Qatar’s Lekhwiya players celebrate after scoring against Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli during their AFC Champions League match in this file photo. Al Gharafa, Lekhwiya, Eljaish and Al Rayyan will be Qatar’s representatives for the 2013 AFC Champions League that begins today.
DOHA: Defending Qatar Stars League (QSL) champions Lekhwiya will begin their Asian Champions League (ACL) campaign against UAE’s Al Shabab Al Arabi today.
Lekhwiya, who will be one of the four Qatari teams taking part in this competition, will begin their Group B clash at 6.00pm.
Also today, Eljaish who have had a decent season in QSL so far, face an away test to Saudi Arabia’s Al Shabab at King Fahd International Stadium.
The Qatari club flew out on Sunday to Riyadh following Friday’s 1-0 win over Al Arabi to make their debut in the competition.
Dr Kuwari Al Thani secretary and Executive Director of Eljaish, said: “We welcome the chance to travel to Saudi Arabia but we know it will be tough.”
“It will be a very tough match but we will try to honour the league in our first AFC Champions League experience,” he added.
Eljaish will start their match at 8.25pm local time.
Tomorrow, Al Gharafa, which recently parted ways with coach Alain Perrin, face an away clash against Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia, having been drawn in Group C.
On the same day, Al Rayyan, who recently crushed QSL leaders Al Sadd, will host Iran’s Esteghlal in Group D.
Meanwhile, Marcello Lippi’s Guangzhou Evergrande face an early test against Urawa Red Diamonds.
Lippi was one of the newly rich Chinese Super League’s high-profile recruits last year and he proved his credentials by clinching the domestic double at the end of his first season.
However, the departures of star strikers Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka, just months after joining Shanghai Shenhua, and the climax of an ugly corruption scandal have again cast the ambitious league in an unflattering light.
Guangzhou will now attempt to better last year’s showing in the Asian club contest, when a late goal by Fahad Al Muwallad saw them bow out 5-4 on aggregate to Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia in the quarter-finals.
They will go into this year’s competition, where they will seek to become China’s first Asian champions since Liaoning in 1990, full of confidence after retaining the core of last year’s side.
Guangzhou will host the pick of today’s first round of games when they welcome Japan’s Urawa, who won the tournament in 2007.
In Group E, South Korean champions FC Seoul will kick off at home against China’s Jiangsu Sainty. Japan’s Vegalta Sendai host Thai FA Cup-holders Buriram United in the group’s other game.
Group G will kick off on tomorrow with J-League champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima hosting Bunyodkor of Uzbekistan, and Korea’s Pohang Steelers facing China’s Beijing Guoan.
In Group H of the ACL competition, Chinese newcomers, Guizhou Renhe, meet Japanese Emperor’s Cup-holders Kashiwa Reysol, while Australia’s Central Coast Mariners take on Korea’s Suwon Bluewings.
THE PENINSULA/AFP
