-League started in 2005–06, Alagich re-signed for Adelaide United, and played in 23 of their 24 matches as they won the inaugural Premiership and fell one game short of the Grand Final.

Kristian Sarkies

Position: MidfielderDate of Birth: 25/10/1986Country: Australia

Kristian Sarkies grew up in Dingley Village, a suburb in Mel-bourne’s South-East.

Kristian Sarkies is a promising young midfielder for Australia with an eye for goal and is known for his powerfully hit set-pieces. He played in the A-league Grand Final with Melbourne, scoring his third goal for the club in his team’s 6-0 thrashing of Adelaide in the 90th minute and scoring from long range.

In March 2007, Sarkies signed a one year deal with Adelaide United, link-ing up with his Australian U23 team mates Bruce Djite, Nathan Burns and Robert Cornthwaite.

Sarkies has represented his country at all youth levels.

Bruce Djite

Position: StrikerDate of Birth: 25/3/1987Country: Australia

Bruce Djite was born in the U.S. and moved to Sydney with his parents when he was three years old. His father, an Associ-ate Professor at the University of Western Sydney, is from Cote D’Ivoire and his mother is from Togo.

Djite played for the Marconi Stallions in the NSW State League in 2005, before attending the Australian Institute of Sport on a football scholarship. He has chosen to play for Australia al-though he was also eligible for the U.S., Cote d’Ivoire and Togo.

In November 2006, Djite unsuccessfully trialled for two weeks at SV Werder Bremen. Upon his return to Australia, he was signed by Adelaide United.

Djite was a star striker for the Young Socceroos during their 2006 tour of South America and was also chosen in the Aus-tralian Under-20 squad to compete at the 2006 AFC Youth Champion-ship in India.



www.the-afc.com


President Kim Hyun SikEstablished 1973Address Ji-Kok Plaza 2F, 166-19 Ji-kok dong, Nam-gu, Pohang, Kyungbuk, Korea (postal code 790-834)Tel +82 54 221 7700Fax +82 54 221 9788Email [email protected] www.steelers.co.krStadium SteelyardCapacity 18,960

Club

Club Colours

Home Away

Profile

Pohang Steelers won the K-League title in 2007 by defeating defending champions Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma under the guid-ance of Brazilian coach Sergio Ricardo de Pavia Farias.

The club, founded in 1973, is one of the oldest K-League clubs (previously Pohang Atoms) and they have enjoyed spells of domi-nation in the league between 1985 and 1998 when they were continually in the top four of the league.

Apart from the local league, the club scaled Asian football heights, by winning the Asian Cup Champions in 1997 and 1998 to estab-lish themselves as one of Asia’s top teams.

Facts & Stats


Domestic HonoursLeague x4 (1986,1988, 1992, 2007)Cup 1996_______________________________________

Continental RecordACC 1996/1997, 1997/1998ACWC Did not participateACL Did not participate

Name Kim Tae-hyungTel +82 54 221 9782Mobile +82 10 2956 1907Fax +82 54 221 9788Email [email protected]

Media Contact


*

Coach

Name Sergio Ricardo Nationality BrazilD.O.B 09/06/67Appointed 2005

After leading Pohang Steelers to the 2007 K-League title, which earned him the Coach of the Year award, Sergio Farias was linked with the Korea Republic national team job but the Brazilian opted to stay with the two-time Asian club cham-pions, signing a new contract in December 2007.

Sergio Farias, who had a coaching spell in Libya with Al Dhahara, arrived in Korea from Brazilian Serie C side União Barbarense and until his success with the Steelers was best known for his work in youth football, having taken charge of Brazil’s Under-17s and Under-20s after leading Santos to the 2000 South American U-17 Championship.

Domestic Record

2004League- 2nd

Cup – Round of 32Lost 0-1 to Dong-Eui Univ.

P W D L F A Pts27 9 9 9 24 24 36

2005League-6th

Cup – Quarter-finalsLost 3-4 on penalties to Ulsan Mipo Dockyard (aet 0-0)

P W D L F A Pts24 11 7 6 28 22 40

2006League – 3rd

Cup – Round 16Lost to FC Seoul 1-3

P W D L F A Pts27 13 8 6 42 29 47

2007League – 5th

Cup – Runners-upLost to Chunnam 3-6 on aggregate.

P W D L F A Pts26 11 6 9 27 31 39

ACL Record

2004Did not qualify

2005Did not qualify

2006Did not qualify

2007Did not qualify

Fixtures


MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1900Pohang Steelers vs Adelaide United Pohang Steelyard, Pohang, Korea Republic

MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1800Binh Duong vs Pohang Steelers Binh Duong Stadium, Vietnam

MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1530Changchun Yatai vs Pohang Steelers Changchun City Stadium, Changchun, China PR

MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1900Pohang Steelers Vs Changchun Yatai Pohang Steelyard, Pohang, Korea Republic

MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1930Adelaide United vs Pohang Steelers Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, Australia

MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1900Pohang Steelers Vs Binh Duong Pohang Steelyard, Pohang, Korea Republic

Pohang Steelers won the Korean League for the fourth time in 2007



www.the-afc.com




1 Shin Hwa Yong 4/13/83 182 78 Korea Republic

21 Song Dong Jin 5/12/84 184 76 Korea Republic

Defenders

3 Kim Kwangsuk 2/12/83 182 72 Korea Republic

4 Lee Chang Won 7/10/75 183 75 Korea Republic

5 Cho Sung Hwan 4/9/82 183 77 Korea Republic

22 Jang Hyunkyu 8/22/81 186 78 Korea Republic

24 Hwang Jae Won 4/13/81 186 80 Korea Republic

25 Shin Hyungmin 7/18/86 182 76 Korea Republic

26 Kim Sooyoun 4/17/83 186 80 Korea Republic

27 Cho Han Bum 3/28/85 - - Korea Republic

Midfielders

2 Choi Hyojin 8/18/83 172 70 Korea Republic

6 Kim Gi Dong 1/12/72 171 68 Korea Republic

7 Kim Jaesung 10/3/83 180 67 Korea Republic

8 Hwang Jinsung 5/5/84 177 70 Korea Republic

9 Hwang Ji-soo 3/27/81 175 72 Korea Republic

11 Choi Jongbum 3/27/78 178 72 Korea Republic

12 Park Yoonhwa 6/13/78 175 73 Korea Republic

13 Shin Kwang Hoon 3/18/87 178 76 Korea Republic

14 Kwon Jip 2/13/84 182 75 Korea Republic

16 Park Won Jae 5/28/84 175 70 Korea Republic

20 Fabiano Ferreira Gadelha 1/9/79 170 74 Brazil

28 Song Changho 2/20/86 180 76 Korea Republic

29 Lee Seungyoul 9/28/83 180 76 Korea Republic

Forwards

10 Denilson Martins Nascimento 9/4/76 177 80 Brazil

15 Clodoaldo Paulino De Lima 11/25/78 188 86 Brazil

17 Lee Kwang Jae 1/1/80 185 77 Korea Republic

18 Namkung Do 6/4/82 186 80 Korea Republic

19 Lee Sung Jae 9/16/87 179 72 Korea Republic

23 Ryu Changhyun 5/14/85 181 74 Korea Republic

Hwang Ji-soo

Position: MidfieldDate of Birth: 27/03/81Country: Korea Republic

Hwang Ji-soo went directly into the K-League after completing college, joining Pohnag Steelers in 2004 and with his physical fitness and limitless stamina he has emerged as the engine in midfield, whether supporting attacks or helping out in defence.

Hwang’s performances in the 2007 K-League-winning season did not go unnoticed by Korea Republic coach Huh Jung-moo and he made his senior ‘A’ international debut against Chile in January before being part of the squad that won the 2008 East Asian Football Championship in Chongqing.

Kim Gi-dong

Position: MidfieldDate of Birth: 12/01/72Country: Korea Republic

Veteran midfielder Kim Gi-dong has built a reputation for his work ethic and a tireless commitment to the cause that has seen the 36-year-old play more games in Korean domestic football than any other outfield player.

The decisive match of the 2007 K-League took Kim’s total number of appearances to 426, during which he has won two league cups with Bucheon and two league titles with Pohang, the first of which being in 1992 when the club was known as POSCO Atoms.

Denilson


A cult figure in the K-League for his goal celebrations that mimic Korean comedian Jung Jong-chul, Denilson played a key role in the Steelers’ K-League triumph, scoring a total of 19 goals in 34 games since joining the club from Daejeon Citizen.

Denilson’s Asian adventure began in the Middle East, playing for Al Shabab and Dubai in the UAE before moving to Korea in 2006 after a season spent in Mexico with the Guadalajara-based Atlas.



www.the-afc.com

Binh Duong (Vietnam)

President Tran Van DuongEstablished 2001Address 30/4 Street, A Stand, Bình Dương Stadium, Thu Dau Mot, VietnamTel +84 0650 816263Fax +84 0650 816059Email Website Stadium Go Dau StadiumCapacity 15,000

Club

Club Colours

Home Away

Profile

Binh Duong were established in 1976 and earned their promotion to the Vietnamese first division in 2003, two years after a profes-sional relaunch.

Going from strength to strength, Binh Duong finished as runners-up in 2006 before being crowned league champions in 2007.

Binh Duong are known in the region for organising an interna-tional level invitational tournament which they have won thrice.

This is Binh Duong’s first foray into the AFC Champions League.

Facts & Stats


Domestic HonoursLeague 2007Cup x2 (2003, 2004)_______________________________________


Name Dang Tat DatTel Mobile +84 9039 00449Fax +84 0650 816059Email [email protected]

Media Contact


*

Coach

Name Le Thuy HaiNationality VietnameseD.O.B 1946Appointed February 2006

V-League Coach of the Year in 2007, Le Thuy Hai has built a formidable winning force from scratch by spotting and grooming young talents. When Le Thuy Hai took over the reins of Binh Duong in 2006, the club was at the basement of the V-League standings but things started looking up and by the end of that season they were breathing down the neck of eventual champions GDT Long An.

Le Thuy Hai made this possible by employing a mix of capable domestic and foreign players who eventually de-livered the silverware.

Domestic Record

2004League – Sixth

Cup – Semi-finalLost to Binh Dinh 3-1

P W D L F A Pts22 7 7 8 24 24 28

2005League – Third

Cup – Quarter-finalLost to HAGL 1-2

P W D L F A Pts22 11 5 6 40 32 38


Cup – Quarter-finalLost to Khanh Hoa 1-2

P W D L F A Pts24 11 6 7 33 25 39


Cup – Quarter-finalLost to Dong Thap 2-1

P W D L F A Pts26 16 7 3 42 22 55

ACL Record





Fixtures


MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1530Changchun Yatai vs Binh Duong Changchun City Stadium, Changchun, China PR

MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1800Binh Duong vs Pohang Steelers Binh Duong Stadium, Vietnam

MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1800Binh Duong vs Adelaide United Binh Duong Stadium, Vietnam

MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1930Adelaide United vs Binh Duong Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, Australia

MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1700Binh Duong vs Changchun Yatai Binh Duong Stadium, Vietnam

MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1900Pohang Steelers Vs Binh Duong Pohang Steelyard, Pohang, Korea REP

V-League champions Binh Duong will be hoping for a decent ACL debut



www.the-afc.com

Binh Duong (Vietnam)



1 Nguyen The Anh 9/21/81 178 72 Vietnam

13 Dang Dinh Duc 12/7/82 188 75 Vietnam

16 Tran Minh Quang 4/19/73 176 70 Vietnam

Defenders

2 Nguyen Hoang Voung 10/17/81 168 61 Vietnam

3 Pham Minh Duc 5/5/76 165 60 Vietnam

5 Pham Dinh Phuoc 8/5/75 175 71 Vietnam

14 Nguyen Hoang Nam 6/24/79 168 58 Vietnam

15 Luong Trung Tuan 12/4/75 180 70 Vietnam

17 Troung Van Hai 7/19/75 170 66 Vietnam

20 Huynh Quang Thanh 10/10/84 175 71 Vietnam

23 Vu Nhu Thanh 8/28/81 181 75 Vietnam

Midfielders

6 Nguyen Vu Phong 2/6/85 169 69 Vietnam

8 Tran Truong Giang 11/1/76 170 68 Vietnam

9 Nguyen Ngoc Thanh Tuan 1/8/83 174 65 Vietnam

19 Giang Thanh Thong 1/15/77 176 70 Vietnam

21 Nguyen Van Linh 8/4/81 171 63 Vietnam

22 Phung Cong Minh 9/27/85 168 72 Vietnam

Forwards

7 Kesley Alves 12/23/81 179 70 Brazil

10 Philani Bhekiziz We Lancelot Kubheka 5/18/79 183 80 South Africa

11 Nguyen Anh Duc 10/24/85 180 72 Vietnam

12 To Duc Cuong 12/18/79 170 60 Vietnam

18 Robson Damasceno De Lima 1/9/78 180 65 Brazil

Nguyen Vu Phong

Position: MidfielderDate of birth: 06/02/1985Country: Vietnam

Blessed with excellent ball control and good techniques, Vu Phong has built a well deserved reputation as a key member of Binh Duong. A deadball expert, the 23-year-old has seldom failed to rise to the occasion for both the national team and club.

Vu Phong, a right-winger, established himself with a superla-tive performance at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup™ where Vietnam reached the quarter-finals.

Huynh Quang Thanh

Position: DefenderDate of birth: 10/10/1984Country: Vietnam

Huynh Quang Thanh caught the eye in the 2006 Vietnam League season after receiving good playing time from coach Le Thuy Hai.

The talented fullback is effective either on the left or right side of de-fence and played a key role in helping his club clinch the V-League title.

Alves Kesley

Position: ForwardDate of birth: 23/12/81Country: Brazil

The Brazilian hitman joined Binh Duong in 2005 and immediately gave notice with a great start. He won the best scorer award that season before moving to Hoang Anh Gia Lai the follow-ing year.

Binh Duong lured him back in 2007 and he re-paid their faith by helping them win the title. Kesley is extremely dependable in the penalty area with a knack of outjumping rival defenders.

112 www.the-afc.com

GROUP F

Group F

Group E Fixtures


Matchday One


1530 CHANGCHUN YATAI (CHN) vs BINH DUONG (VIE) ___ ___

1900 POHANG STEELERS (KOR) vs ADELAIDE UNITED

(AUS) ___ ___

Matchday Two


1600 BINH DUONG (VIE) vs POHANG STEELERS (KOR) ___ ___

1930 ADELAIDE UNITED (AUS) vs CHANGCHUN YATAI

(CHN) ___ ___

Matchday Three


1600 BINH DUONG (VIE) vs ADELAIDE UNITED (AUS) ___ ___

1530 CHANGCHUN YATAI (CHN) vs POHANG STEELERS

(KOR) ___ ___

Matchday Four


1930 ADELAIDE UNITED (AUS) vs BINH DUONG (VIE) ___ ___

1900 POHANG STEELERS (KOR) vs CHANGCHUN YATAI

(CHN) ___ ___

Matchday Five


1600 BINH DUONG (VIE) vs CHANGCHUN YATAI (CHN) ___ ___

1930 ADELAIDE UNITED (AUS) vs POHANG STEELERS

(KOR) ___ ___

Matchday Six


1530 CHANGCHUN YATAI (CHN) vs ADELAIDE UNITED

(AUS) ___ ___

1900 POHANG STEELERS (KOR) vs BINH DUONG (VIE) ___ ___


115


www.the-afc.com

Group F

Krung Thai Bank (Thailand)– Thailand League runners-up

Beijing Guoan (China)– China League runners-up

Nam Dinh (Vietnam)– Vietnam Cup winners

Kashima Antlers (Japan)– Japan League winners

Action from a Kashima Antlers-Shanghai Shenhua ACL 2003 group game



www.the-afc.com

Krung Thai Bank (Thailand)

President Established 1977Address 230 Krung Thai Building 3rd Floor Larn Luang Road, Pomprab – Satrupai, Bangkok 10110Tel +66 2 628 1151-2Fax +66 2 628 1153Email [email protected] www.ktb.co.thStadium Chula StadiumCapacity 20,000

Club

Club Colours

Home Away

Profile

The exclusion of Indonesia’s representatives has given Krung Thai Bank a third crack at the AFC Champions League, with the 2003 and 2004 Thailand Premier League winners qualifying as runners-up to 2007 champions Chonburi.

While rivals BEC Tero Sasana reached the final in the inaugural edition of Asia’s premier club competition, Krung Thai Bank have arguably been the most consistent of Thailand’s participants.

Inspired by the three goals of attacking midfielder Phichitpong Choechiu, Krung Thai Bank finished as runners-up in their group behind Chinese giants Dalian Shide in their debut in 2004, be-fore winning three times in six games to end up second behind group winners and eventual semi-finalists Busan I’Park the fol-lowing year.

Facts & Stats


Domestic HonoursLeague x2 (2003, 2004)Cup _______________________________________

Continental RecordACC Did not participateACWC Did not participateACL 2004, 2005 (Group Stage)

Name Prapanpong PramotkuiTel Mobile +66 8 48 70319Fax +66 2 628 1153Email [email protected]

Media Contact


*

Coach

Name Attapol PussapakhomNationality ThaiD.O.B 01/11/62Appointed 2006

Having famously guided BEC Tero Sasana to the final of the in-augural AFC Champions League, Attapol Puspakom returned to Thai football in 2006 when he joined Krung Thai Bank after a stint in Singapore with Geylang United.

The former international winger, who played for Malaysian side Pahang in 1994, went to the S-League at the end of 2004 when he was working as an assistant to then Thai-land U-23 coach Chanvit Polchovin having left BEC Tero Sasana as they struggled to cope with the departure of several players from the side that was narrowly beaten by Al Ain in the first ACL final.

Domestic Record


There is no Cup competi-tion in Thailand

P W D L F A Pts18 12 2 4 33 18 38

2005League – 5th


P W D L F A Pts18 6 7 5 24 22 25

2006League – 9th


P W D L F A Pts22 5 10 7 22 26 25

2007League – 2nd


P W D L F A Pts30 15 9 6 40 24 54

ACL Record

2004Group Stage

2005Group Stage



Fixtures


H ADalian Shide L 0-2 L 1-3 GSHoang Anh GL D 2-2 W 1-0 GSPSM Makassar L 1-2 W 3-2 GS

MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1530Krung Thai Bank vs Kashima Antlers Chula Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand

MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1900Beijing Guoan vs Krung Thai Bank Feng Tai Stadium, Beijing, China PR

MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1600Krung Thai Bank vs Nam Dinh Chula Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand

MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1700Nam Dinh vs Krung Thai Bank My Dinh Stadium, Hanoi, Vietnam

MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1900Kashima Antlers vs Krung Thai Bank Kashima Soccer Stadium, Ibaraki, Japan

MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1600Krung Thai Bank vs Beijing Guoan Chula Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand

The Krung Thai Bank team posing with officials

H ABusan I’Park L 0-2 L 0-4 GSPersebaya W 1-0 W 3-1 GSBinh Dinh L 0-1 W 2-1 GS



www.the-afc.com

Krung Thai Bank (Thailand)



1 Naratip Panprom 12/11/78 177 70 Thailand

2 Sarawut Khambua 3/7/72 177 80 Thailand

3 Uklit Teerajantranon 12/20/87 178 65 Thailand

18 Klisana Klunklin 2/26/84 177 74 Thailand

Defenders

5 Surachet Phupha 1/22/87 168 65 Thailand

6 Amnart Kaewkhew 1/11/75 174 65 Thailand

8 Rungroch Sawangsri 8/1/81 - - Thailand

13 Tada Keelalay 1/4/84 174 73 Thailand

17 Supachai Komsilp 2/18/80 177 75 Thailand

20 Kraikiat Beadtaku 1/26/82 178 75 Thailand

21 Suphachai Phupha 1/22/87 168 65 Thailand

26 Wachira Sangsri 5/8/87 170 68 Thailand

30 Pradit Sawangsri 1/25/78 173 70 Thailand

Midfielders

4 Somjate Kasarat 8/20/80 - - Thailand

7 Anon Boonsuko 6/1/78 174 70 Thailand

10 Phichitphong Choeichiu 8/25/82 169 67 Thailand

15 Anawin Jujeen 3/13/87 170 64 Thailand

16 Tanat Wongsupphalak 2/19/85 - - Thailand

22 Kumron Chinsri 5/18/88 - - Thailand

24 Peeraphong Pichitchotirat 6/28/84 171 66 Thailand

25 Noppon Sankapong 3/29/87 170 77 Thailand

29 Wannapol Puspakom 1/2/89 174 65 Thailand

Forwards

9 Rewat Meerian 2/24/80 172 67 Thailand

11 Sarun Promkeaw 2/15/82 174 68 Thailand

12 Yuttana Chaikaew 2/26/81 174 68 Thailand

14 Mathee Pungpo 2/12/87 174 73 Thailand

19 Nantawat Thaensopa 2/22/84 171 65 Thailand

23 Kassim Kone 12/30/86 - 75 Cote D’Ivoire

27 Mongkol Tossakai 5/9/87 178 68 Thailand

Rungroj Sawangsri

Position: DefenderDate of Birth: 01/08/81Country: Thailand

A long-time regular in the heart of the Krung Thai bank rearguard, classy de-fender Rungroj Sawangsri is taking part in his third ACL, having scored against Dalian Shide in 2004 and being red carded against Binh Dinh in 2005, when he was captain of the side.

One of his country’s most promising players at the youth level, Rungroj helped Thailand win gold at the 2001 and 2003 SEA Games and while the former U-23 skipper was called up to the 2004 Tiger Cup squad he has yet to make the step up at senior level.

Supachai Komsilp


Another long serv-ing Krung Thai Bank player who was groomed in the club’s youth squad, defender Supachai Komsilp is partici-pating in the AFC Champions League for a third time after debuting in 2004 and taking part again the following year.

Part of the Thailand team that won gold at the 2003 SEA Games, Supachai was called up to a youthful Thai squad

at the 2004 AFC Asian Cup™ although he didn’t feature against China and has since been on the fringes of the senior national team but has yet been unable to command a regular place.

Phichitpong Choechiu

Position: MidfielderDate of Birth: 28/08/82Country: Thailand

A versatile attack-ing midfielder who can also play in a number of roles upfront, Choechiu will be looking to make the same im-pact in this year’s AFC Champions League that he had in 2004 when he scored three times as Krung Thai Bank finished runners-up in Group F to Chi-nese giants Dalian Shide.

Something of a fringe player in the senior Thailand na-

tional team having looked one of the country’s brightest prospects at youth level, Pichitpong played in all three games at the 2004 Asian Cup only to remain an unused substitute as the Thais co-hosted the tour-nament last year.



www.the-afc.com

Beijing Guoan (China)

President Li JianyiEstablished 1992Address Opposite to stand 22 Beijing Workers’ Stadium, Beijing, P.R.CHINA, 100027Tel +8610 83694173Fax +8610 83695041Email [email protected], [email protected] www.gaf.citic.comStadium Beijing Workers’ StadiumCapacity 60,000

Club

Club Colours

Home Away

Profile

Beijing Guoan Football Club was established in 1992 and their predecessors were the representative team of China’s capital - Beijing football team. In a mighty reform, CITIC Guoan Corp. and Beijing Municipal Sports Committee joined forces to set up the Beijing Guoan Football Club.

Beijing Guo’an Football Club is managed by the CITIC Guoan Co. as a subsidiary since 1997. Coached by Korean Lee Jang Soo, Beijing have won the cup twice (1996 and 1997).

Beijing, who have been gaining in strength of late, qualified for the AFC Champions League after finishing second in the league.

Facts & Stats


Domestic HonoursLeague Cup x2 (1996, 1997)_______________________________________


Name Wu ShaoTel Mobile +86 13039003326Fax +8610 83695041Email [email protected]

Media Contact


*

Coach

Name Lee Jan-sooNationality KoreanD.O.B 15/10/56Appointed December 2006

Beijing Guoan’s highly success-ful Korean coach Lee Jang-soo is no stranger to AFC competi-tion having led Seongnam Ihlwa Chunma to an extra-time victory over Saudi side Al Nasr in the final of the 1996 Asian Club Championship.

Lee left Korea for China two years after his continental success with Seongnam and in 2000, when he was named coach of the year, won the 2000 FA Cup with Chongqing Lifan and the same trophy in 2002 with Qingdao Yizhong before returning to his homeland for spells with Chunnam Dragons and FC Seoul, where he won the 2006 Hauzen Cup.

Domestic Record

2004League – 7th

Cup Second round play-off

P W D L F A Pts28 22 8 7 36 31 31

2005League – 6th

Cup –Semi-finals

P W D L F A Pts26 12 4 10 46 32 40

2006League – 3rd

Cup – Last 16

P W D L F A Pts28 13 10 5 27 16 49

2007League – 2nd

No Cup competition in China

P W D L F A Pts28 15 9 4 47 19 54

ACL Record





Fixtures


MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1700Nam Dinh vs Beijing Guoan My Dinh Stadium, Hanoi

MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1900Beijing Guoan vs Krung Thai Bank Feng Tai Stadium, Beijing, China PR

MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1900Kashima Antlers vs Beijing Guoan Kashima Soccer Stadium, Ibaraki, Japan

MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 2000Beijing Guoan vs Kashima Antlers Feng Tai Stadium, Beijing, China PR

MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 2000Beijing Guoan Vs Nam Dinh Feng Tai Stadium, Beijing, China PR

MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1600Krung Thai Bank vs Beijing Guoan Chula Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand

China’s Beijing Guoan finished second in the league to qualify for the ACL



www.the-afc.com

Beijing Guoan (China)



1 Zhang Sipeng 5/14/87 188 78 China P.R.

12 Cheng Yuelei 10/28/87 188 80 China P.R.

22 Yang Zhi 1/15/83 186 79 China P.R.

Defenders

2 Lang Zheng 7/22/86 188 79 China P.R.

3 Zhang Shuai 7/20/81 182 75 China P.R.

4 Zhou Ting 2/5/79 181 78 China P.R.

8 Yang Pu 3/30/78 178 76 China P.R.

13 Xu Yunlong 2/17/79 181 80 China P.R.

27 Yu Yang 8/6/89 184 78 China P.R.

30 Zhang Yonghai 3/15/79 183 75 China P.R.

Midfielders

5 Sang Yifei 2/18/89 175 79 China P.R.

6 Sui Dongliang 9/24/77 178 79 China P.R.

7 Wang Changqing 3/21/81 178 75 China P.R.

14 Wang Dong 6/11/85 177 74 China P.R.

15 Tao Wei 3/11/78 176 70 China P.R.

25 Stojan Ignatov 12/22/79 170 68 Macedonia

Forwards

10 Tiago Honorio 12/4/77 194 87 Brazil

11 Yan Xiangchuang 9/5/86 174 66 China P.R.

16 Huang Bowen 7/13/87 181 72 China P.R.

21 Yao Shuang 10/21/87 183 65 China P.R.

23 Yue Kaihao 10/9/87 183 78 China P.R.

24 Yang Yun 7/18/89 182 75 China P.R.

28 Guo Hui 4/9/78 177 72 China P.R.

Tiago


Tiago, or Tiago Jorge Honório as he is more commonly referred to in East Asia, was Beijing Guoan’s top scorer with ten goals last season and is a familiar face in the local football scene having also had spells with Shenzhen and Shanghai United.

After three seasons with the União Barbarense side that won the 1998 São Paulo A2 Championship, Tiago left for China in 2000, spending four years with Shenzhen prior to a season in Japan with Sanfrecce Hiroshima and back in Brazil with Atlético Paranaense before returning to China and Shanghai United in 2006.

Yan Xiangchuang

Position: ForwardDate of Birth: 05/09/86Country: China

Yan Xiangchuang’s electrifying pace up-front caught the eye of China’s Olympic coach Ratomir Dujković and the speedy 21-year-old will be hoping his per-formances in this year’s ACL will earn him a place at Beijing 2008.

In the 2007 Chinese Su-per league season Yan weighed in with eight goals, six of which were scored away from home highlighting the young-ster’s potential ability at handling the big pres-sure matches.

Tao Wei

Position: MidfielderDate of Birth: 11/03/78Country: China

Tao Wei celebrates his 30th birthday one day be-fore Beijing Guoan make their AFC Champions League debut against Nam Dinh and the club captain will be expected to lead by example through-out their continental cam-paign.

A confident and assured presence in defence Tao is a useful source of goals having scored eight times as Beijing Guoan finished runners-up in the 2007 Chinese Super League.



www.the-afc.com

Nam Dinh (Vietnam)

President Do Thanh XuanEstablished 1989Address 217 Chuong Trinh, Nam Dinh, VietnamTel +84 3503 644278Fax +84 3503 642866Email Website Stadium Thien Truong StadiumCapacity 30,000

Club

Club Colours

Home Away

Profile

Nam Dinh, one of the oldest clubs in Asia, are playing in the top division of the Vietnamese League and will be making their debut as Vietnam Cup champions after the exclusion of the two Indo-nesian clubs.

The club changed its name thrice due to sponsor replacements (2003: Song Da Nam Dinh; 2006: Mikado-Nam Dinh and 2007: Dam Phu My-Nam Dinh) following an overhaul along professional lines in 1989.

Cotonkin (as Nam Dinh were formerly known) were two-time champions of the Indochina game in 1943 and 1945. In 2004-2005, Nam Dinh were runners-up in the V-League and the Cup triumph is only their second silverware in recent history.

Facts & Stats


Domestic HonoursLeague Cup 2007_______________________________________Continental RecordACC Did not participateACWC Did not participateACL Did not participate

Name Nguyen Quoc AnhTel Mobile +84 913063043Fax +84 3503 642866Email [email protected]

Media Contact


*

Coach

Name Nguyen Ngoc Hao Nationality VietnamD.O.B 27/05/60Appointed 1996

Nguyen Ngoc Hao is credited with Nam Dinh’s successes in recent years. He took over the reins of the club in 2004 and guid-ed them to 16 consecutive victories, which helped the club finished second in the league.

This impressive performance also saw him win the best coach of the league award. In 2007 he returned to Nam Dinh after a brief spell in Khatoco Khanh Hoa and led the club to Vietnam Cup triumph.

Domestic Record


Cup – Quarter-finalLost to The Cong 0-1

P W D L F A Pts22 13 5 4 30 23 44

2005League – Sixth

Cup – Round 2Lost to Hai Phong 1-0

P W D L F A Pts22 7 7 8 27 31 28

2006League – Ninth

Cup – Quarter finalLost to Da Nang 3-2

P W D L F A Pts24 9 5 10 22 28 32

2007League – Fourth

Cup – WinnersBeat Binh Dinh 1-0

P W D L F A Pts26 10 8 8 35 31 38

ACL Record





Fixtures


MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1700Nam Dinh vs Beijing Guoan My Dinh Stadium, Hanoi, Vietnam

MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1900Kashima Antlers vs Nam Dinh Kashima Soccer Stadium, Ibaraki, Japan

MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1600Krung Thai Bank vs Nam Dinh Chula Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand

MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1700Nam Dinh vs Krung Thai Bank My Dinh Stadium, Hanoi, Vietnam

MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 2000Beijing Guoan vs Dam Phu My Nam Dinh Feng Tai Stadium, Beijing, China PR

MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1700Nam Dinh vs Kashima Antlers My Dinh Stadium, Hanoi, Vietnam

Nam Dinh, one of Vietnam’s oldest clubs, are playing in the ACL for the first time



www.the-afc.com

Nam Dinh (Vietnam)


Tran Trong Loc

Position: MidfielderDate of birth: 15/1/82Country: Vietnam

This diminutive mid-fielder is a master in ball control and known for penetrating rival defences with ease. Tran Trong Loc is also renowned for his pin-point long balls.

He controls the mid-field, often creates goalscoring moves and also helps in or-chestrating attacks. He could well prove to be the trump card for coach Nguyen Ngoc Hao in their first AFC Champions League campaign.

Nguyen Van Bien

Position: DefenderDate of birth: 27/04/85Country: Vietnam

Nguyen Van Bien is considered one of the best left flank defend-ers of Vietnamese football. Armed with good physical strength, Van Bien is key to Nam Dinh’s rock-solid de-fence. Van Bien also played his part in the Olympic and national teams.

Van Bien has just re-covered from a knee injury but still remains the first choice for coach Nguyen Ngoc Hao.

Bui Quang Huy

Position: GoalkeeperDate of birth: 24/07/82Country: Vietnam

Bui Quang Huy caught the eye after winning the best goalkeep-er award of the V-League in 2004. He did not concede a single goal after 900 minutes of domestic football that year for Nam Dinh as they finished runners-up.

He was handed the No.1 jersey for the Asean Football Champi-onship last year, but failed to show his best form in a disappoint-ing campaign, playing in only three of five games as Vietnam went out in the semi-finals.

This solid and agile 25-year-old custodian, however, warmed the bench during the national team’s quarter-final appearance in the AFC Asian Cup 2007™.



1 Bui Quang Huy 7/24/82 178 72 Vietnam

25 Vu Duc Son 9/6/88 180 67 Vietnam

26 Tran Thanh Trung 12/6/85 177 69 Vietnam

Defenders

3 Tran Thanh Tung 3/9/83 172 71 Vietnam

4 Tran Van Toan 5/1/84 164 61 Vietnam

5 Nguyen Van Bien 4/27/85 173 68 Vietnam

7 Le Ngoc Lung 8/13/80 164 62 Vietnam

13 Nguyen Minh Duc 10/24/85 171 56 Vietnam

14 Le Van Duyet 9/12/88 - - Vietnam

16 Lai Viet Huy 1/7/84 170 65 Vietnam

17 Khuong Quoc Tuan 6/4/83 172 61 Vietnam

19 Nguyen Quang The 4/18/88 - - Vietnam

24 Moussa Saib Kone 6/7/87 184 84 Cote D’ivoire

Midfielders

6 Emmanuel Ejike Onyeji Onyeji 12/25/85 184 84 Nigeria

8 Tran Trong Loc 1/15/82 168 58 Vietnam

9 Nguyen Manh Tu 3/6/85 164 55 Vietnam

12 Mai Van Hieu 1/22/85 167 63 Vietnam

15 Hoang Nhat Nam 4/3/90 165 54 Vietnam

20 Nguyen Dinh Hung 10/19/87 171 60 Vietnam

22 Pham Xuan Phu 4/16/82 168 66 Vietnam

23 Tran Duc Duong 10/24/83 173 68 Vietnam

27 Mai Thanh Binh 10/13/81 169 65 Vietnam

29 Nguyen Viet Dung 2/18/88 168 60 Vietnam

30 Hoang Danh Ngoc 4/3/90 167 60 Vietnam

Forwards

11 Hoang Ngoc Linh 2/5/85 167 57 Vietnam

18 Nguyen Thanh Luan 8/16/88 172 61 Vietnam

21 Tran Manh Dung 3/9/90 167 57 Vietnam

28 Obinna Darlinton Ajoku 11/4/84 179 80 Nigeria



www.the-afc.com

Kashima Antlers (Japan)

President Kazumi OhigashiEstablished 1991Address 2887 Aou Higashiyama, Kashima City, Ibaraki 314-0021Tel +81 299 84 6800Fax +81 299 84 6825Email Website www.so-net.ne.jp/antlersStadium Kashima StadiumCapacity 40,278

Club

Club Colours

Home Away

Profile

Kashima Antlers clinched their fifth J-League title recently with a brilliant run towards the end of the league which saw them win nine matches on the trot and finish two points ahead of defending champions and Asian champions Urawa Reds in the final round.

The Kashima-based Antlers, relaunched as a professional team in 1991, are no strangers to Asian football, having participated in the AFC Champions League in 2003 and thrice in the Asian Club Championship. But they have never managed to advance past the quarter-finals.

Former Cruzeiro coach Brazilian Oswaldo Oliveira continues to lead the team for the continental title.

Facts & Stats


Domestic HonoursLeague x5 (2007, 01, 2000, 1998, 96)Cup x2 (2000, 1997)_______________________________________

Continental RecordACC 1998 – QFACWC 1999 - Third roundACL 2003 (Group Stage)

Name Hiroki KonishiTel +81 299 84 6810Mobile +81 (0) 90 4425 6073Fax +81 299 84 6825Email [email protected] [email protected]

Media Contact


*

Coach

Name Oswaldo de Oliveira Nationality BrazilianD.O.B 05/12/50Appointed February 2007

Thanks to Oswaldo de Oliveira’s tactical nous, Kashima lifted the J-League title in 2007 in the last round with a nine-win streak and also clinched the Em-peror’s Cup after defeating Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the final, fetching the Brazilian J-League Coach of the Year accolade. Oswaldo was put at the helm after compatriot Paulo Autuori left Kashima at the end of the 2006 season and the former Al Ahli trainer will be eager to make up for the team’s disappointing group stage exit during their ACL debut in 2003.

Oswaldo is well-suited for the task and brings to Kashima a wealth of experience which saw him guiding the Cor-inthians Paulista to the title in the 2000 FIFA Club World Championship.

Domestic Record

2004League – 6th

Emperor’s Cup – Quarter-finalsLost to Gamba Osaka 0-1

P W D L F A Pts30 14 6 10 41 31 48

2005League – 3rd

Emperor’s Cup – Quarter-finalsLost to Omiya Ardija 0-1

P W D L F A Pts34 16 11 7 61 39 59

2006League – 6th

Emperor’s Cup – Semi-finalsLost to Urawa Reds 1-2

P W D L F A Pts34 18 4 12 62 53 58


Emperor’s Cup – WinnersBeat Sanfrecce Hiroshima in final 2-0

P W D L F A Pts34 22 6 6 60 36 72

ACL Record

2004Did not qualify

2005Did not qualify

2006Did not qualify

2007Did not qualify

Fixtures


MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1530Krung Thai Bank vs Kashima Antlers Chula Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand

MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1900Kashima Antlers vs Nam Dinh Kashima Soccer Stadium, Ibaraki, Japan

MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1900Kashima Antlers vs Beijing Guoan Kashima Soccer Stadium, Ibaraki, Japan

MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 2000Beijing Guoan vs Kashima Antlers Feng Tai Stadium, Beijing, China PR

MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1900Kashima Antlers vs Krung Thai Bank Kashima Soccer Stadium, Ibaraki, Japan

MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1700Nam Dinh vs Kashima Antlers My Dinh Stadium, Hanoi, Vietnam

J-League champions Kashima Antlers will be hoping to improve on their 2003 record



www.the-afc.com

Kashima Antlers (Japan)



1 Hideaki Ozawa 3/17/74 188 84 Japan

21 Hitoshi Sogahata 8/2/79 187 80 Japan

28 Shinichiro Kawamata 7/23/89 188 86 Japan

29 Tetsu Sugiyama 6/26/81 184 78 Japan

Defenders

2 Atsuto Uchida 3/27/88 176 62 Japan

3 Daiki Iwamasa 1/30/82 187 85 Japan

4 Go Oiwa 6/23/72 180 75 Japan

7 Toru Araiba 7/12/79 182 74 Japan

12 Seiji Kaneko 5/27/80 180 79 Japan

19 Masahiko Inoha 8/28/85 179 73 Japan

22 Naoya Ishigami 3/2/85 181 74 Japan

24 Takefumi Toma 3/21/89 178 70 Japan

27 Kenta Kasai 12/25/85 178 74 Japan

Midfielders

6 Mitsuo Ogasawara 4/5/79 173 72 Japan

8 Takuya Nozawa 8/12/81 176 70 Japan

10 Masashi Motoyama 6/20/79 175 66 Japan

11 Danilo Gabriel De Andrade 6/11/79 186 84 Brazil

13 Shinzoh Kohrogi 7/31/86 175 67 Japan

14 Chikashi Masuda 6/19/85 179 75 Japan

15 Takeshi Aoki 9/28/82 183 75 Japan

16 Masaki Chugo 5/16/82 178 73 Japan

23 Yuji Funayama 1/19/85 176 72 Japan

25 Yasushi Endoh 4/7/88 170 68 Japan

26 Kenji Koyano 6/22/88 170 62 Japan

30 Hiroyuki Omichi 6/25/87 177 68 Japan

Forwards

9 Yuzo Tashiro 7/22/82 181 77 Japan

17 Ryuta Sasaki 2/7/88 180 74 Japan

18 Marcos Gomes Araujo 3/23/76 174 76 Brazil

20 Shuto Suzuki 8/31/85 171 67 Japan

Mitsuo Ogasawara

Position: MidfielderDOB: 05/04/79Country: JapanThe Iwate-born midfielder returned from Serie A side Messina after the team was relegated in the 2006/07 season to lead Kashima Antlers to the J-League silverware. Since signing up for Kashima in 1998, Ogasawara has been a core player, con-tributing handsomely to their wins in the league (four times), Emperor’s Cup (twice) and J-League Cup (twice). His only ap-pearance so far in the AFC Champions League has been unpro-ductive as Kashima finished on a lacklustre note in 2003.

Ogasawara has vast experience in his trade at the international level, having played for the national team in the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups and earning 53 caps besides scoring seven goals for Japan.

Daiki Iwamasa

Position: DefenderDOB: 30/01/82Country: Japan

Marcos Gomes De Araujo (Marquinhos)

Position: ForwardDOB: 23/03/76Country: Brazil

© OFFICE PRIMAVERA

A central defender who is a constant threat to rival defences, thanks to his immense strength in the air, the 187-cm tall Iwamasa figured in 33 matches (more than any other player) for Kashi-ma last season during which he hit six goals. A defensive lynchpin, Iwamasa’s stock con-tinues to rise with a call-up from Japan national team coach Takeshi Okada in January 2008.

© OFFICE PRIMAVERA

Araujo made his debut in the J-League in 2001 and his redoubtable match-winning talents saw him being traded to no less than four clubs – Tokyo Verdy, Yokohama F Marinos, JEF United Chiba and Shimizu S-Pulse. He joined Kashi-ma last season and with 14 goals in 31 outings, it has proved to be his best season so far. An eye for goal, lightning fast penetration and the ability to find the net from distance make him a standout player.

© OFFICE PRIMAVERA

132 www.the-afc.com

GROUP G

Group G

Group F Fixtures


Matchday One


1530 KRUNG THAI BANK (THA) vs KASHIMA ANTLERS

(JPN) ___ ___

1700 NAM DINH (VIE) vs BEIJING GUOAN (CHN) ___ ___

Matchday Two


1900 KASHIMA ANTLERS (JPN) vs NAM DINH (VIE) ___ ___

1900 BEIJING GUOAN (CHN) vs KRUNG THAI BANK (THA) ___ ___

Matchday Three


1900 KASHIMA ANTLERS (JPN) vs BEIJING GUOAN (CHN) ___ ___

1600 KRUNG THAI BANK (THA) vs NAM DINH (VIE) ___ ___

Matchday Four


2000 BEIJING GUOAN (CHN) vs KASHIMA ANTLERS (JPN) ___ ___

1700 NAM DINH (VIE) vs KRUNG THAI BANK (THA) ___ ___

Matchday Five


1900 KASHIMA ANTLERS (JPN) vs KRUNG THAI BANK

(THA) ___ ___

2000 BEIJING GUOAN (CHN) vs NAM DINH (VIE) ___ ___

Matchday Six


1600 KRUNG THAI BANK (THA) vs BEIJING GUOAN (CHN) ___ ___

1700 NAM DINH (VIE) vs KASHIMA ANTLERS (JPN) ___ ___


135


www.the-afc.com

Group G

Melbourne Victory (Australia)– Australian League winners

Chonburi FC (Thailand)– Thailand League winners

Gamba Osaka (Japan)– Third-place in Japan League and Cup runners-up*

Chunnam Dragons (Korea Republic)– Korean FA Cup winners

* Gamba Osaka qualify by virtue of finishing third in the J-League and as runners-up in the Cup competition in 2007, both behind current AFC Champions League champions Urawa Red Diamonds, who join this edition directly in the knockout stage.

Gamba Osaka will be playing in the ACL for the second straight year



www.the-afc.com

Melbourne Victory (Australia)

CEO Geoff MilesEstablished 2004Address Basement Level, Vodafone Arena, Olympic Boulevard, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000Tel +61 1300 783 013Fax +61 03 9654 7859Email [email protected] www.melbournevictory.com.auStadium Telstra Dome Capacity 56,000

Club

Club Colours

Home Away

Profile

After a relatively poor first season in the fledgeling A-League, Mel-bourne Victory swept aside all before them, finishing the regular season 12 points ahead of Adelaide United to win the Champion-ship, before hammering the runners-up 6-0 in the Grand Final.

In front of an A-league record attendance of 55,436, Victory’s leading goal scorer Archie Thompson set a milestone of his own, as the New Zealand-born Australia international netted five of the six goals scored against their fellow 2008 AFC Champions League qualifiers.

Unfortunately for the passionate followers of ‘the Big V’, Mel-bourne Victory has struggled to find the form of last season and won just three times in 16 matches of the 2007/08 campaign.

Facts & Stats


Domestic HonoursLeague A-League 2006-07 1st (premiership), 1st (championship)Cup _______________________________________


Name Damien SounessTel +61 03 8656 0786Mobile +61 0419 305 776Fax +61 03 9654 7859Email [email protected]

Media Contact


*

Coach

Name Ernie Merrick Nationality ScottishD.O.B 03/01/53Appointed 2005

Having earned his UEFA Profes-sional Licence Diploma, Ernie Merrick is one Australia’s highest qualified coaches, and is one of only two coaches who have remained at the helm of their respective clubs since the inception of the A-League. After arriving from Scotland in 1979, Merrick spent a number of seasons with Doveton and Frankston City in the Victorian Premier League before moving to the Vic-torian Institute of Sport in 1992, where he spent 15 years as Head Coach. Merrick joined Victory in January 2005 and was named the A-League Coach of the Year in 2007 after a stunning season that saw Victory finish 12 points clear on top of the ladder, which was followed by a spectacular 6-0 defeat of Adelaide United in the Grand Final.

Domestic Record

2004No A-League

2006League – 7th

Note: Did not qualify for the playoff

P W D L F A Pts21 7 5 9 26 24 26

2007League – 1st

Note: Beat Adelaide United 6-0 in the Grand Final

P W D L F A Pts21 14 3 4 41 20 45

ACL Record





Fixtures


MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1930Melbourne Victory vs Chunnam Dragons Telstra Dome, Melbourne, Australia

MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1930Chonburi FC vs Melbourne Victory Supachalasai Stadium, Bangkok

MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1930Melbourne Victory vs Gamba Osaka Telstra Dome, Melbourne, Australia

MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1900Gamba Osaka vs Melbourne Victory Expo 70 Commemorative Stadium, Osaka, Japan

MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1900Chunnam Dragons vs Melbourne Victory Gwangyang Football Stadium, Gwangyang, Korea Rep

MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1930Melbourne Victory vs Chonburi FC Telstra Dome, Melbourne, Australia

The Melbourne Victory squad will be taking part in the ACL for the first time

2005No A-League



www.the-afc.com

Melbourne Victory (Australia)

SquadJersey No. Name DOB Height Weight Nationality


1 Serafim Theoklitos 2/11/81 186 93 Australia

20 Mitchell Langerak 8/22/88 191 77 Australia

23 Steve Mautone 8/10/70 188 96 Australia

Defenders

3 Daniel Piorkowski 1/12/84 187 81 Australia

4 Steven Pace 3/6/83 185 77 Australia

5 Ljubo Milicevic 2/13/81 193 88 Australia

6 Stilianos Pantelidis 8/17/83 182 83 Australia

7 Matthew Kemp 8/8/80 175 71 Australia

12 Rodrigo Vargas 10/20/78 181 82 Australia

21 Sebastian Ryall 7/18/89 180 75 Australia

Midfielders

2 Kevin Muscat 8/7/73 180 73 Australia

13 Kaz Patafta 10/25/88 174 64 Australia

14 Claudio Caceres 1/10/82 178 84 Australia

16 Carlos Valverde 4/9/82 170 70 Costa Rica

17 Daniel Vasilevski 9/4/81 177 75 Australia

18 Leigh Broxham 1/13/88 169 70 Australia

19 Evan Berger 8/16/87 169 62 Australia

22 Nicholas Ward 3/24/85 183 79 Australia

25 Tomislav Pondeljak 1/8/76 177 74 Australia

Forwards

9 Daniel Allsopp 8/10/78 185 90 Australia

10 Archie Thompson 10/23/78 174 70 Australia

11 Nathan Elasi 11/18/89 181 79 Australia

15 Leandro Da Silva 12/3/85 178 73 Brazil

24 Blagoja Celeski 7/14/85 176 72 Australia

Players to Watch

Kevin Muscat

Position: MidfielderDate of Birth: 07/08/73Country: Australia

Kevin Muscat is one of Australia’s most decorated footballers, having made 51 inter-national appearances and skippering the country at Under-20, Under-23 and senior levels. Following a glittering career in Europe with clubs including Rangers, Crystal Palace, Wolverhampton and Millwall, Muscat returned to his hometown in 2005 and led Victory to their historic A-League Premiers/Champions double, claiming two Vic-tory Medals as the club’s best player in the process.

Danny Allsopp

Position: ForwardDate of Birth: 10/08/78Country: Australia

Danny Allsopp established him-self as one of the most power-ful strikers in the A-League after winning the A-League Golden Boot Award and Victory Medal (equal with Kevin Muscat) for his efforts in 2006/07. Allsopp, who spent seven years in England with clubs includ-ing Manchester City and Hull City, was also the top scorer at the 1995 FIFA U-17 World Cup and

made his senior international debut for Australia in their match against Uruguay in June 2007.

Archie Thompson

Position: ForwardDate of Birth: 23/10/78Country: Australia

Archie Thompson etched his place in Australian foot-ball history after scoring five goals in the A-League 2007 Grand Final against Adelaide United. Thomp-son, who is Vic-tory’s ‘marquee player’, was part of Australia’s squad at the 2006 FIFA World Cup and scored a world record 13 goals against American Samoa in 2001. The dy-namic forward also holds the record for most

goals in the A-League, with 29 from the first three seasons of the competition.



www.the-afc.com

Chonburi FC (Thailand)

President Established 2002Address 2 Floor, Chonburi Municipality Stadium, Bangplasoi district, Muang Chonburi 20000 ThailandTel +66 38 288 290Fax +66 38 275 001Email Website www.chonburifc.netStadium Chonburi Municipality StadiumCapacity 5,000

Club

Club Colours

Home Away

Profile

Chonburi made history in their homeland when they became the first team from outside Bangkok to win the Thailand Premier League, losing just five times in 30 games to end the campaign nine points clear of two-time champions Krung Thai Bank.

Although the 2008 AFC Champions League marks the Sharks’ de-but on the continental stage, Chonburi proved they can compete outside of Thailand by finishing runners-up in the 2006 Singapore Cup final, losing out 3-2 in extra-time to Tampines Rovers.

One of Thailand’s most ambitious clubs, Chonburi have entered into partnerships with a number of overseas teams including Eng-lish Premier League outfit Manchester City, who recently signed defenders Suree Sukha and Kiatprawut Saiwaeo, two of their best players.

Facts & Stats


Domestic HonoursLeague 2007Cup _______________________________________


Name Kesrin KaewtechaTel +66 270 64077Mobile +66 891 280 256Fax +66 38 275 001Email [email protected]

Media Contact


*

Coach

Name Jadej Meelap Nationality ThaiD.O.B 17/01/72Appointed 2007

Jadet Meelarp made Thai foot-ball history as he led to Chonburi to become the first team from outside Bangkok to win the Thai-land Premier League, an achievement that earned him that year’s coach of the year award.

The 36-year-old has spent his entire coaching career at Chonburi, working with the 12 to 15-year-olds in the acad-emy before being appointed assistant coach in 2004, help-ing the side win the Provincial League and promotion to Thailand’s top flight the following year.

Domestic Record



2006Thailand Premier League – 8th


P W D L F A Pts22 5 12 5 29 28 27

2007Thailand Premier League – Winners

There is no Cup competition in Thailand

P W D L F A Pts30 19 6 5 50 25 63

ACL Record





Fixtures


MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1900Gamba Osaka vs Chonburi FC Expo 70 Commemorative Stadium, Osaka, Japan

MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1930Chonburi FC vs Melbourne Victory Supachalasai Stadium, Bangkok

MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1900Chunnam Dragons vs Chonburi FC Gwangyang Football Stadium, Gwangyang, Korea Rep

MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1930Chonburi FC vs Chunnam Dragons Supachalasai Stadium, Bangkok

MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1930Chonburi FC vs Gamba Osaka Supachalasai Stadium, Bangkok

MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1930Melbourne Victory vs Chonburi FC Telstra Dome, Melbourne, Australia

Chonburi FC players with the Thai Premier League trophy



www.the-afc.com

Chonburi FC (Thailand)



1 Sujin Naknayom 1/5/79 180 76 Thailand

18 Kosin Hathairattanakool 3/23/82 179 77 Thailand

22 Somkiat Passajantr 1/1/63 175 - Thailand

Defenders

3 Nattaphong Samana 6/29/84 174 70 Thailand

4 Suttinun Phukhom 11/29/87 180 70 Thailand

6 Nataporn Phanrit 1/11/82 182 80 Thailand

13 Phaisan Pona 3/13/82 185 82 Thailand

20 Udorn Pimpak 2/7/82 174 69 Thailand

27 Surat Sukha 7/27/82 177 66 Thailand

Midfielders

5 Phanuwat Jinta 1/6/87 162 60 Thailand

7 Arthit Suntornphit 1/19/86 177 - Thailand

8 Sarawut Janthapan 4/26/84 167 64 Thailand

14 Adul Lahso 9/19/86 167 60 Thailand

15 Kone Hamed 11/2/87 165 68 Cote D’ivoire

17 Kriangkrai Pimrat 2/20/87 175 65 Thailand

23 Teerasak Po-on 5/18/78 170 68 Thailand

24 Ekaphan Inthasen 9/23/83 164 62 Thailand

25 Chonlatit Jantakam 6/2/85 178 70 Thailand

28 Ampai Mutaporn 1/10/85 166 64 Thailand

29 Jetsadakorn Hemdaeng 3/2/86 171 68 Thailand

Forwards

9 Watcharaphong Makklang 3/13/85 165 65 Thailand

10 Pipob On-mo 4/28/79 163 - Thailand

11 Baga Jules Yves Stephane 6/14/87 184 79 Cameroon

12 Ney Fabiano De Oliveira 2/9/79 177 79 Brazil

16 Nikorn Anuwan 6/21/78 167 60 Thailand

Kosin Hathairattanakool

Position: GoalkeeperDate of Birth: 23/03/82Country: Thailand

Thailand’s undisputed number one Kosin Hathairattanakool had a stellar 2007, emerging as the goalkeeper of the year for league champions Chonburi and impress-ing on the international stage with some superb displays during Thailand’s AFC Asian Cup™ campaign.

After graduating from Chonburi’s academy in 2001, Kosin was immediately farmed out to gain experience in Thailand’s top division, spending three seasons at Thailand To-bacco Monopoly and a year with Osotspa before embarking on his first overseas stint, gaining invaluable experience during a six-month spell with Indonesian side Persib Bandung in 2006.

Nattaphong Samana


Left-back Natta-phong Samana spent the last three seasons at fellow AFC Champions League qualifiers Krung Thai Bank but rejoined Chon-buri after the 2007 Thailand Premier League, returning to the club where he started his ca-reer as a promis-ing 15-year-old from Assumption Sriracha College.

Although he missed the cut for

Thailand’s 2007 AFC Asian Cup™ campaign, Nattaphong is considered one of the Kingdom’s best left-sided defenders and represented his country at the 2007 ASEAN Championship hav-ing worked his way through the youth ranks as one of the ‘young guns’ that Chanvit Polchovin groomed in the Under-23s before promoting them to the senior side.

Pipob On-mo

Position: ForwardDate of Birth: 28/04/79Country: Thailand

An explosive and unpredictable at-tacker who is also known for his ac-curate set-pieces, Pipob On-mo played a key role in Chonburi’s 2007 Thailand Premier League season as both the Shark’s captain and top scorer.

Another member of the Chonburi squad who was groomed through the academy,

Pipob returned to the club in 2004 after spending three seasons at BEC Tero Sasana where he was part of the squad that finished runners-up in the inaugural AFC Champions League.



www.the-afc.com

Gamba Osaka (Japan)

President Izumi SanoEstablished 1980Address Banpaku Kinen Koen Sports Hiroba, 3-3 Senri-Banpaku-Koen, Suita City, Osaka 565-0826Tel +81 6 6875 8111Fax +81 6 6875 7778Email Website www.gamba-osaka.netStadium Expo ‘70 CommemorativeCapacity 21,000

Club

Club Colours

Home Away

Profile

Gamba Osaka get another shot at the AFC Champions League by virtue of finishing third in the J-League in 2007 and runners-up in the cup, both behind Asian champions Urawa Red Diamonds, in 2006.

Gamba figured in the 2006 edition of the continental club show-piece after winning their first league title.

Playing in home colours similar to Italian giants Inter Milan, the word Gamba means ‘leg’ in Italian, although to the Japanese it represents ‘Gambaru’, translating roughly as ‘to do your best’ or ‘to stand firm’.

Facts & Stats

Domestic Record2007 Third in league; Nabisco Cup winner_______________________________________

Domestic HonoursLeague 2005Cup 1990 (as Matsushita)_______________________________________

Continental RecordACC Did not participateACWC Did not participateACL 2006 – Group stage

Name Kana KatayamaTel +81 6 6875 8111Mobile +81 80 2409 6560Fax +81 6 6875 7778Email [email protected].

Media Contact


*

Coach

Name Akira NishinoNationality JapaneseD.O.B 07/04/55Appointed Feb 2002

This is Nishino’s seventh sea-son in charge of the Western Japanese powerhouse, a reign during which he steered the club to their first ever J-League title in 2005. Nishino is also the first Japanese coach to have recorded 150 wins in the J-League and also holds the distinction of coaching the Japan Olympic team for the Atlanta Games in 1996. He was in charge of Kashiwa Reysol’s fortunes for more than two seasons in the J1 League, before taking up the Gamba job in 2002.

Domestic Record

2004League – 3rd place

Emperor’s Cup – Semi-finalsLost to Tokyo Verdy 1969 1-3

P W D L F A Pts30 15 6 9 69 48 51


Emperor’s Cup – Quarter-finalsLost to Cerezo Osaka 1-3

P W D L F A Pts34 18 6 10 82 58 60

2006League – 3rd

Emperor’s Cup – Runners-upLost to Urawa Reds 0-1

P W D L F A Pts34 20 6 8 80 48 66

2007League – 3rd

Emperor’s Cup – Semi-finalsLost to Sanfrecce Hiroshima 1-3

P W D L F A Pts34 19 10 5 71 37 67

ACL Record

2004Did not qualify

2005Did not qualify

2006Group Stage

2007Did not qualify

H AJeonbuk Motors D 1-1 L 2-3 GSDalian Shide W 3-0 L 0-2 GSDa Nang W 15-0 W 5-1 GS

Fixtures


MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1900Gamba Osaka vs Chonburi FC Expo 70 Commemorative Stadium, Osaka, Japan

MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1830Chunnam Dragons vs Gamba Osaka Gwangyang Football Stadium, Gwangyang, Korea Rep

MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1930Melbourne Victory vs Gamba Osaka Telstra Dome, Melbourne, Australia

MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1900Gamba Osaka vs Melbourne Victory Expo 70 Commemorative Stadium, Osaka, Japan

MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1930Chonburi FC vs Gamba Osaka Supachalasai Stadium, Bangkok

MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1900Gamba Osaka vs Chunnam Dragons Expo 70 Commemorative Stadium, Osaka, Japan

Gamba Osaka’s Takahiro Futagawa (L) celebrates with team mate Magno Alves after scoring a goal in the Super Cup against Urawa Reds



www.the-afc.com

Gamba Osaka (Japan)



1 Naoki Matsuyo 4/9/74 181 73 Japan

22 Yosuke Fujigaya 2/13/81 185 78 Japan

26 Masaki Kinoshita 6/22/89 185 80 Japan

29 Atsushi Kimura 5/1/84 184 78 Japan

Defenders

2 Sota Nakazawa 10/26/82 188 79 Japan

3 Huenes Marcelo Lemos 12/5/81 184 72 Brazil

4 Hiroki Mizumoto 9/12/85 183 72 Japan

5 Satoshi Yamaguchi 4/17/78 178 74 Japan

6 Yohei Fukumoto 4/12/87 181 68 Japan

19 Takumi Shimohira 10/6/88 176 68 Japan

21 Akira Kaji 1/13/80 177 73 Japan

28 Ryujiro Ueda 1/29/88 185 74 Japan

Midfielders

7 Yasuhito Endo 1/28/80 178 75 Japan

8 Shinichi Terada 6/10/85 170 65 Japan

10 Takahiro Futagawa 6/27/80 168 63 Japan

12 Kodai Yasuda 8/8/89 165 60 Japan

13 Michihiro Yasuda 12/20/87 173 65 Japan

17 Tomokazu Myojin 1/24/78 173 70 Japan

20 Shu Kurata 11/26/88 172 68 Japan

23 Takuya Takei 1/25/86 179 72 Japan

27 Hideo Hashimoto 5/21/79 173 68 Japan

Forwards

9 Lucas Severino 1/3/79 183 75 Brazil

11 Ryuji Bando 8/2/79 171 65 Japan

14 Shoki Hirai 12/4/87 179 67 Japan

18 Jader Volnei Spindler 1/18/82 190 77 Brazil

24 Kenta Hoshihara 5/1/88 173 66 Japan

25 Hideya Okamoto 5/18/87 183 67 Japan

30 Masato Yamazaki 12/4/81 174 68 Japan

Yasuhito Endo

Position: MidfielderDOB: 28/01/80Country: JapanAn exciting deadball specialist, Endo is a Japan national team and Gamba regular, having appeared in 34 matches for the club last season and in all 13 international fixtures for the Blue Samurai, including the AFC Asian Cup™. A regular pick for the the J-League Best XI since 2003, Endo will be hoping to make up for a disappoint-ing AFC Champions League campaign in 2006 when he played in five matches and scored three goals but couldn’t help his side make the knockout stage.

Akira Kaji

Position: DefenderDOB: 13/01/80Country: Japan

Well known for his tireless work rate on the right flank, Akira Kaji played 28 matches in his second season with Gamba Osaka last year. The Awaji-is-land born defender made his debut in the J-League with Cerezo Osaka in 1998, before switch-ing sides thrice (Oita Trinita, FC Tokyo and Gamba Osaka). He has clocked up 217 J-League ap-pearances (including 75 matches in the J2

with Oita Trinita for two seasons). His international experience started with the Japa-nese U-20 side in the AFC Youth Championship in 1998 and he made quite an impression when Japan finished as runners-up in the FIFA World Youth Championship the following year. At the senior level, he recorded his first appearance in October 2003 under coach Zico, and now has 60 caps under his belt.

Lucas Severino (Lucas)

Position: ForwardDOB: 03/01/79Country: Brazil

Gamba’s new sign-ing from FC Tokyo, Lucas is expected to replace compa-triot striker Magno Alves who left the Osaka-based team to move to Saudi giants Al Ittihad last November. Lucas started his playing career as a 16-year-old with Botafogo FC before moving on to the French League (Stade Rennais). He shifted to J-league side FC Tokyo in 2004. The Sau Pau-lo-born striker also

participated in the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000 as a member of Canarinhos. He has recorded 120 appearances in the J-League, scoring 48 goals in four seasons.



www.the-afc.com

Chunnam Dragons (Korea Republic)

President Lee Gun SooEstablished 1996Address 5F. Development Bank Building, 1318-2 Jung-dong, Gwangyang, Jeollanam-do 545-879Tel +82 61 792 5600Fax +82 61 792 5605Email Website www.dragons.co.krStadium Gwangyang StadiumCapacity 15,000

Club

Club Colours

Home Away

Profile

After their failure to clear the group stage of the AFC Champions League last year, Chunnam Dragons come back into the conti-nental fray as Korea FA Cup champions. They defeated the other Korean representatives in the ACL this year, Pohang Steelers, in the final.

Chunnam appeared in the Asian Cup Winners’ Cup in 1998/1999 when they finished second after a 2-3 extra-time defeat to Al It-tihad of Saudi Arabia in the final.

Facts & Stats


Domestic HonoursLeague Cup x3 (2007, 2006, 1997)_______________________________________

Continental RecordACC Did not participateACWC 1999ACL 2007 (Group Stage)

Name Kim Mun-hyoungTel +82 61 815 0130Mobile +82 11 600 5175Fax +82 61 792 5605Email [email protected]

Media Contact


*

Coach

Name Park Hang-SeoNationality KoreanD.O.B 04/01/59Appointed December 2007

Park Hang-seo, who was an as-sistant to Guus Hiddink when Ko-rea Republic reached the semi-finals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, took over the managerial reins of the Dragons in Decem-ber 2007 after previous incumbent Huh Jung-moo was ap-pointed national team coach.

Park, head coach of fellow ACL qualifiers Pohang Steelers between 2003 and 2005, joined Chunnam from K-League newcomers Gyeongnam FC, who he managed to keep in the top flight in their first season in 2006 before stunning the Korean football scene by taking them to a fourth-place finish last year.

Domestic Record

2004League – 3rd

Cup – Quarter-finalsLost 0-1 to Daejeon

P W D L F A Pts25 9 10 6 29 20 37

2005League – 11th

Cup – SemifinalsLost 1-3 to Ulsan Mipo Dockyard

P W D L F A Pts24 7 6 11 23 29 27

2006League – 6th

Cup – WinnersDefeated Suwon 2-0 in final

P W D L F A Pts26 7 13 6 28 25 34

2007League – 10th

Cup – WinnersDefeated Pohang 6-3 on aggregate

P W D L F A Pts26 7 9 10 24 27 30

ACL Record

2004Did not qualify

2005Did not qualify

2006Did not qualify

2007Group Stage

H AKawasaki Frontale

L 0-3 L 1-3 GS

Arema Malang W 1-0 W 2-0 GSBangkok Univ. D 0-0 W 3-2 GS

Fixtures


MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1930Melbourne Victory vs Chunnam Dragons Telstra Dome, Melbourne, Australia

MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1830Chunnam Dragons vs Gamba Osaka Gwangyang Football Stadium, Gwangyang, Korea Rep

MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1900Chunnam Dragons vs Chonburi FC Gwangyang Football Stadium, Gwangyang, Korea Rep

MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1930Chonburi FC vs Chunnam Dragons Supachalasai Stadium, Bangkok

MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1900Chunnam Dragons vs Melbourne Victory Gwangyang Football Stadium, Gwangyang, Korea Rep

MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1900Gamba Osaka Vs Chunnam Dragons Expo 70 Commemorative Stadium, Osaka, Japan

Chunnam Dragons’ Kim Chi-Woo in action during their Korea FA Cup match



www.the-afc.com

Chunnam Dragons (Korea Republic)



1 Cha Kiseok 12/26/86 - - Korea Republic

21 Yeom Donggyun 9/6/83 189 85 Korea Republic

24 Cho Min Hyuck 5/5/82 190 86 Korea Republic

Defenders

3 Park Jiyong 5/28/83 182 74 Korea Republic

4 Jung Inwhan 12/15/86 187 84 Korea Republic

5 Kwak Tae Hwi 7/8/81 186 85 Korea Republic

6 Sabitovic Jasenko 3/29/73 185 80 Korea Republic

13 Lee Yunpyo 9/4/84 184 80 Korea Republic

17 Lee Junki 4/25/82 184 74 Korea Republic

Midfielders

2 Kim Jinhyun 7/29/87 177 68 Korea Republic

7 Kim Chiwoo 11/11/83 176 64 Korea Republic

8 Kim Taesu 8/25/81 180 76 Korea Republic

9 Song Jung Hyun 5/28/76 175 68 Korea Republic

12 Lee Sangil 5/25/79 174 68 Korea Republic

14 Baek Seungmin 3/12/86 170 68 Korea Republic

15 Kim Mung Woon 11/1/87 181 75 Korea Republic

16 Lim Kwan Sik 7/28/75 172 70 Korea Republic

22 Kim Seongjae 9/17/76 178 18 Korea Republic

23 Kim Ung Jin 3/9/87 181 70 Korea Republic

25 Lee Kyuro 8/20/88 177 63 Korea Republic

26 Jeong Junyeon 4/30/89 176 68 Korea Republic

27 Lee Sang Yong 1/9/86 175 69 Korea Republic

28 Cho Beomseok 1/9/90 180 67 Korea Republic

29 Hong Jongho 6/6/85 178 80 Korea Republic

30 Yoo Hongyoul 12/30/83 170 71 Korea Republic

Forwards

10 Andriano Neves Pereira 5/24/79 186 80 Brazil

11 Sandro Hiroshi Parreao Oi 11/19/79 174 71 Brazil

18 De Oliveira Victor Simoes 3/23/81 176 79 Korea Republic

19 Ju Kwangyoun 10/23/82 177 73 Korea Republic

20 Ko Kigu 7/31/80 185 80 Korea Republic

Players to Watch

Song Jung Hyun

Position: MidfielderDate of Birth: 28/05/76Country: Korea Republic

Chunnam’s Korea FA Cup specialist, Song Jung-hyun scored the opener in the 2006 final victory over Suwon Bluewings be-fore skippering the Dragons as they retained the trophy and booked another ticket to the AFC Champions League by defeat-ing Pohang Steelers last year.

Ajou University student Song was Chunnam’s first pick in the 1999 K-League draft but he struggled with injury and form and after just 16 appearances he was transferred to Daegu FC, where he matured as a player before being brought back to the Dragons in 2006 following three seasons with the Gyeongsang-buk-do club.

Kim Chiwoo

Position: MidfielderDate of Birth: 11/11/83Country: Korea Republic

Kim Chiwoo was named MVP as Chunnam Drag-ons defeated Pohang Steelers in the Korea FA Cup final and has emerged as one of the club’s key play-ers since joining the Gwangyang-based side from Incheon United in 2006.

One of the rising stars of Korean football, Kim, who had a loan spell with Serbian side FK Partizan in 2005, competes with Tottenham

Hotspur’s Lee Young-pyo and Russia-based Kim Dong-in for the left-back role in the Korea Republic national team, who are currently coached by Huh Jung-moo, the man that brought the 24-year-old to Chunnam.

Sandro Hiroshi


Lively Brazilian forward Sandro Hi-roshi was snapped up by the Dragons in 2006 after he impressed at Dae-gu FC, where he scored 17 goals and was top scorer in the 2005 K-League Cup in his first sea-son in Korea.

However, a raft of injuries in early 2006 saw his per-formance plummet before he regained full fitness towards the end of 2007. The prolific striker can count among several highlights of

his career the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 1996, where he gave no-tice of his superlative poaching skills, and the South American U-17 Championship in 1997.

152 www.the-afc.com

KNOCKOUT STAGE

Knockout Stage

Group G Fixtures


Matchday One


1930 MELBOURNE VICTORY (AUS) vs CHUNNAM DRAGONS

(KOR) ___ ___

1900 GAMBA OSAKA (JPN) vs CHONBURI FC (THA) ___ ___

Matchday Two


1830 CHUNNAM DRAGONS (KOR) vs GAMBA OSAKA (JPN) ___ ___

1930 CHONBURI FC (THA) vs MELBOURNE VICTORY (AUS) ___ ___

Matchday Three


1900 CHUNNAM DRAGONS (KOR) vs CHONBURI FC (THA) ___ ___

1930 MELBOURNE VICTORY (AUS) vs GAMBA OSAKA (JPN) ___ ___

Matchday Four


1930 CHONBURI FC (THA) vs CHUNNAM DRAGONS (KOR) ___ ___

1900 GAMBA OSAKA (JPN) vs MELBOURNE VICTORY (AUS) ___ ___

Matchday Five


1900 CHUNNAM DRAGONS (KOR) vs MELBOURNE VICTORY

(AUS) ___ ___

1930 CHONBURI FC (THA) vs GAMBA OSAKA (JPN) ___ ___

Matchday Six


1930 MELBOURNE VICTORY (AUS) vs CHONBURI FC (THA) ___ ___

1900 GAMBA OSAKA (JPN) vs CHUNNAM DRAGONS (KOR) ___ ___


155


www.the-afc.com

Knockout Stage

Draw

The draw for the AFC Champions League knockout stage will take place at AFC House in Kuala Lumpur on May 26, 2008 (subject to change).

The seven group winners will be joined in the draw for the knockout stages by Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan, the defend-ing AFC Champions League champions.

Format

A single draw will take place for the two-legged (home and away) quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final. Teams from the same country cannot be drawn together in the quarter-final stage.

In the knock-out system, both teams shall play one home and one away match each. The team which scores the most goals

in both games will qualify for the next round. If both teams score the same number of goals in both the matches, the goals scored away will be counted as double. If the same number of goals is scored away or both matches end without any goals being scored, extra time shall be played after the second match. If no goal is scored during these periods of extra time, penalty kicks shall be taken to determine the winner. If, during extra time, both teams score the same number of goals, away goals count dou-ble (the visiting team qualifies).

Registration

Teams can register 30 players for the knock-out stage until Au-gust 17, 2008. Once the registrations are done and three days prior to the first match day of the knock-out stage, up to three players may be replaced in the event they are medically unfit to play (certified by a doctor). Clubs are permitted to register three non-citizens or foreign players (27 local players and three foreign players).

Knockout Stage Match Schedule

First Leg Second Leg

Quarter-finals September 17 September 24

Semi-finals October 8 October 22

Final November 5 November 12

Action from the Urawa Reds-Sepahan ACL final second leg in Saitama last year

Urawa Reds celebrating their ACL triumph after the final whistle in Saitama in November 2007



www.the-afc.com

Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan)

President Mitsunori FujiguchiEstablished 1992Address Nakanoda 500, Midori-ku, Saitama City, Saitama 336-8505 JapanTel +81 48 812 1001Fax +81 49 812 1212Email Website www.urawa-reds.co.jpStadium Saitama Stadium 2002Capacity 63,700

Club

Club Colours

Home Away

Profile

Urawa Red Diamonds made their debut on the continental stage last year and became the first Japanese team to lift the AFC Champions League. The Saitama-based side are one of Asia’s richest and well-supported clubs with a huge fan base.

Urawa defeated Sepahan of Iran in a memorable ACL final at the Saitama Stadium which showed the world that Asia was more than capable of producing quality football with its own magical moments.

Though Urawa failed to defend their J-League and Emperor’s Cup titles, they became the first Asian side to finish third in the FIFA Club World Cup after defeating Etoile Sportive Du Sahel in the third-fourth place playoff.

Facts & Stats


Domestic HonoursLeague X1 (2006)Cup X2 (2006, 05)_______________________________________

Continental RecordACC Did not participateACWC Did not participateACL 2007 – Champions

Name Mizue HosodaTel +81 48 832 3330Mobile +81 90 9139 4336Fax +81 49 812 1212Email [email protected], [email protected]

Media Contact


*

Coach

Name Holger Osieck Nationality GermanyD.O.B 31/08/48Appointed Jan 2007

Holger Osieck took over Urawa Reds’ reins from local coach Kenzo Yokoyama in 1995 at a time when the Saitama club was licking its wounds after finishing at the bottom of the 12-team standings. The German immediately turned around Urawa and they were up in fourth position out of 14 teams when the season ended. Pumped up with confidence, Urawa finished sixth (out of 16 teams) in 1996 and Osi-eck’s achievement was widely recognised as far from being a flash in the pan.

The German quit the Japanese scene soon after to spend two sea-sons in Turkey with Kocaelispor where he clinched the Turkish Cup before leaving for Canada where he steered the national team as head coach until 2003. Before returning to the Reds for a second stint, he was head of FIFA’s Technical Department for three years.

In his second patch with Urawa, which started in January 2007, the German led them to their first ever continental title. After they were crowned Asian champions, they became the first Asian team to finish third in the FIFA Club World Cup, losing narrowly to eventual world champions AC Milan.

Domestic Record


Emperor’s Cup – Semi-finalsLost to Jubilo Iwata 1-2

P W D L F A Pts30 19 5 6 70 39 62


Emperor’s Cup – WinnersBeat Shimizu S-Pulse in final 2-1

P W D L F A Pts34 17 8 9 65 37 59


Emperor’s Cup – WinnersBeat Gamba Osaka in final 1-0

P W D L F A Pts34 22 6 6 67 28 72


Emperor’s Cup – Round 32Lost to Ehime FC 0-2

P W D L F A Pts34 20 10 4 55 28 70

ACL Record

2004Did not qualify

2005Did not qualify

2006Did not qualify

2007Winners

1st 2ndFoolad Sepahan D 1-1 W 2-0 FSeongnam Chunma

D 2-2 D 2-2 SF

Jeonbuk Motors W 2-1 W 2-0 QF

H ASydney FC D 0-0 D 2-2 GSPersik Kediri W 3-0 D 3-3 GSShanghai Shenhua

W 1-0 D 0-0 GS

ACL defending champions Urawa Reds have a bye into the knock-out stage and will join the fray in the quarter-finals

(5-3 PK)

Group Stage



www.the-afc.com

Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan)


Robson Ponte

Position: MidfielderDOB: 06/11/76Nationality: Brazilian

Current J-League Player of the Year Robson Ponte is one of the best offensive midfielder in the Japa-nese league. From 1999, the Brazilian playmaker strutted his stuff for six seasons in Germany (with Bayer Leverkusen and Vfl Wolfsburg) before join-ing Urawa Reds in 2005 when the team was guid-ed by German coach Guido Buchwald. In the last edition of the AFC Champions League, he scored five goals including crucial ones in the semi-final and final. A serious knee injury towards the end of the season kept him out of the FIFA Club World Cup 2007.

Yuki Abe

Position: DefenderDOB: 06/09/81Nationality: Japanese

After Urawa Reds paid a J-League record transfer fee to snare him from JEF United Chiba in 2007, Abe has turned out to be one of the club’s key defen-sive players. The 25-year-old utility player figured in all 12 matches for Urawa in the AFC Champions League 2007. He won his national team cap in January 2005 against Ka-zakhstan and had played 24 matches (by the end of 2007) including the AFC Asian Cup 2007™. Since 2005, he has been a regular choice for the J-League Best XI.

Naohiro Takahara

Position: ForwardDOB: 04/06/79Nationality: Japanese

After more than five sea-sons in the Bundesliga which resulted in 135 ap-pearances and 25 goals, Takahara returned to Ja-pan by opting for Asian champions Urawa Reds instead of his former club Jubilo Iwata with whom he was J-league MVP and top goal scorer in 2002 with 26 goals in 27 league match-es. The Shizuoka-born striker has represented the nation in the 2006 FIFA World Cup and twice in the AFC Asian Cup™ (2000 and 2007). In the last AFC Asian Cup, Takahara was one of the joint top goal scorers (with Iraq’s Younes Mahmoud and Saudi Ara-bia’s Yasser Al Qahtani) with four goals.

Urawa skipper Keita Suzuki in action

160 www.the-afc.com

ACL 2007

AC

L 2007

Jubilant scenes from the stands after Urawa Reds won the ACL in 2007

163


www.the-afc.com

Urawa make history

Urawa Reds became the first Japanese side to win the AFC Champions League with goals from Yuichiro Nagai and Yuki Abe earning the J.League champions a 2-0 win over Sepahan at Saitama Stadium as they completed a 3-1 ag-gregate victory.

Nagai gave Urawa the lead in the 22nd minute in front of more than 59,000 fans before Abe doubled his side’s advantage on the night with a header from close range 19 minutes from time, wrapping up what was a comfortable win for Holger Osieck’s side.

The Reds had gone into the game with the slim-mest of advantages from the first leg after a 1-1 draw in Isfahan which gave the Japanese a valuable away goal ahead of the home tie.

Urawa’s hopes were further boosted by the return of inspirational defender Marcus Tulio Tanaka, who missed the first leg due to injury, while Mahmoud Karimi, scorer of the equaliser for Sepahan in Iran previous week, was left on the bench alongside defender Jalal Akbari for the visitors.

Sepahan goalkeeper Abbas Mohammadi was called into action as early as the eighth minute when he reacted superbly to push Tulio’s header to safety after Robson Ponte’s perfectly weighted free kick into the penalty area.

However, 14 minutes later the Iranian goalkeep-er was picking the ball out of the net.

Another ball forward by Ponte – this time from open play – was sent in the direction of Nagai and, after a miskick by Jaba Mujiri, the Reds striker lashed the ball beyond Mohammadi’s de-spairing grasp and into the top corner.

Within five minutes of Nagai’s strike, the Irani-ans were pushing forward, looking for a goal of their own. Former Iraqi international Abdul Wa-hab Abolheil let fly with his attempt from long range, only to see the ball go beyond Ryota Tsu-zuki’s right post.

Sepahan, though, struggled to break down the Reds defence and, as a result, coach Luka Bonacic introduced Karimi for Emad Ridha with 15 minutes remaining in the first half as he sought a way through.

Urawa captain Keita Suzuki with the ACL trophy

Urawa Reds pose with the trophy after the prize presentation ceremony in Saitama



www.the-afc.com

But it was at the other end that the next goal looked more likely to be scored. Nagai’s 39th-minute pass released Ponte only for the Brazil-ian to fail to pull the trigger in time.

Two minutes later Washington tried his luck with an outrageous attempted lob from just inside the Sepahan half, only for the ball to clip the top of Mohammadi’s crossbar.

With seconds remaining in the half, Sepahan had a rare glimpse of goal when a mix-up be-tween Tulio and Tsuzuki presented Karimi with the opportunity to level the scores, but his weak shot was hacked to safety as Tulio atoned for his earlier error.

Sepahan made another change at the start of the second half, with Mohsen Hamidi making way for Hossein Papi.

And less than six minutes after the restart, Mo-harram Navidkia had the Reds fans flustered for a split second when he came close to ending a flowing move with a flourish, but his shot was narrowly wide of Tsuzuki’s goal.

2007 Knockout Stage resultsJust 60 seconds later Reds should have wrapped the game up when Washington cut inside the Sepahan defence, only for the Brazil-ian to delay taking his shot. When it eventually came, Mohammadi was equal to the task.

Mohammadi again denied Washington in the 61st minute when he pulled off a point-blank block of the 32-year-old’s volley.

But there was little he could do in the 71st minute as Reds killed off the game. Washing-ton’s lay-off inside the area found Nagai and, while Mohammadi blocked his goal-bound ef-fort, Abe pounced to head home the rebound as it ballooned into the air.

From there, Reds ran down the clock – although Sepahan did find the back of the net with Ka-rimi in an offside position - before claiming a deserved first Asian title for the club.

2007 Final

First leg7/11/07 Sepahan (IRN)……….........…….............1 (Mahmoud Karimi 47)Urawa Reds (JPN)……………................1 (Robson Ponte 45)Foolad Shahr Stadium, Isfahan

Second leg14/11/07 Urawa Reds (JPN)……….……..........… 2 (Yuichiro Nagai 22, Yuki Abe 71)Sepahan (IRN)………………….........…..0Saitama World Cup Stadium, Saitama

Urawa Reds win 3-1 on aggregate

Final

7/11/07 Sepahan (IRN) 1 Urawa Reds (JPN) 1 HT: 0-114/11/07 Urawa Reds (JPN) 2 Sepahan 0 (IRN) HT: 1-0 Urawa Reds win 3-1 on aggregate

Semi-finals

3/10/07 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (KOR) 2 Urawa Reds (JPN) 2 HT: 1-024/10/07 Urawa Reds (JPN) 2 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma 2 (AET) HT: 1-0 Urawa Reds win 5-3 on penalties

3/10/07 Sepahan (IRN) 3 Al Wahda (UAE) 1 HT: 1-024/10/07 Al Wahda (UAE) 0 Sepahan (IRN) 0 HT: 0-0 Sepahan win 3-1 on aggregate

Quarter-finals

19/09/07 Sepahan (IRN) 0 Kawasaki Frontale (JPN) 0 HT: 0-026/09/07 Kawasaki Frontale (JPN) 0 Sepahan (IRN) 0 HT: 0-0 Sepahan win 5-4 on penalties

19/09/07 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (KOR) 2 Al Karama (SYR) 1 HT: 0-126/09/07 Al Karama (SYR) 0 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (KOR) 2 HT: 0-1 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma win 4-1 on aggregate

19/9/07 Al Wahda (UAE) 0 Al Hilal (KSA) 0 HT: 0-026/9/07 Al Hilal (KSA) 1 Al Wahda (UAE) 1 HT: 0-1 Al Wahda win on away goals

19/9/07 Urawa Reds (JPN) 2 Jeonbuk Motors (KOR) 1 HT: 1-026/9/07 Jeonbuk Motors (KOR) 0 Urawa Reds (JPN) 2 HT: 0-1 Urawa Reds win 4-1 on aggregate

Urawa coach Holger Osieck hugs a Urawa official after the final whistle

Jeonbuk Motors received a bye into the knockout stage as the defending champions.



www.the-afc.com

2007 Group Stage results

P W D L F A Pts

Al Wahda (UAE) 6 4 1 1 13 6 13

Al Zawra’a (IRQ) 6 3 2 1 9 6 11

Al Arabi (KUW) 6 2 1 3 10 12 7

Al Rayyan (QAT) 6 0 2 4 3 11 2

Group A

7/3/07 Al Rayyan (QAT) 0 Al Wahda (UAE) 1 HT: 0-0 Al Arabi (KUW) 0 Al Zawra’a (IRQ) 1 HT: 0-0

21/3/07 Al Wahda (UAE) 4 Al Arabi(KUW) 1 HT: 1-1 Al Zawra’a (IRQ)0 Al Rayyan (QAT) 0 HT: 0-0

11/4/07 Al Arabi (KUW) 1 Al Rayyan (QAT) 1 HT: 0-0 Al Zawra’a (IRQ) 1 Al Wahda (UAE) 2 HT: 0-1

25/4/07 Al Rayyan (QAT) 1 Al Arabi (KUW) 3 HT: 1-1 Al Wahda (UAE) 1 Al Zawra’a (IRQ) 1 HT:0-0 9/5/07 Al Wahda (UAE) 3 Al Rayyan (QAT) 0 HT: 2-0 Al Zawra’a (IRQ)3 Al Arabi (KUW) 2 HT: 1-0

23/5/07 Al Rayyan (QAT) 1 Al Zawra’a (IRQ) 3 HT: 3-0 Al Arabi 3 (KUW) Al Wahda (UAE) 2 HT: 1-1

P W D L F A Pts

Al Hilal (KSA) 6 2 2 0 5 1 8

Pakhtakor (UZB) 6 2 0 2 3 5 6

Al Kuwait (KUW) 6 0 2 2 2 4 2

Esteghlal (IRN)* 6 0 0 0 0 0 0

Group B

7/3/07 Al Hilal (KSA) 1 Al Kuwait (KUW) HT: 1-0

21/3/07 Al Kuwait (KUW) 0 Pakhtakor (UZB) 1 HT: 0-0 11/4/07 Pakhtakor (UZB) 0 Al Hilal (KSA) 2 HT: 0-0

25/4/07 Al Hilal (KSA) 2 Pakhtakor (UZB) 0 HT: 1-0

9/5/07 Al Kuwait (KUW) 0 Al Hilal (KSA) 0 HT: 0-0

23/5/07 Pakhtakor (UZB) 2 Al Kuwait (KUW) 1 HT: 1-0

Esteghlal were disqualified for failing to comply with the com-petition’s Player Registration rules

P W D L F A Pts

Al Karama (SYR) 6 3 2 1 11 7 11

Neftchi (UZB) 6 3 1 2 6 7 10

Al Najaf (IRQ) 6 2 2 2 9 8 8

Al Sadd (QAT) 6 1 1 4 6 10 4

Group C

7/3/07 Al Karama (SYR) 2 Al Sadd (QAT) 1 HT: 0-1 Al Najaf (IRQ) 0 Neftchi (UZB) 1 HT: 0-0

21/3/07 Neftchi (UZB) 2 Al Karama (SYR) 1 HT: 1-1 Al Sadd (QAT) 1 Al Najaf (IRQ) 4 HT: 1-0

11/4/07 Al Sadd (QAT) 2 Neftchi (IRQ) 0 HT: 0-0 Al Karama (SYR) 1 Al Najaf (IRQ) 1 HT: 0-0

25/4/07 Neftchi (UZB) 2 Al Sadd (QAT) 1 HT: 2-1 Al Najaf (IRQ) 2 Al Karama (SYR) 4 HT: 1-0

9/5/07 Neftchi (UZB) 1 Al Najaf (IRQ) 1 HT: 1-0 Al Sadd (QAT) 1 Al Karama (SYR) 1 HT: 1-1

23/5/07 Al Najaf (IRQ) 1 Al Sadd (QAT) 0 HT: 0-0 Al Karama (SYR) 2 Neftchi (UZB) 0 HT: 1-0

P W D L F A Pts

Sepahan (IRN) 6 4 1 1 12 5 13

Al Shabab (KSA) 6 3 1 2 9 3 10

Al Ain (UAE) 6 1 3 2 5 8 6

Al Ittihad (SYR) 6 0 3 3 3 13 3

Group D

7/3/07 Sepahan (IRN) 2 Al Ittihad (SYR) 1 HT: 2-1 Al Ain (UAE) 0 Al Shabab (KSA) 2 HT: 0-1

21/3/07 Al Ittihad (SYR) 0 Al Ain (UAE) 0 HT: 0-0 Al Shabab (KSA) 0 Sepahan (IRN) 1 HT: 0-0

11/4/07 Al Ain (UAE) 3 Sepahan (IRN) 2 HT: 2-1 Al Shabab (KSA) 4 Al Ittihad (SYR) 0 HT: 1-0

25/4/07 Sepahan (IRN) 1 Al Ain (UAE) 1 HT: 0-0 Al Ittihad (SYR) 1 Al Shabab (KSA) 1 HT: 1-0

9/5/07 Al Ittihad (SYR) 0 Sepahan (IRN) 5 HT: 0-2 Al Shabab (KSA) 2 Al Ain (UAE) 0 HT: 0-0

23/5/07 Sepahan (IRN) 1 Al Shabab (KSA) 0 HT: 1-0 Al Ain (UAE) 1 Al Ittihad (SYR) 1 HT: 0-0

P W D L F A Pts

Urawa Reds (JPN) 6 2 4 0 9 5 10

Sydney FC (AUS) 6 2 3 1 8 5 9

Persik Kediri (IDN) 6 2 1 3 6 16 7

Shanghai Shenhua (CHN) 6 1 2 3 7 4 5

Group E

7/3/07 Shanghai Shenhua (CHN) 1 Sydney FC (AUS) 2 HT: 0-2Urawa Reds (JPN) 3 Persik Kediri (IDN) 0 HT: 2-0

21/3/07 Persik Kediri (IDN) 1 Shanghai Shenhua (CHN) 0 HT: 0-0Sydney FC (AUS) 2 Urawa Reds (JPN) 2 HT: 2-1 11/4/07 Urawa Reds (JPN) 1 Shanghai Shenhua (CHN) 0 HT: 1-012/4/07 Persik Kediri (IDN) 2 Sydney FC (AUS) 1 HT: 1-1

25/4/07 Shanghai Shenhua (CHN) 0 Urawa Reds (JPN) 0 HT: 0-0Sydney FC (AUS) 3 Persik Kediri (IDN) 0 HT: 0-0

9/5/07 Persik Kediri (IDN) 3 Urawa Reds (JPN) 3 HT: 2-1Sydney FC (AUS) 0 Shanghai Shenhua (CHN) 0 HT: 0-0

23/5/07 Shanghai Shenhua (CHN) 6 Persik Kediri (IDN) 0 HT: 2-0Urawa Reds (JPN) 0 - Sydney FC (AUS) 0 HT: 0-0

Group F

7/3/07 Arema Malang (IDN) 1 Kawasaki Frontale 3 (JPN) HT: 1-1Bangkok University (THA) 0 Chunnam Dragons (KOR) 0 HT: 0-0

21/3/07 Kawasaki Frontale (JPN) 1 Bangkok University (THA) 1 HT: 0-1Chunnam Dragons (KOR) 2 Arema Malang (IDN) 0 HT: 0-0

11/4/07 Bangkok University (THA) 0 Arema Malang (IDN) 0 HT: 0-0 Chunnam Dragons (KOR) 1 Kawasaki Frontale (JPN) 3 HT: 0-1

25/4/07 Arema Malang (IDN) 1 Bangkok University (THA) 0 HT: 0-0Kawasaki Frontale (JPN) 3 Chunnam Dragons (KOR) 0 HT: 1-0

9/5/07 Kawasaki Frontale (JPN) 3 Arema Malang (IDN) 0 HT: 1-0Chunnam Dragons (KOR) 3 Bangkok University (THA) 2 HT: 1-2

23/5/07 Arema Malang (IDN) 0 Chunnam Dragons (KOR) 1 HT: 0-0Bangkok University (THA) 1 Kawasaki Frontale (JPN) 2 HT: 1-1

Group G

P W D L F A Pts

Kawasaki Frontale (JPN) 6 5 1 0 15 4 16

Chunnam Dragons (KOR) 6 3 1 2 7 8 10

Arema Malang (IDN) 6 1 1 4 2 9 4

Bangkok University (THA) 6 0 3 3 4 7 3

7/3/07 Seongnam Chunma (KOR) 4 Dong Tam Long An (VIE) 1 HT: 1-0Adelaide United (AUS) 0 Shandong Luneng (CHN) 1 HT: 0-0 21/3/07 Dong Tam Long An (VIE) 0 Adelaide United (AUS) 2 HT: 0-2Shandong Luneng (CHN) 2 Seongnam Chunma (KOR) 1 HT: 0-0

11/4/07 Shandong Luneng (CHN) 4 Dong Tam Long An (VIE) 0 HT: 1-0Adelaide United (AUS) 2 Seongnam Chunma (KOR) 2 HT: 0-0

P W D L F A Pts

Seongnam Chunma (KOR) 6 4 1 1 13 6 13

Shandong Luneng (CHN) 6 4 1 1 12 8 13

Adelaide United (AUS) 6 2 2 2 9 6 8

Dong Tam Long An (VIE) 6 0 0 6 4 18 0

25/4/07 Dong Tam Long An (VIE) 2 Shandong Luneng (CHN) 3 HT: 2-1Seongnam Chunma (KOR) 1 Adelaide United (AUS) 0 HT: 1-0

9/5/07 Dong Tam Long An (VIE) 1 Seongnam Chunma (KOR) 2 HT: 1-1Shandong Luneng (CHN) 2 Adelaide United (AUS) 2 HT: 1-1

23/5/07 Seongnam Chunma (KOR) 3 Shandong Luneng (CHN) 0 HT: 2-0Adelaide United (AUS) 3 Dong Tam Long An (VIE) 0 HT: 3-0

168 www.the-afc.com

ACL 2006

AC

L 2006

TOP: A bird’s eyeview of the 2002 Saitama World Cup Stadium before the 2007 ACL Final second leg match between Urawa Reds and Sepahan

ABOVE: Urawa’s Washington exults after the final whistle

171


www.the-afc.com

Jeonbuk in dramatic win

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors let a two-goal advan-tage slip, but a dramatic late header by Brazilian striker Ze Carlo saw the Korean side become the first east Asian team to lift the AFC Champi-ons League with a 3-2 aggregate win against Al Karama of Syria in the 2006 final.

Second-half goals in Homs by Iyad Mando and Mohanad Ibrahim had wiped out Jeonbuk’s 2-0 lead from the first leg.

But with only two minutes remaining in regula-tion time, Chung Jung-kwan’s cross from the right flank found Ze Carlo completely unmarked in the Al Karama box.

The Brazilian buried the ball into the Al Karama net to complete Jeonbuk’s unlikely champion-ship run, earning the Korean FA Cup holders the AFC Champions League title, and a spot in the FIFA Club World Cup.

Jeonbuk struggled in their domestic league in 2006 but enjoyed an excellent run on the con-tinental stage, eliminating J.League champions Gamba Osaka and China Super League cham-pions Dalian Shide during the group stage, Chi-

nese giants Shanghai Shenhua in the quarter-finals, and K-League champions Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i in the semi-finals.

Al Karama also had a fairytale run as they be-came the first team from Syria to reach the AFC Champions League final.

The team from Homs ousted United Arab Emir-ates League winners Al Wahda, Qatar League champions Al Gharafa and Iranian Hazfi Cup holders Saba Battery during the group stage, stunned two-time AFC Champions League win-ners Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia in the quarter-fi-nals, and edged out Kuwait League champions Al Qadisiya in the last four.

The Koreans grabbed the advantage in the first leg as second-half goals by Yeom Ki-hun and Botti gave them a 2-0 victory at Jeonju World Cup Stadium.

Yeom, who had recovered from injuries sus-tained in a car crash only four months earlier, capped an excellent performance by curling in the opening goal after 59 minutes, and Brazilian playmaker Botti netted the second in stoppage

Yeom Ki-hoon (left) and Kim Hyung-beom pose for photographers after Jeonbuk’s ACL triumph

Jeonbuk players on the victory podium in Damascus after winning the 2006 edition of the ACL



www.the-afc.com

time, stabbing the ball home after Al Karama ’keeper Mosab Balhous could only parry a low cross by Chung Jung-kwan.

Needing two goals to rescue the tie, Al Karama dominated the first half of the return match at Khaled Bin Al Waleed Stadium, with Fabio San-tos, Iyad Mando,Mohamad Al Hamwi and Mo-hanad Ibrahim all going close.

As half-time approached, Jeonbuk nearly ex-tended their lead, but Chung Jung-kwan failed to make a solid enough connection with Lim You-Hwan’s low cross.

Al Karama opened the scoring in the 54th minute when Ibrahim unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the area which beat Jeonbuk goalkeeper Kwoun Sun-tae and cannoned off both posts before Mando slammed the ball into the net.

2006 Knockout Stage results

2006 Final

First leg01/11/06Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors ...................... 2(Yeom Ki-hun 59, Botti 90+1)Al Karama ............................................. 0Jeonju World Cup Stadium, Jeonju

Second leg08/11/06 Al Karama ............................................. 2(Iyad Mando 54, Mohanad Ibrahim 60)Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors .......................1(Ze Carlo 88)Khaled bin Al Walid Stadium, Homs

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors win 3-2 on aggregate

Final

01/11/06 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (KOR) 2 Al Karama (SYR)0 HT: 0-008/11/06 Al Karama (SYR) 2 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (KOR)1 HT: 0-0 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors win 3-2 on aggregate

Semi-finals

27/09/06 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (KOR) 2 Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i (KOR) 3 HT: 1-218/10/06 Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i (KOR) 1 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (KOR) 4 HT: 0-2 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors win 6-4 on aggregate

27/09/06 Al Karama (SYR) 0 Al Qadsiya (KUW)0 HT: 0-018/10/06 Al Qadsiya (KUW) 0 Al Karama (SYR)1 HT: 0-1 Al Karama win 1-0 on aggregate

Quarter-finals

13/09/06 Al Ittihad (KSA) 2 Al Karama (SYR)0 HT: 1-020/09/06 Al Karama (SYR) 4 Al Ittihad (KSA) 0 aet FT: 2-0 HT: 1-0 Al Karama win 4-2 on aggregate

13/09/06 Shanghai Shenhua (CHN) 1 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (KOR) 0 HT: 1-020/09/06 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (KOR) 4 Shanghai Shenhua (CHN) 2 HT: 1-1 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors win 4-3 on aggregate

13/09/06 Al Qadsiya (KUW) 2 Al Ain (UAE)2 HT: 1-120/09/06 Al Ain (UAE) 0 Al Qadsiya (KUW)3 HT: 0-1 Al Qadsiya win 5-2 on aggregate

13/09/06 Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i (KOR) 6 Al Shabab (KSA)0 HT: 3-020/09/06 Al Shabab (KSA) 0 Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i (KOR)1 HT: 0-0 Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i win 7-0 on aggregate

Al Ittihad received a bye into the Knockout Stage as defending champions

Six minutes later Al Karama levelled the ag-gregate score when Bilal Abduldaim made his way down the right flank before finding Ibrahim, who caught Kwoun off guard with his shot from a tight angle, which looped over the keeper and into the net.

The hosts could have claimed victory with Man-do forcing a double save by Kwoun in the 79th minute, and substitute Ahmed Al Omeir sending his effort wide with four minutes remaining.They would rue those missed opportunities when Chung broke down the right in the dying minute before crossing towards Ze Carlo, who peeled away from his marker to head into an empty net.

Ze Carlo and Chung Jung-kwan celebrate on their way to the dressing room



www.the-afc.com


P W D L F A Pts

Al Qadsiya 6 3 2 1 9 11 11

Pakhtakor 6 3 1 2 11 7 10

Al Ittihad 6 2 2 2 6 7 7

Foolad 6 1 1 4 8 9 4

Group A

08/03/06 Pakhtakor (UZB) 2 Al Ittihad (SYR) 0 HT: 1-0 Foolad (IRN) 6 Al Qadsiya (KUW) 0 HT: 3-0

22/03/03 Al Ittihad (SYR) 0 Foolad (IRN) 0 HT: 0-0 Al Qadsiya (KUW) 2 Pakhtakor (UZB) 1 HT: 0-1

12/04/03 Al Ittihad (SYR) 2 Al Qadsiya (KUW) 2 HT: 1-1 Pakhtakor (UZB) 2 Foolad (IRN) 0 HT: 2-0

26/04/03 Foolad (IRN) 1 Pakhtakor (UZB)3 HT: 1-0 Al Qadsiya (KUW) 1 Al Ittihad (SYR) 0 HT: 0-0

03/05/03 Al Ittihad (SYR) 2 Pakhtakor (UZB) 1 HT: 2-1 Al Qadsiya (KUW) 2 Foolad (IRN) 0 HT: 1-0

17/05/03 Pakhtakor (UZB) 2 Al Qadsiya (KUW) 2 HT: 1-1 Foolad (IRN) 1 Al Ittihad (SYR) 2 HT: 0-1

P W D L F A Pts

Al Ain 6 4 1 1 10 6 13

Al Hilal 6 3 1 2 12 7 10

Mash’al 6 2 2 2 7 11 8

Al Mina’a 6 0 2 4 6 11 2

Group B

08/03/06 Al Ain (UAE) 2 Al Hilal (KSA) 0 HT: 1-0 Al Mina’a (IRQ) 0 Mash’al (UZB) 1 HT: 0-1

22/03/03 Al Hilal (KSA) 3 Al Mina’a (IRQ) 1 HT: 1-1 Mash’al (UZB) 1 Al Ain (UAE) 1 HT: 0-1

12/04/03 Al Hilal (KSA) 5 Mash’al (UZB) 0 HT: 2-0 Al Ain (UAE) 2 Al Mina’a (IRQ)1 HT: 2-1

26/04/03 Al Mina’a (IRQ) 1 Al Ain (UAE) 2 HT: 1-0 Mash’al (UZB) 2 Al Hilal (KSA)1 HT: 0-0 03/05/03 Al Hilal (KSA) 2 Al Ain (UAE) 1 HT: 1-0 Mash’al (UZB) 2 Al Mina’a (IRQ) 2 HT: 1-1

17/05/03 Al Ain (UAE) Mash’al (UZB) 1 HT: 2-1 Al Mina’a (IRQ) 1 Al Hilal (KSA)1 HT: 1-0

P W D L F A Pts

Al Karama 6 4 0 2 10 11 12

Saba Battery 6 3 1 2 13 8 10

Al Wahda 6 2 1 3 14 15 7

Al Gharafa 6 2 0 4 11 14 6

Group C

08/03/06 Al Gharafa (QAT) 0 Saba Battery (IRN) 2 HT: 0-0 Al Karama (SYR) 2 Al Wahda (UAE) 1 HT: 1-1

22/03/03 Saba Battery (IRN) 1 Al Karama (SYR) 2 HT: 1-0 Al Wahda (UAE) 2 Al Gharafa (QAT) 0 HT: 2-0

12/04/03 Saba Battery (IRN) 2 Al Wahda (UAE) 2 HT: 2-0 Al Gharafa (QAT) 4 Al Karama (SYR) 0 HT: 0-0

26/04/03 Al Karama (SYR) 3 Al Gharafa (QAT) 1 HT: 0-0 Al Wahda (UAE) 2 Saba Battery (IRN) 4 HT: 1-2

03/05/03 Saba Battery (IRN) 4 Al Gharafa (QAT) 1 HT: 0-0 Al Wahda (UAE) 4 Al Karama (SYR) 2 HT: 2-2

17/05/03 Al Gharafa (QAT) 5 Al Wahda (UAE) 3 HT: 2-1 Al Karama (SYR) 1 Saba Battery (IRN) 0 HT: 1-0

P W D L F A Pts

Al Shabab 6 4 1 1 9 6 13

Al Sadd 6 4 1 1 13 5 13

Al Quwa Al Jawiya 6 2 0 4 5 9 6

Al Arabi 6 1 0 5 5 12 3

Group D

08/03/06 Al Arabi (KUW) 0 Al Quwa Al Jawiya (IRQ) 1 HT: 0-0 Al Shabab (KSA) 0 Al Sadd (QAT) 0 HT: 0-0

22/03/03 Al Quwa Al Jawiya (IRQ) 0 Al Shabab (KSA) 2 HT: 0-2 Al Sadd (QAT) 4 Al Arabi (KUW) 1 HT: 1-0

12/04/03 Al Quwa Al Jawiya (IRQ) 0 Al Sadd (QAT) 2 HT: 0-0 Al Arabi (KUW) 3 Al Shabab (KSA) 0 HT: 1-0

26/04/03 Al Shabab (KSA) 2 Al Arabi (KUW) 0 HT: 2-0 Al Sadd (QAT) 3 Al Quwa Al Jawiya 0 (IRQ) HT: 1-0

03/05/03 Al Quwa Al Jawiya (IRQ) 3 Al Arabi (KUW) 0 HT: 2-0 Al Sadd (QAT) 2 Al Shabab (KSA) 3 HT: 0-2

17/05/03 Al Arabi (KUW) 1 Al Sadd (QAT) 2 HT: 1-0 Al Shabab (KSA) 2 Al Quwa Al Jawiya (IRQ) 1 HT: 1-1

P W D L F A Pts

Jeonbuk Motors 6 4 1 1 11 5 13

Dalian Shide 6 4 0 2 7 6 12

Gamba Osaka 6 3 1 2 26 7 10

Da Nang 6 0 0 6 1 27 0

Group E

08/03/06 Jeonbuk Motors (KOR) 3 Gamba Osaka (JPN) 2 HT: 1-1Da Nang (VIE) 0 Dalian Shide (CHN) 2 HT: 0-1

22/03/03 Gamba Osaka (JPN) 15 Da Nang (VIE) 0 HT: 6-0Dalian Shide (CHN) 1 Jeonbuk Motors (KOR) 0 HT: 1-0

12/04/03 Gamba Osaka (JPN) 3 Dalian Shide (CHN) 0 HT: 0-0Jeonbuk Motors (KOR) 3 Da Nang (VIE) 0 HT: 2-0

26/04/03 Da Nang (VIE) 0 Jeonbuk Motors (KOR) 1 HT: 0-1Dalian Shide (CHN) 2 Gamba Osaka (JPN) 0 HT: 1-0

03/05/03 Gamba Osaka (JPN) 1 Jeonbuk Motors (KOR) 1 HT: 0-1Dalian Shide (CHN) 1 Da Nang (VIE) 0 HT: 1-0

17/05/03 Jeonbuk Motors (KOR) 3 Dalian Shide (CHN) 1 HT: 0-0Da Nang (VIE) 1 Gamba Osaka (JPN) 5 HT: 0-3

P W D L F A Pts

Ulsan Horang-i 2 2 0 0 3 0 6

Tokyo Verdy 1969 2 0 0 2 0 3 0

Group F

08/03/06 Tokyo Verdy 0 Ulsan Horang-i 2 HT: 0-003/05/03 Ulsan Horang-i 1 Tokyo Verdy0 HT: 1-0

Arema Malang (IDN) and Thai Tobacco Monopoly (THA) weredisqualified for failing to comply with the competition’s PlayerRegistration rules

P W D L F A Pts

Shanghai Shenhua 2 2 0 0 7 3 6

Dong Tam Long An 2 0 0 2 3 7 0

Group G

08/03/06 Shenhua (CHN) 3 Dong Tam (VIE) 1 HT: 2-003/05/03 Dong Tam (VIE) 2 Shenhua (CHN) 4 HT: 1-1

Persipura Jayapura (IDN) and Provincial Electricity Authority (THA) were disqualified for failing to comply with the competi-tion’s Player Registration rules

Action from the Al Ittihad-Al Karama quarter-final first leg match

176 www.the-afc.com

ACL 2005

AC

L 2005

TOP: Jeonbuk celebrate as fireworks go off at the Khaled Bin Waleed Stadium in Homs, SyriaABOVE: Jeonbuk coach Choi Kang-hee with the ACL trophy

179


www.the-afc.com

Al Ittihad win it again

Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia confirmed their sta-tus as Asia’s top club when they won the AFC Champions League for a second year running in 2005 thanks to a 4-2 win over Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates which wrapped up a 5-3 aggregate win.

Having drawn the first leg in Al Ain 1-1, Al Itti-had were quickly out of the blocks in the return match, storming into a 2-0 lead at the break thanks to a second-minute goal from Mohamed Kallon and a Mohammed Noor header after 33 minutes.

Although Al Ain, winners of this competition in 2003, pulled one back through a Shebab Ahmed penalty 10 minutes after the re-start, the side from Jeddah reasserted their supremacy a minute later throughJoseph-Desire Job, who was later sent off.

Ahmed Dokhi completed the rout with 22 min-utes left, before Luis Tejada pulled one back for the visitors in added time.

The win meant a US$500,000 payday for Ang-hel Iordanescu’s side for winning the competi-

tion and, more importantly, a place at the FIFA Club World Championship 2005 in Japan.

With the game barely two minutes old, Al Ittihad, conquerors of Shandong Luneng in the quarter-finals, and Busan I’Park in the semis, gave their fans reason to raise the roof when Kallon, for-merly of Inter Milan and Monaco, placed a free-kick over the Al Ain wall and past Abdulla Mutaz into the top left-hand corner of the net. Al Ain’s defence was at fault for Al Ittihad’s second goal, which came after 33 minutes.

Tcheco, one of five players in the Al Ittihad start-ing 11 who played in the 2004 AFC Champions League final, floated a free-kick into the danger area from the left and an unchallenged Noor, later named man of the match, planted a header wide of Mutaz’s right hand and into the net to send the Al Ittihad faithful into raptures.

Al Ain got the start to the second half they needed when skipper Fahad Ali was tripped in the box by Tcheco. Singaporean referee Sham-sul Maidan pointed to the spot, and Shebab stepped up to send Mabrouk Zaid the wrong way and give Milan Macala’s side hope with 35

Al Ittihad players with the ACL trophy after winning it for the second time in 2005

Jubilant scenes from the victory podium after Al Ittihad’s successful defence of the ACL



www.the-afc.com

minutes left to play.

Amazingly, though, their joy lasted only 60 sec-onds as Alberto Blanco and Ali Msarri both failed to make contact with Tcheco’s free-kick from the right and Job, on loan from English club Mid-dlesbrough, was on hand at the near post to head his first goal for the Saudis.

After 68 minutes, any hopes the visitors had of finding a way back into the game was snuffed out when Dokhi, overlapping down the right, fired the ball across Mutaz and into the far cor-ner of the net.

Tejada’s late effort was no more than a consola-tion prize for the vanquished men in purple.

2005 Knockout Stage results2005 Final

First leg26/10/05 Al Ain ..................................................1(Ali Msarri 50)Al Ittihad .............................................1(Mohamed Kallon 85)Tahnon Bin Mohammed Stadium, Al Ain

Second leg05/11/05 Al Ittihad ............................................ 4(Mohamed Kallon 2, Mohammed Noor 33,Joseph-Desire Job 57, Ahmed Dokhi 69)Al Ain ..................................................2(Shehab Ahmed 55 pen, Luis Tejada 90)Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah

Al Ittihad win 5-3 on aggregate

Al Ittihad retained the title after beating Al Ain 4-2 in Jeddah

Final

05/11/05 Al Ain 1 Al Ittihad (KSA)1 HT: 0-026/10/05 Al Ittihad (KSA) 4 Al Ain2 HT: 2-0 Al Ittihad win 5-3 on aggregate

Semi-finals

12/10/04 Al Ain 6 Shenzhen Jianlibao (CHN)0 HT: 4-028/09/04 Shenzhen Jianlibao (CHN) 0 Al Ain0 HT: 0-0 Al Ain win 6-0 on aggregate

12/10/04 Busan I’Park (KOR) 0 Al Ittihad (KSA)5 HT: 0-028/09/04 Al Ittihad (KSA) 2 Busan I’Park (KOR)0 HT: 1-0 Al Ittihad win 7-0 on aggregate

Quarter-finals

14/09/05 Al Ahli (KSA) 2 Shenzhen Jianlibao (CHN)1 HT: 0-021/09/04 Shenzhen Jianlibao (CHN) 3 Al Ahli (KSA) 1 aet FT: 2-1 HT: 2-1 Shenzhen Jianlibao win 4-3 on aggregate

14/09/05 Shandong Luneng (CHN) 1 Al Ittihad (KSA)1 HT: 0-021/09/04 Al Ittihad (KSA) 7 Shandong Luneng (CHN)2 HT: 2-1 Al Ittihad win 8-3 on aggregate

14/09/04 Busan I’Park (KOR) 3 Al Sadd (QAT)0 HT: 1-021/09/04 Al Sadd (QAT) 1 Busan I’Park (KOR)2 HT: 0-1 Busan I’Park win 5-1 on aggregate

14/09/04 Al Ain (UAE) 1 Pas (IRN)1 HT: 0-121/09/04 Pas (IRN) 3 Al Ain (UAE)3 HT: 1-0 Al Ain win on away goals

Al Ittihad received a bye into the Knockout Stage as defending champions

Al Ittihad in action during their 2005 ACL campaign



www.the-afc.com


P W D L F A Pts

Pas 6 5 1 0 12 4 16

Al Salmiya 6 3 0 3 8 9 9

Al Rayyan 6 2 1 3 6 7 7

Al Shorta 6 0 2 4 2 8 2

Group A

09/03/05 Pas (IRN) 2 Al Rayyan (QAT)1 HT: 1-0 Al Salmiya (KUW) 3 Al Shorta (IRQ) 1 HT: 1-0

15/03/05 Al Shorta (IRQ) 1 Pas (IRN)1 HT: 1-0

16/03/05 Al Rayyan (QAT)2 Al Salmiya (KUW) 1 HT: 1-0

06/04/05 Al Rayyan (QAT) 2 Al Shorta (IRQ) 0 HT: 0-0 Pas (IRN) 5 Al Salmiya (KUW)1 HT: 0-1

19/04/05 Al Shorta (IRQ) 0 Al Rayyan (QAT) 0 HT: 0-0

20/04/05 Al Salmiya (KUW) 0 Pas (IRN) 1 HT: 0-0

11/05/05 Al Shorta (IRQ) 0 Al Salmiya (KUW) 1 HT: 0-1 Al Rayyan (QAT) 1 Pas (IRN) 2 HT: 1-0

25/05/05 Al Salmiya (KUW) 2 Al Rayyan (QAT) 0 HT: 2-0 Pas (IRN) 1 Al Shorta (IRQ) 0 HT: 0-0

P W D L F A Pts

Al Ain 6 4 1 1 13 6 13

Sepahan 6 3 2 1 10 6 11

Al Shabab 6 3 1 2 7 7 10

Al Wahda 6 0 0 6 5 16 0

Group B

09/03/05 Al Ain (UAE) 3 Al Wahda (SYR) 0 HT: 1-0 Al Shabab (KSA) 1 Sepahan (IRN) 1 HT: 1-0

16/03/05 Sepahan (IRN) 1 Al Ain (UAE) 1 HT: 1-0 Al Wahda (SYR) 1 Al Shabab (KSA)2 HT: 0-0

06/04/05 Al Wahda (SYR) 1 Sepahan (IRN) 3 HT: 0-1 Al Ain (UAE) 3 Al Shabab (KSA)0 HT: 2-0

20/04/05 Sepahan (IRN) 2 Al Wahda (SYR) 0 HT: 2-0 Al Shabab (KSA) 1 Al Ain (UAE) 0 HT: 0-0

11/05/05 Al Wahda (SYR) 2 Al Ain (UAE) 3 HT: 0-0 Sepahan (IRN) 1 Al Shabab (KSA) 0 HT: 1-0

25/05/05 Al Ain (UAE) 3 Sepahan (IRN)2 HT: 2-0 Al Shabab (KSA) 3 Al Wahda (SYR) 1 HT: 2-0

P W D L F A Pts

Al Sadd 6 4 0 2 8 6 12

Neftchi 6 3 0 3 8 7 9

Al Kuwait 6 2 1 3 5 6 7

Al Ahli 6 2 1 3 8 10 7

Group C

09/03/05 Neftchi (UZB) 1 Al Kuwait (KUW)0 HT: 0-0 Al Sadd (QAT) 2 Al Ahli (UAE)0 HT: 1-0

16/03/05 Al Ahli (UAE) 3 Neftchi (UZB) 0 HT: 1-0 Al Kuwait (KUW) 0 Al Sadd (QAT)1 HT: 0-1

06/04/05 Al Kuwait (KUW) 1 Al Ahli (UAE)0 HT: 0-0 Neftchi (UZB) 2 Al Sadd (QAT) 0 HT: 0-0

20/04/05 Al Ahli (UAE) 3 Al Kuwait (KUW) 3 HT: 1-2 Al Sadd (QAT) 3 Neftchi (UZB) 2 HT: 1-2

11/05/05 Al Kuwait (KUW) 1 Neftchi (UZB) 0 HT: 0-0 Al Ahli (UAE) 2 Al Sadd (QAT)1 HT: 0-1

25/05/05 Al Sadd (QAT) 1 Al Kuwait (KUW)0 HT: 1-0 Neftchi (UZB) v Al Ahli (UAE) Void*

*Neftchi were awarded a 3-0 victory after Al Ahli refused to play in Uzbekistan, citing security concerns

P W D L F A Pts

Al Ahli 6 4 1 1 14 4 13

Pakhtakor 6 4 1 1 15 10 13

Al Zawra’a 6 2 2 2 10 8 8

Al Jaish 6 0 0 6 5 18 0

Group D

08/03/05 Al Zawra’a (IRQ) 1 Al Ahli (KSA) 2 HT: 1-2

09/03/05 Al Jaish (SYR) 0 Pakhtakor (UZB) 2 HT: 0-2

16/03/05 Al Ahli (KSA) 3 Al Jaish (SYR) 1 HT: 2-0 Pakhtakor (UZB) 1 Al Zawra’a (IRQ) 2 HT: 0-1

05/04/05 Al Zawra’a (IRQ) 1 Al Jaish (SYR) 5 HT: 0-2

06/04/05 Al Ahli (KSA) 3 Pakhtakor (UZB)0 HT: 0-0

20/04/05 Pakhtakor (UZB) 2 Al Ahli (KSA) 1 HT: 1-0 Al Jaish (SYR) 0 Al Zawra’a (IRQ) 0 HT: 0-0

11/05/05 Al Ahli (KSA) 5 Al Zawra’a (IRQ)1 HT: 3-1 Pakhtakor (UZB) 4 Al Jaish (SYR) 1 HT: 0-0

24/05/05 Al Zawra’a (IRQ) 1 Pakhtakor (UZB) 0 HT: 0-0

25/05/05 Al Jaish (SYR) 0 Al Ahli (KSA) 4 HT: 0-2

P W D L F A Pts

Shenzhen Jianlibao 6 4 1 1 9 3 13

Suwon Bluewings 6 4 1 1 14 3 13

Jubilo Iwata 6 3 0 3 11 4 9

Hoang Anh Gia Lai 6 0 0 6 1 25 0

Group E

09/03/05 Shenzhen (CHN) 1 Jubilo Iwata (JPN) 0 HT: 0-0Hoang Anh (VIE) 1 Suwon Bluewings (KOR) 5 HT: 0-2

16/03/05 Jubilo Iwata (JPN) 6 Hoang Anh Gia Lai (VIE) 0 HT: 2-0Suwon Bluewings 0 (KOR) Shenzhen (CHN) 0 HT: 0-0

06/04/05 Jubilo Iwata (JPN) 0 Suwon Bluewings (KOR) 1 HT: 0-0Shenzhen Jianlibao (CHN) 5 Hoang Anh (VIE) 1 HT: 2-0

20/04/05 Suwon Bluewings (KOR) 2 Jubilo Iwata (JPN) 1 HT: 0-1Hoang Anh Gia Lai (VIE) 0 Shenzhen (CHN) 2 HT: 0-0

11/05/05 Suwon Bluewings (KOR) 6 Hoang Anh 0 (VIE) HT: 4-0Jubilo Iwata (JPN) 3 Shenzhen (CHN)0 HT: 0-0

25/05/05 Shenzhen (CHN) 1 Suwon Bluewings (KOR) 0 HT: 1-0Hoang Anh Gia Lai (VIE) 0 Jubilo Iwata (JPN) 1 HT: 0-1

Shenzhen Jianlibao finished ahead of Suwon Samsung Bluew-ings due tobetter record in head-to-head meetings between the two teams

P W D L F A Pts

Shandong Luneng 6 6 0 0 15 2 18

Yokohama F.Marinos 6 4 0 2 10 4 12

PSM Makassar 6 1 1 4 4 14 4

BEC Tero Sasana 6 0 1 5 3 12 1

Group F

09/03/05 BEC Tero (THA) 0 Makassar (IDN) 1 HT: 0-0Yokohama Marinos (JPN) 0 Shandong (CHN) 1 HT: 0-0

16/03/05 Makassar (IDN) 0 Yokohama Marinos (JPN) 2 HT: 0-1Shandong Luneng (CHN) 1 BEC Tero (THA) 0 HT: 1-0

06/04/05 Makassar (IDN) 0 Shandong Luneng (CHN) 1 HT: 0-0BEC Tero (THA) 1 Yokohama Marinos (JPN) 2 HT: 0-2

20/04/05 Yokohama Marinos (JPN) 2 BEC Tero (THA) 0 HT: 1-0Shandong Luneng (CHN) 6 Makassar (IDN) 1 HT: 4-0

11/05/05 PSM Makassar (IDN) 2 BEC Tero (THA) 2 HT: 0-1Shandong (CHN) 2 Yokohama Marinos (JPN) 1 HT: 1-1

25/05/05 BEC Tero (THA) 0 Shandong Luneng (CHN) 4 HT: 0-2Yokohama Marinos (JPN) 3 Makassar (IDN) 0 HT: 0-0

P W D L F A Pts

Busan I’Park 6 6 0 0 25 0 18

Krung Thai Bank 6 4 0 2 10 4 12

Persebaya Surabaya 6 1 1 4 4 14 4

Binh Dinh 6 0 1 5 3 12 1

Group G

09/03/05 Busan I’Park (KOR) 8 Binh Dinh (VIE) 0 HT: 3-0Persebaya (IDN) 1 Krung Thai Bank (THA) 2 HT: 0-1

16/03/05 Binh Dinh (VIE) 0 Persebaya Surabaya (IDN) 0 HT: 0-0Krung Thai Bank (THA) 0 Busan I’Park (KOR) 2 HT:0-1

06/04/05 Binh Dinh (VIE) 1 Krung Thai Bank (THA) 2 HT: 1-1Busan I’Park (KOR) 4 Persebaya (IDN)0 HT: 0-0

20/04/05 Krung Thai Bank (THA) 0 Binh Dinh (VIE) 1 HT: 0-1Persebaya (IDN) 0 Busan I’Park (KOR) 3 HT: 0-2

11/05/05 Binh Dinh (VIE) 0 Busan I’Park (KOR) 4 HT: 0-3Krung Thai Bank (THA) 1 Persebaya 0 (IDN) HT: 1-0

25/05/05 Busan I’Park (KOR) 4 Krung Thai Bank (THA) 0 HT: 2-0Persebaya Surabaya (IDN) 1 Binh Dinh (VIE) 0 HT: 1-0

Persebaya finished third due to better record in head-to-head meetingsagainst Binh Dinh

184 www.the-afc.com

ACL 2004

AC

L 2004

TOP: Al Ittihad won the ACL for the first time in 2004ABOVE: Al Ittihad defender Hamad Al Montashari was named MVP

187


www.the-afc.com

Al Ittihad in stunning comeback win

Al Ittihad won the AFC Champions League 2004 in what must surely rank as one of the most re-markable comebacks in the history of Asian club football.

Trailing 3-1 from the home leg in Jeddah, the Tigers scored five unanswered goals in the sec-ond leg in front of a full house in Korea to win Asia’s most prestigious knockout tournament 6-3 on aggregate.

Few, except perhaps the hundred or so Al Ittihad fans who travelled to Korea, would have pre-dicted such an outcome for the six-time Saudi League champions after the first leg in Jeddah, which the K-League champions won 3-1.

Cha Kyung-bok’s side took the lead in the first leg through Denis Laktionov after 27 minutes, but Tomaslav Ivic’s team equalised a minute later through Redha Tukar.

But goals from Kim Do-hoon, his ninth of the campaign, after 81 minutes, and a Jang Hak-young effort in the last minute of the game, left the winners of the 1995 Asian Club Champion-ship and 1996 Asian Super Cup very much in

the driving seat ahead of the return game in Ko-rea a week later.

Al Ittihad’s chances of overturning the deficit were further dented when Ivic was dismissed and replaced by inexperienced assistant Dra-gan Talajic, whose first game in charge turned out to be one that will go down in the annals of the game.

The visitors weathered an early storm and then took the lead after 27 minutes, when Redha Tukar rose high above Park Woo-hyun in the Seongnam defence to head home.

Seongnam responded with their best spell of the game, and had good chances to put themselves back in the driving seat, but Al Ittihad doubled their lead just before the break when Tcheco’s lofted free-kick fell to Hamzah Idris, who prod-ded the ball home from close range.

The goal came at a crucial time for Talajic’s side and self-belief coursed through his side in the opening exchanges of the second half.

Having absorbed Seongnam’s early pressure, Al Ittihad midfielder Redha Tukar played a key role in the team’s win

Al Ittihad staged a stunning comeback to win the 2004 ACL



www.the-afc.com

Al Ittihad went ahead on aggregate for the first time with a magnificent goal on the counter-at-tack in the 55th minute.

Manaf Abushgeer was released down the left by Idris, and his low cross eluded a crowd of play-ers before finding skipper Mohammad Noor, who slid in at the far post.

The Koreans left large gaps at the back, and they were cruelly exposed again in the 78th minute as Noor scored the killer fourth goal on yet another lethal counter-attack.

The visitors capped an amazing night five min-utes into added time as Abushgeer turned de-fender Kim Sung-il on the left of the Seongnam box before curling the ball past the hapless Seongnam keeper to round off a comeback fewthought possible.


First leg24/11/04 Al Ittihad ..............................................1 (Redha Tukar 28)Seongnam Chunma............................ 3(Denis Laktionov 27, Kim Do-hoon 81, JangHak-young 90)Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah

Second Leg01/12/04 Seongnam Chunma..............................0Al Ittihad ...............................................5(Redha Tukar 27, Hamzah Idris 45, Mohammed Noor 55, 78, Manaf Abushgeer 90)Seongnam Sports Complex, Seongnam

Al Ittihad win 6-3 on aggregate

Final

24/11/04 Al Ittihad (KSA) 1 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (KOR)3 HT: 1-101/12/04 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (KOR) 0 Al Ittihad (KSA)5 HT: 0-2 Al Ittihad win 6-3 on aggregate

Semi-finals

20/10/04 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (KOR) 0 Pakhtakor (UZB)0 HT: 0-027/10/04 Pakhtakor (UZB) 0 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (KOR)2 HT: 0-1 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma win 2-0 on aggregate

20/10/04 Al Ittihad (KSA) 2 Chonbuk Hyundai Motors (KOR)1 HT: 1-027/10/04 Chonbuk Hyundai Motors (KOR) 2 Al Ittihad (KSA)2 HT: 2-0 Al Ittihad win 4-3 on aggregate

Quarter-finals

14/09/04 Al Ain (UAE) 0 Chonbuk Hyundai Motors (KOR)1 HT: 0-021/09/04 Chonbuk Hyundai Motors (KOR) 4 Al Ain (UAE)1 HT: 0-0 Chonbuk Hyundai Motors win 5-1 on aggregate

14/09/04 Dalian Shide (CHN) 1 Al Ittihad (KSA)1 HT: 0-021/09/04 Al Ittihad (KSA) 1 Dalian Shide (CHN)0 HT: 0-1 Al Ittihad win 2-1 on aggregate

15/09/04 Al Wahda (UAE) 1 Pakhtakor (UZB)1 HT: 1-022/09/04 Pakhtakor (UZB) 4 Al Wahda (UAE)0 HT: 2-0 Pakhtakor win 5-1 on aggregate

15/09/04 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (KOR) 6 Sharjah (UAE)0 HT: 1-022/09/04 Sharjah (UAE) 2 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (KOR)5 HT: 1-3 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma win 11-2 on aggregate

Al Ain received a bye into the Knockout Stage as defending champions

Al Ittihad players rejoice after scoring against Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma in the final second leg



www.the-afc.com


P W D L F A Pts

Pakhtakor 4 2 1 1 3 1 7

Zob Ahan 4 1 2 1 4 5 5

Qatar SC 4 0 3 1 3 4 3

Riffa 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Group A

11/02/04 Zob Ahan (IRN) 1 Pakhtakor (UZB)0 HT: 0-025/02/04 Pakhtakor (UZB) 1 Qatar SC (QAT) 0 HT: 0-006/04/04 Zob Ahan (IRN) 3 Qatar SC (QAT)3 HT: 1-021/04/04 Qatar SC (QAT) 0 Zob Ahan (IRN)0 HT: 0-005/05/04 Pakhtakor (UZB) 2 Zob Ahan (IRN)0 HT: 1-019/05/04 Qatar SC (QAT) 0 Al Pakhtakor (UZB) 0 HT: 0-0

Riffa withdrew from competition. All results for matches involv-ing Riffa declared null and void

P W D L F A Pts

Al Wahda 4 1 3 0 3 0 6

Al Sadd 4 1 2 1 1 1 5

Al Quwa Al Jawiya 4 1 1 2 1 4 4

Al Qadsiya 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Group B

11/02/04 Al Wahda (UAE) 0 Al Sadd (QAT)0 HT: 0-025/02/04 Al Sadd (QAT) 1 Al Quwa Al Jawiya (IRQ) 0 HT: 0-006/04/04 Al Wahda 3 Al Quwa Al Jawiya (IRQ) 0 HT: 2-020/04/04 Al Quwa Al Jawiya (IRQ) 0 Al Wahda 0 HT: 0-005/05/04 Al Sadd (QAT) 0 Al Wahda 0 HT: 0-018/05/04 Al Quwa Al Jawiya (IRQ) 1 Al Sadd (QAT) 0 HT: 0-0

Al Qadisiya expelled from competition. All results for matches involving Al Qadsiya declared null and void

P W D L F A Pts

Sharjah 4 3 1 0 10 4 10

Al Hilal 4 2 1 1 6 6 7

Al Shorta 4 0 0 4 3 9 0

Group C

10/02/04 Sharjah (UAE) 2 Al Shorta (IRQ) 0 HT: 0-025/02/04 Al Hilal (KSA) 0 Sharjah (UAE)0 HT: 0-006/04/04 Al Shorta (IRQ) 1 Al Hilal (KSA)2 HT: 0-121/04/04 Al Hilal (KSA) 2 Al Shorta (IRQ) 0 HT: 1-004/05/04 Al Shorta (IRQ) 2 Sharjah (UAE)3 HT: 2-218/05/04 Sharjah (UAE) 5 Al Hilal (KSA) 2 HT: 1-1

Al Ahli (BHR) withdrew from the competition without playing a game

P W D L F A Pts

Al Ittihad 6 4 1 1 14 4 13

Sepahan 6 4 1 1 15 10 13

Al Arabi 6 2 2 2 8 10 8

Neftchi 6 0 0 6 5 18 0

Group D

10/02/04 Sepahan (IRN) 4 Neftchi (UZB) 0 HT: 1-011/02/04 Al Ittihad (KSA) 2 Al Arabi (KUW)0 HT: 1-024/02/04 Neftchi (UZB) Al Ittihad (KSA)2 HT: 0-2 Al Arabi (KUW) 2 Sepahan (IRN)2 HT: 0-107/04/04 Sepahan (IRN) 3 Al Ittihad (KSA) 2 HT: 1-020/04/04 Al Ittihad (KSA) 4 Sepahan (IRN) 0 HT: 3-021/04/04 Al Arabi (KUW) 3 Neftchi (UZB) 2 HT: 1-004/05/04 Neftchi (UZB) 1 Sepahan (IRN)3 HT: 1-2 Al Arabi (KUW) 0 Al Ittihad (KSA) 0 HT: 0-018/05/04 Sepahan (IRN) 3 Al Arabi (KUW) 1 HT: 0-1 Al Ittihad (KSA) 3 Neftchi (UZB) 0 HT: 1-026/05/04 Neftchi (UZB) 1 Al Arabi (KUW) 2 HT: 0-0

Al Ittihad finished ahead of Sepahan due to better record inhead-to-head meetings between the two teams

P W D L F A Pts

Chonbuk Motors 6 4 0 2 14 5 12

Jubilo Iwata 6 4 0 2 14 11 12

Shanghai Shenhua 6 3 0 3 7 9 9

BEC Tero Sasana 6 1 0 5 6 16 3

Group E

11/02/04 Chonbuk Motors (KOR) 1 Jubilo Iwata (JPN) 2 HT: 1-0BEC Tero (THA) 4 Shanghai Shenhua (CHN) 1 HT: 1-025/02/04 Jubilo Iwata (JPN) 3 BEC Tero Sasana (THA) 0 HT: 1-0 Shanghai Shenhua (CHN) 0 Chonbuk (KOR) 1 HT: 0-106/04/04 Jubilo Iwata (JPN) 2 Shenhua (CHN) 1 HT: 1-107/04/04 Chonbuk Motors (KOR) 4 BEC Tero (THA) 0 HT: 1-020/04/04 BEC Tero (THA) 0 Chonbuk Motors (KOR) 4 HT: 0-122/04/04 Shenhua (CHN) 3 Jubilo Iwata (JPN)2 HT: 2-205/05/04 Shanghai Shenhua (CHN) 1 BEC Tero (THA) 0 HT: 0-012/05/04 Jubilo Iwata (JPN) 2 Chonbuk Motors (KOR) 4 HT: 0-119/05/04 Chonbuk Motors (KOR) 0 Shenhua (CHN) 1 HT: 0-0BEC Tero Sasana (THA) 2 Jubilo Iwata (JPN) 3 HT: 1-2

Chonbuk Hyundai Motors finished ahead of Jubilo Iwata due to betterrecord in head-to-head meetings between the two teams

P W D L F A Pts

Dalian Shide 6 5 0 1 11 15 15

Krung Thai Bank 6 2 1 3 8 11 7

Hoang Anh Gia Lai 6 2 1 3 10 10 7

PSM Makassar 6 2 0 4 9 12 6

Group F

10/02/04 Krung Thai Bank (THA) 0 Dalian Shide (CHN) 2 HT: 0-111/02/04 Hoang Anh Gia Lai (VIE) 5 PSM Makassar (IDN) 1 HT: 3-024/02/04 Dalian Shide (CHN) 2 Hoang Anh Gia Lai (VIE) 0 HT: 2-025/02/04 PSM Makassar (IDN) 2 Krung Thai Bank (THA) 2 HT: 1-306/04/04 Hoang Anh (VIE) 0 Krung Thai Bank (THA) 1 HT: 0-007/04/04 PSM Makassar (IDN) 0 Dalian Shide (CHN)1 HT: 0-121/04/04 Krung Thai Bank (THA) 2 Hoang Anh (VIE)2 HT: 2-1Dalian Shide (CHN) 2 PSM Makassar (IDN)1 HT: 1-104/05/04 Dalian Shide (CHN) 3 Krung Thai Bank (THA) 1 HT: 1-105/05/04 PSM Makassar (IDN) 3 Hoang Anh Gia Lai (VIE) 0 HT: 1-018/05/04 Krung Thai Bank (THA) 1 PSM Makassar (IDN) 2 HT: 1-0Hoang Anh Gia Lai (VIE) 3 Dalian Shide (CHN) 1 HT: 1-0

P W D L F A Pts

Seongnam Chunma 6 5 0 1 24 4 15

Yokohama F.Marinos 6 5 0 1 19 3 15

Persik Kediri 6 1 1 4 5 27 4

Binh Dinh 6 0 1 5 3 17 1

Group G

10/02/04 Binh Dinh (VIE) 0 Yokohama F.Marinos (JPN) 3 HT: 0-211/02/04 Persik Kediri (IDN) 1 Seongnam (KOR)2 HT: 0-224/02/04 Yokohama.Marinos (JPN) 4 Persik (IDN) 0 HT: 2-025/02/04 Seongnam Chunma (KOR) 2 Binh Dinh (VIE) 0 HT: 1-007/04/04 Binh Dinh (VIE) 2 Persik Kediri (IDN) 2 HT: 2-1Yokohama Marinos (JPN) 1 Seongnam (KOR) 2 HT: 1-1

21/04/04 Persik Kediri (IDN) 1 Binh Dinh (VIE) 0 HT: 1-0Seongnam (KOR) 0 Yokohama Marinos (JPN) 1 HT: 0-005/05/04 Yokohama Marinos (JPN) 6 Binh Dinh (VIE) 0 HT: 2-011/05/04 Seongnam (KOR) 15 Persik Kediri (IDN)0 HT: 7-019/05/04 Persik (IDN) 1 Yokohama Marinos (JPN) 4 HT: 0-4Binh Dinh (VIE) 1 Seongnam Chunma (KOR) 3 HT: 1-2

Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma finished ahead of Yokohama Mari-nos on goal difference

192 www.the-afc.com

ACL 2003

AC

L 2003

TOP: The two captains line up before kickoffABOVE: Al Ittihad won the second leg against Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma 5-0 for an aggregate 6-3 win

195


www.the-afc.com

Al Ain lift inaugural title

Al Ain won the inaugural AFC Champions League, beating Thai side BEC Tero Sasana 2-1 on aggregate.

Bruno Metsu’s side won the first leg 2-0 thanks to a goal five minutes before half-time from skip-per Salem Jawhar, and a Mohammed Omar ef-fort 15 minutes from full-time.

Despite losing the second leg in Bangkok by a single goal, Al Ain held on to become the first side from the United Arab Emirates to win an Asian club title.

BEC Tero gave their all in the second leg at the Supachalasai Stadium, but a Therdsak Chaim-an penalty in the 60th minute was not enough to wrench the trophy from Al Ain’s grasp.

For the Thais, it was a case of so near yet so far as Attapol Puspakom’s side took the lead 15 minutes into the second half, and then had what looked like a perfectly legitimate headed goal seven minutes later ruled out.The goal would have put the two sides level on aggregate.

It was Al Ain who had the first chance of the sec-

ond leg, giant French defender Kadjo Afanou heading a flicked-on corner against an upright after only five minutes.

The near-miss was Al Ain’s only real chance for the next 40 minutes, although the visitors nearly stole a first-half lead they did not deserve when Faisal Ali found himself in space down the right.

His first touch took him into the box, but he shot straight at the legs of BEC Tero and Thai na-tional ’keeper Phansa Meetsattham.

In between, BEC Tero dominated large periods, with midfielder Therdsak Chaiman, the Emirates MVP of the final, at the heart of his side’s bestmoves.

It was always going to be difficult for the home side to maintain the prodigious workrate of the first half and, as BEC Tero began to tire, so Al Ain began to exploit the wide open spaces of the Rajamangala playing surface.

The first chance of the second half fell to Faisal Ali after 50 minutes, but his left-foot scissors

Al Ain supporters pack the stands for the final against BEC Tero Sasana

Inaugural ACL champions Al Ain acknowledge the crowd



www.the-afc.com

kick was tipped around the post by Phansa.

Ten minutes later, BEC Tero were ahead on the night.Therdsak, picking the ball up on the half-way line, shrugged off the attentions of his marker before setting Datsakorn Thonglao free down the left.

The midfielder cut in from the left and, as he entered the box, was felled by Humaid Fakher.The referee pointed straight to the spot, and Therdsak composed himself before sending the ’keeper the wrong way.

The goal lifted BEC Tero and the home support-ers, who raised the roof after 66 minutes when Pherartat Phoruandee rose to meet Therdsak’s deep corner and angle a header across the line. BEC Tero joy was short-lived, however, as the referee immediately blew for an infringement, presumably on Al Ain ’keeper Waleed.

In the last 10 minutes, BEC Tero opted for hope-ful long balls. But, try as they did, it was not enough, and Al Ain held on to claim an historic win and the US$500,000 winners’ purse.


First leg03/10/03 Al Ain ..................................................2(Salam Jawhar 40, Mohammed Omar 75)BEC Tero Sasana ................................0Tahnon bin Mohammed Stadium, Al Ain

Second Leg11/10/03 BEC Tero Sasana ................................1(Therdsak Chaiman 60 pen)Al Ain ..................................................0Supachalasai Stadium, Bangkok

Al Ain win 2-1 on aggregate

Final

03/10/03 Al Ain (UAE) 2 BEC Tero Sesana (Tha)0 HT: 1-011/10/03 BEC Tero Sesana (Tha) 1 Al Ain (UAE)0 HT: 0-0 Al Ain win 2-1 on aggregate

Semi-finals

09/04/03 Al Ain (UAE) 4 Dalian Shide (CHN)2 HT: 0-130/08/03 Dalian Shide (CHN) 4 Al Ain (UAE)3 HT: 1-0 Al Ain win 7-6 on aggregate

09/04/03 BEC Tero Sesana (Tha) 3 Pakhtakor (UZB)1 HT: 1-022/04/03 Pakhtakor (UZB) 1 BEC Tero Sesana (Tha)0 HT: 0-0 BEC Tero Sasana win 3-2 on aggregate

P W D L F A PtsBEC Tero Sasana 3 2 1 0 6 3 7Taejon Citizen 3 2 0 1 3 3 6Shanghai Shenhua 3 1 0 2 6 7 3Kashima Antlers 3 0 1 2 5 7 1

Group A

10/03/03 Shanghai (CHN) 1 Taejon (KOR)2 HT: 0-2 Kashima (JPN) 2 BEC Tero (THA) 2 HT: 1-012/03/03 Kashima (JPN) 3 Shanghai (CHN) 4 HT: 1-3 Taejon (KOR) 0 BEC Tero (THA) 2 HT: 0-114/03/03 BEC Tero (THA) 2 Shanghai (CHN) 1 HT: 1-0 Taejon (KOR) 1 Kashima (JPN)0 HT: 0-0All games played in Bangkok,Thailand

P W D L F A PtsDalian Shide 3 2 1 0 10 2 7Seongnam Chunma 3 2 0 1 9 4 6Shimizu S-Pulse 3 1 1 2 8 2 4Osotspa 3 0 0 3 1 20 0

Group B

09/03/03 Seongnam (KOR) 6 Osotspa (THA) 0 HT: 3-0 Shimizu (JPN) 0 Dalian (CHN) 0 HT: 0-012/03/03 Shimizu (JPN) 1 Seongnam (KOR) 2 HT: 0-0 Osotspa (THA) 1 Dalian (CHN) 7 HT: 1-215/03/03 Dalian (CHN) 3 Seongnam (KOR) 1 HT: 0-0 Osotspa (THA) 0 Shimizu (JPN) 7 HT: 0-2All games played in Dalian, China


P W D L F A PtsAl Ain 3 3 0 0 6 1 9Al Sadd 3 1 0 2 4 5 3Esteghlal 3 1 0 2 5 7 3Al Hilal 3 1 0 2 4 6 3

Group C

09/03/03 Al Sadd (QAT) 1 Esteghlal (IRN)2 HT: 0-1 Al Ain (UAE) 1 Al Hilal (KSA) 0 HT: 1-012/03/03 Al Ain (UAE) 2 Al Sadd (QAT) 0 HT: 1-0 Esteghlal (IRN) 2 Al Hilal (KSA) 3 HT: 2-115/03/03 Al Hilal (KSA) 1 Al Sadd (QAT)3 HT: 0-1 Esteghlal (IRN) 1 Al Ain (UAE) 3 HT: 0-0All games played in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

P W D L F A PtsPakhtakor 3 3 0 0 7 0 9Pirouzi 3 2 0 1 5 2 6Al Talaba 3 1 0 2 3 4 3Nisa 3 0 0 3 1 10 0

Group D

09/03/03 Nisa (TKM) 0 Pakhtakor (UZB) 3 HT: 0-1 Al Talaba (IRQ) 0 Pirouzi (IRN)1 HT: 0-012/03/03 Al Talaba (IRQ) 3 Nisa (TKM)0 HT: 2-0 Pakhtakor (UZB) 1 Pirouzi (IRN) 0 HT: 1-015/03/03 Nisa (TKM) 1 Pirouzi (IRN)4 HT: 0-1 Al Talaba (IRQ) 0 Pakhtakor (UZB) 3 HT: 0-2All games played in Tashkent, UzbekistanAction from the Al Ain-BEC Tero Sasana final



www.the-afc.com

2002 Preliminary Round West Asia 2002 Preliminary Round East Asia

Fourth Qualifying Round

12/11/02 Al Jaish (SYR) 1 Al Sadd (QAT)1 HT: 0-127/11/02 Al Sadd (QAT) 1 Al Jaish (SYR) 1 aet FT: 1-1 HT: 1-1 Al Sadd win 4-1 on penalties

13/11/02 Pakhtakor (UZB) 3 Al Ahli (UAE) 2 HT: 1-127/11/02 Al Ahli (UAE) 0 Pakhtakor (UZB) 1 HT: 0-0 Pakthakor win 4-2 on aggregate

13/11/02 Esteghlal (IRN) 1 Neftchi (UZB) 0 HT: 0-026/11/02 Neftchi (UZB) 2 Esteghlal (IRN) 1 HT: 0-1 Esteghlal win on away goals

Al Arabi (KUW) v Nisa (TKM) Nisa (TKM) v Al Arabi (KUW) Al Arabi withdrew. Nisa advance

Third Qualifying Round

08/10/02 Al Ittihad (SYR) 1 Al Arabi 1 (KUW) HT: 1-123/10/02 Al Arabi 1 (KUW) 4 Al Ittihad (SYR)0 HT: 2-0 Al Arabi win 5-1 on aggregate

08/10/02 Al Ahli Sana’a (YEM) 1 Neftchi (UZB)2 HT: 0-223/10/02 Neftchi (UZB) 6 Al Ahli Sana’a (YEM)0 HT: 2-0 Neftchi win 8-1 on aggregate

09/10/02 Al Ahli (UAE) 3 Al Ahli (KSA)2 HT: 2-123/10/02 Al Ahli (KSA) 2 Al Ahli (UAE)2 HT: 2-0 Al Ahli (UAE) win 5-4 on aggregate

09/10/02 Esteghlal (IRN) 2 Al Faisaly (JOR)0 HT: 0-024/10/02 Al Faisaly (JOR) 0 Esteghlal (IRN) 1 HT: 0-1 Esteghlal win 3-0 on aggregate

09/10/02 Al Sadd (QAT) 1 Al Zawra’a (IRQ)1 HT: 1-125/10/02 Al Zawra’a (IRQ) 1 Al Sadd (QAT) 2 aet FT: 1-1 HT: 1-1 Al Sadd win 3-2 on aggregate

10/10/02 Al Etehad (QAT) 4 Pakhtakor (UZB)3 HT: 2-125/10/02 Pakhtakor (UZB) 3 Al Etehad (QAT)0 HT: 0-0 Pakthakor win 6-4 on aggregate

Al Jaish (SYR) v Regar-Tadaz (TJK) Regar-Tadaz (TJK) v Al Jaish (SYR)

Regar-Tadaz suspended by AFC. Al Jaish advance Nisa (TKM) received a bye into Fourth Qualifying Round

Second Qualifying Round

10/09/02 Al Ansar (LIB) 1 Al Faisaly (JOR)0 HT: 0-025/09/02 Al Faisaly (JOR) 3 Al Ansar (LIB)0 HT: 3-0 Al Faisaly win 3-1 on aggregate

11/09/02 Al Ahli (UAE) 2 Al Kuwait (KUW)0 HT: 0-024/09/02 Al Kuwait (KUW) 3 Al Ahli (UAE)1 HT: 0-0 Al Ahli (UAE) win on away goals

11/09/02 Jashtyk-Ak-Atlyn (KGZ) 0 Al Ahli Sana’a (YEM) 2 HT: 0-125/09/02 Al Ahli Sana’a (YEM) 2 Jashtyk-Ak-Atlyn (KGZ) 0 HT: 2-0 Al Ahli Sana’a win 4-0 on aggregate

11/09/02 Pakhtakor (UZB) 3 Al Wihdat (JOR)0 HT: 1-027/09/02 Al Wihdat (JOR) 3 Pakhtakor (UZB)1 HT: 0-0 Pakthakor win 4-3 on aggregate

Al Sadd (QAT) v Kopetdag (TKM) Kopetdag (TKM) v Al Sadd (QAT) Kopetdag withdrew. Al Sadd advance

Al Ittihad (SYR) v Khudjand (TJK) Khudjand (TJK) v Al Ittihad (SYR)

Khudjand suspended by AFC. Al Ittihad advance Al Jaish (SYR) advance after withdrawal of Bahrain representative. Al Quds (PAL) withdrew

First Qualifying Round

13/08/02 Al Wihdat (JOR) 3 Al Nejmeh (LIB)2 HT: 1-128/08/02 Al Nejmeh (LIB) 0 Al Wihdat (JOR)0 HT: 0-0 Al Nejmeh win 3-2 on aggregate

Al Nasr (OMA) v Al Ansar (LEB) Al Ansar (LEB) v Al Nasr (OMA) Al Nasr withdrew. Al Ansar advance

Jashtyk-Ak-Atlyn (KGZ) v Al Aqsa (PAL) Al Aqsa (PAL) v Jashtyk-Ak-Atlyn (KGZ) Al Aqsa withdrew. Jashtyk-Ak-Atlyn advance

Al Ittihad (SYR), Al Kuwait (KUW) and Kopetdag (TKM) received byes into Second Qualifying Round

Third Qualifying Round

12/11/02 Churchill Brothers (IND) 1 Osotspa (THA) 1 HT: 0-026/11/02 Osotspa (THA) 6 Churchill Brothers (IND) 3 HT: 2-1Osotspa win 7-4 on aggregate

12/11/02 South China (HKG) 0 Shimizu S-Pulse (JPN) 5 HT: 0-227/11/02 Shimizu S-Pulse (JPN) 3 South China (HKG) 1 HT: 0-0Shimizu S-Pulse win 8-1 on aggregate

13/11/02 Taejon Citizen (KOR) 6 Mohun Bagan (IND) 0 HT: 4-026/11/02 Mohun Bagan (IND) 2 Taejon Citizen (KOR) 1 HT: 0-1Taejon Citizen win 8-1 on aggregate

13/11/02 Shanghai Shenhua (CHN) 3 Geylang Utd (SIN) 0 HT: 0-027/11/02 Geylang Utd (SIN) 1 Shanghai Shenhua (CHN) 2 HT: 0-2Shanghai Shenhua win 5-1 on aggregate

Second Qualifying Round

06/10/02 Geylang United (SIN) 3 DPMM 0 (BRU) 0 HT: 1-023/10/02 DPMM (KUW) 0 Geylang United (SIN) 4 HT: 0-1Geylang United win 7-0 on aggregate

08/10/02 South China (HKG) 2 Home United (SIN)1 HT: 2-023/10/02 Home United (SIN) 1 South China (HKG)1 HT: 1-0South China win 3-2 on aggregate

08/10/02 Petrokimia Putra (IDN) 3 Shenhua (CHN)1 HT: 0-023/10/02 Shenhua (CHN) 5 Petrokimia Putra (IDN) 1 HT: 3-1Shanghai Shenhua win 6-4 on aggregate

09/10/02 Persita Tangerang (IDN) 0 Osotspa (THA)1 HT: 0-022/10/02 Osotspa (THA) 0 Persita Tangerang (IDN)0 HT: 0-0Osotspa win 1-0 on aggregate

09/10/02 Mohun Bagan (IND) 2 Valencia (MDV)2 HT: 1-022/10/02 Valencia (MDV) 0 Mohun Bagan (IND)3 HT: 2-2Mohun Bagan win 5-2 on aggregate

09/10/02 Shimizu S-Pulse (JPN) 7 New Radiant (MDV) 0 HT: 1-023/10/02 New Radiant (MDV) 0 Shimizu S-Pulse (JPN) 0 HT: 0-0Shimizu S-Pulse win 7-0 on aggregate

09/10/02 Monte Carlo (MAC) 1Taejon Citizen (KOR) 5 HT: 1-423/10/02 Taejon Citizen (KOR)3 Monte Carlo (MAC) 0 HT: 1-0Taejon Citizen win 8-1 on aggregate

11/10/02 Churchill Bros (IND) 2 Saigon Port (MDV) 0 HT: 0-025/10/02 Saigon Port (MDV) 1 Churchill Bros (IND)0 HT: 0-0Churchill Brothers win 2-1 on aggregate

First Qualifying Round

10/09/02 Air Force (SRI) 1 New Radiant (MDV)1 HT: 1-022/09/02 New Radiant (MDV) 2 Air Force (SRI) 1aet FT: 1-1 HT: 0-0New Radiant win 3-2 on aggregate

11/09/02 Saunders SC (SRI) 0 Mohun Bagan (IND)2 HT: 0-122/09/02 Mohun Bagan (IND) 5 Saunders SC (SRI)1 HT: 4-1Al Ahli (UAE) win on away goals

Monte Carlo (MAC), DPMM (BRU), Petrokimia Putra (IDN), Home United (SIN), Persita Tangerang (IDN) and Churchil Brothers (IND) received byes into Second Qualifying Round.

There were only three Qualifying Rounds in the East Asia zone

200 www.the-afc.com

ROLL OF HONOUR

Roll of Honour

TOP: Al Ain fans cheering their team during the inaugural ACL finalABOVE: Al Ain players celebrating after their win over BEC Tero Sasana

203


www.the-afc.com

Roll of Honour

AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Year Winners Runners-up2007 Urawa Red Diamonds (JPN) Sepahan (IRN)2006 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (KOR) Al Karama (SYR)2005 Al Ittihad (KSA) Al Ain (UAE)2004 Al Ittihad (KSA) Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (KOR)2002/03 Al Ain (UAE) BEC Tero Sasana (THA)

AFC Cup

Year Winners Runners-up2007 Shabab Al Ordun (JOR) Al Faisaly (JOR)2006 Al Faisaly (JOR) Muharraq (BHR)2005 Al Faisaly (JOR) Al Nejmeh (LIB)2004 Al Jaish (SYR) Al Wahda (SYR)

ASIAN SUPER CUP

Year Winners Runners-up2002 Suwon Samsung Bluewings (KOR) Al Hilal (KSA)2001 Suwon Samsung Bluewings (KOR) Al Shabab (KSA)2000 Al Hilal (KSA) Shimizu S-Pulse (JPN)1999 Jubilo Iwata (JPN) Al Ittihad (KSA)1998 Al Nassr (KSA) Pohang Steelers (KOR)1997 Al Hilal (KSA) Pohang Steelers (KOR)1996 Ilhwa Chunma (KOR) Bellmare Hiratsuka (JPN)1995 Yokohama Flugels (JPN) Thai Farmers Bank (THA)

Al Faisaly of Jordan won the AFC Cup in 2005 and 2006

204 www.the-afc.com

Roll of Honour

ASIAN CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP

Year Winners Runners-up2001/02 Suwon Samsung Bluewings (KOR) Anyang LG Cheetahs (KOR)2000/01 Suwon Samsung Bluewings (KOR) Jubilo Iwata (JPN)1999/00 Al Hilal (KSA) Jubilo Iwata (JPN)1998/99 Jubilo Iwata (JPN) Esteghlal (IRN)1997/98 Pohang Steelers (KOR) Dalian Wanda (CHN)1996/97 Pohang Steelers (KOR) Ilhwa Chunma (KOR)1995 Ilhwa Chunma (KOR) Al Nasr (KSA)1994 Thai Farmers Bank (THA) Al Arabi (QAT)1993 Thai Farmers Bank (THA) Oman Club (OMN)1992 Pas (IRN) Al Shabab (KSA)1991 Al Hilal (KSA) Esteghlal (IRN)1990 Esteghlal (IRN) Liaoning (CHN)1989 Liaoning (CHN) Nissan (JPN)1988 Al Saad (QAT) Al Rasheed (IRQ)1987 Yomiuri (JPN) Al Hilal (KSA)1986 Furukawa (JPN) Al Hilal (KSA)1985 Daewoo Royals (KOR) Al Ahli (KSA)1972-84 No competition1971 Maccabi Tel Aviv (ISR) Al Shorta (IRQ)1970 Taj Club (IRN) Hapoel Tel Aviv (ISR)1969 Maccabi Tel Aviv (ISR) Yangzee (KOR)1968 No competition1967 Hapoel Tel Aviv (ISR) Selangor (MAS)

ASIAN CUP WINNERS’ CUP

Year Winners Runners-up2001/02 Al Hilal (KSA) Chonbuk Hyundai Motors (KOR)2000/01 Al Shabab (KSA) Dalian Shide (CHN)1999/00 Shimizu S-Pulse (JPN) Al Zawra’a (IRQ)1998/99 Al Ittihad (KSA) Chunnam Dragons (KOR)1997/98 Al Nassr (KSA) Suwon Samsung Bluewings (KOR)1996 Al Hilal (KSA) Nagoya Grampus Eight (JPN)1995 Bellmare Hiratsuka (JPN) Al Talaba (IRQ)1994 Yokohama Flugels (JPN) Al Shaab (UAE)1993 Al Qadisiya (KSA) South China (HKG)1992 Yokohama Marinos (JPN) Pirouzi (IRN)1991 Nissan (JPN) Al Nasr (KSA)1990 Pirouzi (IRN) Al Muharraq (BHR)

USEFUL CONTACTS

Useful C

ontact

207


www.the-afc.com

Useful contacts

ASIAN FOOTBALL CONFEDERATIONAFC House, Jalan 1/155BBukit Jalil, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.Tel: +60 3 8994 3388 (Hunting Line)Fax - +603-8994-4970E-mail: [email protected]: www.the-afc.com

Member Associations

AUSTRALIAFootball Federation Australia (FFA)Level 7, 26 College Street, Sydney, NSW2000, AustraliaTel: +61 2 8354 5555Fax: +61 2 8354 5590E-mail: [email protected]: www.footballaustralia.com.au

CHINAFootball Association of the People’sRepublic of China (CFA)Building A, Dongjiudasha, XizhaosiStreet, Chongwen District, Beijing100061, China PRTel: +86 10 5929 1031Fax: +86 10 5929 0309E-mail: [email protected]: www.fa.org.cn (Chinese only)

IRANIR Iran Football Federation (IRIFF)No. 2/2 Third St, Seoul Ave,Tehran19958-73591, IranTel: +98 21 8821 3308Fax: +98 21 8821 3302E-mail: [email protected]: www.iriff.ir

IRAQIraqi Football Association (IFA)Al Shaab Stadium, P.O. Box 484, Baghdad, IraqE-mail: [email protected]: www.iraqfootball.org

JAPANJapan Football Association (JFA)JFA House, Football Ave, Bunkyo-ku,Tokyo 113-8311, JapanTel: +81 3 3830 2004Fax: +81 3 3830 2005Website: www.jfa.or.jp

KOREA REPUBLICKorea Football Association (KFA)1-131 Sinmunno, 2-ga, Jongno-Gu, Seoul 110-062, Korea RepublicTel: +82 2 733 6764Fax: +82 2 735 2755E-mail: [email protected]: www.kfa.or.kr

KUWAITKuwait Football Association (KFA)Udailiya, Block 4, Al Ittihad Street, P.O. Box 2029, Safat 13021, KuwaitTel: +965 255 5851Fax: +965 254 9955E-mail: [email protected]: www.kfa.org.kw

QATARQatar Football Association (QFA)7th Floor, QNOC Building,West Bay,PO Box 5333, Doha, QatarTel: +974 494 4411Fax: +974 494 4414E-mail: [email protected]: www.qfa.com.qa

Sepahan fans in Saitama during the ACL 2007 final second leg between Urawa and Sepahan

Member Associations

SAUDI ARABIASaudi Arabian Football Federation(SAFF)Al Mather Quarter, Prince Faisal Bin Fahad Street, PO Box 5844, Riyadh 11432, Saudi ArabiaTel: +966 1 482 2240Fax: +966 1 482 1215

SYRIASyrian Football Association (SFA)Maysaloon Street, PO Box 22296,Damascus, SyriaTel: +963 11 333 5866Fax: +963 11 333 1511E-mail: [email protected]: www.syrian-soccer.com

THAILANDFootball Association of Thailand (FAT)National Stadium, Gate 3, Rama 1 Road,Patumwan, Bangkok 10330,ThailandTel: +66 2 216 4691Fax: +66 2 215 4494Website: www.fat.or.th

UAEUnited Arab Emirates FootballAssociation (UAEFA)P.O. Box 916, Abu Dhabi, United ArabEmiratesTel: +971 2 444 5600Fax: +971 2 444 8558E-mail: [email protected]: www.uaefootball.org

UZBEKISTANUzbekistan Football Federation (UFF)Massiv Almazar, Furkat Street 15/1,Tashkent 700 003, UzbekistanTel: +998 71 144 1684Fax: +998 71 144 1683E-mail: [email protected]: www.uzfootball.com

VIETNAMVietnam Football Federation (VFF)18 Ly van Phuc, Dong Da District, Hanoi844,Vietnam SRTel: +84 4 845 2480Fax: +84 4 823 3119E-mail : [email protected]: www.vff.org.vn

For more information relating to the commercial and broadcast rights of the AFC Champions League, please contact any of the offices below.

Marketing enquiries to Simon Thompson [email protected] Tel: +852 23308292

Broadcast enquiries to Mayank Atreya [email protected]: +65 68262688 SINGAPORE 8 Shenton Way, #30-01 Temasek Tower, Singapore 068811 Tel: +65 6826 2688 Fax: +65 6826 2680

HONG KONG Suite 2505, 25F, Great Eagle Centre 23 Harbour Road,Wanchai Hongkong SAR, China Tel: +852 2330 8292 Fax: +852 2572 9187

BEIRUT President Elias Sarkis Avenue, Parktower Suites Bifurcation, Bloc B, 2nd Floor Ashrafieh, Lebanon Tel: +961 1 210 100 Fax: +961 1 210 200

208 www.the-afc.com

Editorial TeamAli Al Hamdani, Chetan Kulkarni, Etsuko Miyazaki, Jian Zhou, R. Ravi Kumar, Steve Tae Kim, Shahin Rahmani, Tan Boon Piaw, Nicholas McCormack and Pavel Luzanov.

PhotosGalvin Tan

Design and page layoutHenry Khor

Official Sponsors

Official Supporters

AFC Champions League 2008

Documents

Transcript of AFC Champions League 2008