Today, the draw for the group stage of the AFC Cup 2021 was held in Malaysia via video conference, resulting in exciting matchups among the participating teams.
The draw placed the Lebanese team Al-Ahed in Group A of the West Asia region alongside Al-Hidd from Bahrain, Al-Wahda from Syria, and Al-Nasr from Oman. Group B of West Asia included Al-Salt from Jordan, Balata Center from Palestine, Ansar from Lebanon, and Muharraq from Bahrain. Group C featured Al-Tishreen from Syria, Al-Seeb from Oman, Al-Faisaly from Jordan, and a team winning from the preliminary round.
In the South Asia region, Group D included Mohun Bagan from India, Bashundhara from Bangladesh, Maziya Sports from the Maldives, and a team winning from the qualifiers. Group E from the Central region contained Ravshan from Tajikistan, Dordoi from Kyrgyzstan, and Akhal from Turkmenistan.
Group F, also from the Central region, included teams such as AGMK from Uzbekistan, FC Turon from Uzbekistan, Khujand from Tajikistan, and Alai from Kyrgyzstan. In the ASEAN region, Group G featured Hanoi from Vietnam, Bali United from Indonesia, Phnom Penh Crown from Cambodia, and a team winning from the qualifiers. Group H included Kedah from Malaysia, Lion City Sailors from Singapore, Saigon from Vietnam, and a team winning from the qualifiers.
Group I contained Kaya Iloilo from the Philippines, Shan United or Ayeyawady United from Myanmar, Terengganu from Malaysia, and Geylang International from Singapore. In East Asia, Group J included Eastern Long Lions from Hong Kong, Tainan City from Taiwan, Athletic from Mongolia, and Lee Man from Hong Kong.
The AFC had previously announced an increase in the number of clubs participating in the group stage of the AFC Cup from 36 to 39 clubs, with the addition of a new group in the Central region.
The winner of the AFC Cup this year will earn a spot in the preliminary round of the 2020 AFC Champions League. Notably, the preliminary rounds of the tournament will take place on April 6, with the group stage matches starting on May 14 in a centralized format.
