The draw for the group stage of the AFC Champions League, which just ended, was revealed first in the West Zone, followed by the East Zone taking over. Here are the complete groupings revealed: Western Zone Group A: Tashkent Cotton Farmers, Feeha, Al Ahar, Al Ain; Group B: Saad, Nasaf, Faisaly, Sharjah; Group C: Jeddah United, Sepahan, Baghdad Air Force, Al Marek; Group D: Riyadh Crescent, Mazandaran Textiles, Mumbai City, Namangan Spring Festival; Group E: Persepolis, Duhail, Dushanbe Independence, Riyadh Won.
In the past, Western Conference teams were relatively unknown to Chinese fans because they were mostly located in West Asia. However, this is not the case nowadays. With the addition of Cairo, many international soccer stars have come to China, such as Neymar, Benzema, Henderson, Bunu, Brozovic, Mane, Neves and Laporte. It is worth noting that numerous players are still active on the field. It's no exaggeration to say that Asian soccer is now as star-studded as European soccer, and teams with stars such as Cairo, Neymar and Benzema have managed to qualify for the AFC Champions League.
Turning to the Eastern Division groupings, Group F: Jeonbuk Hyundai, Bangkok United, Lion City Mariners, Jaejoong; Group G: Yokohama Mariners, Shandong Taishan (Chinese Super League team), Kaya FC, Incheon United; Group H: Buriram United, Kofu Fenririm, Melbourne City, Zhejiang FC (Chinese Super League team); Group I: Ulsan Hyundai, Kawasaki Frontale, Johor Bahru, Batun United; Group J: Wuhan Sanzhen (Chinese Super League team), Hanoi FC Pohang Steelers, Urawa Red Diamonds.
Observing the situation in the Eastern Region, the three teams in the Chinese Super League had different fortunes. Zhejiang FC was lucky to win the draw, while the rest of the teams had mediocre performances. Wuhan Sanzhen are facing a lot of challenges and hopefully they will make it to the knockout stage. Neymar's Riyadh Crescent and Benzema's Jeddah United have been drawn in the best possible position, while Cairo's Riyadh Victory have been drawn in the Group of Death, but with their star-studded lineup, it's not hard to get out of the group. The group stage of the AFC Champions League is sure to be exciting, with the Western Conference All-Star Battle being the most noteworthy.
Crossing my fingers for the AFC Champions League, I wish the Chinese Super League team a smooth journey and Crowe's AFC Champions League journey all the way!
