AFC Champions League 2008

OFFICIAL GUIDE
2008
Participating Clubs
Adelaide United (Australia)
Al Ahli (Saudi Arabia)
Al Gharafa (Qatar)
Al Ittihad (Saudi Arabia)
Al Ittihad (Syria)
Al Karama (Syria)
Al Qadsiya (Kuwait)
Al Quwa Al Jawiya (Iraq)
Al Sadd (Qatar)
Al Wahda (UAE)
Al Wasl (UAE)
Arbil (Iraq)
Binh Duong (Vietnam)
Beijing Guoan (China)
Changchun Yatai (China)
Chonburi FC (Thailand)
Chunnam Dragons (Korea Republic)
Gamba Osaka (Japan)
Kashima Antlers (Japan)
Krung Thai Bank (Thailand)
Kuruvchi (Uzbekistan)
Kuwait SC (Kuwait)
Melbourne Victory (Australia)
Nam Dinh (Vietnam)
OFFICIAL GUIDE
Pakhtakor (Uzbekistan)
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Pohang Steelers (Korea Republic)
Saipa (Iran)
Sepahan (Iran)
2008
Contents
Introduction AFC Message Format Schedule Rules & Regulations (Summary) Group A Sepahan (Iran) Kuruvchi (Uzbekistan) Al Ittihad (Saudi Arabia) Al Ittihad (Syria) Group B Al Wasl (UAE) Saipa (Iran) Kuwait FC (Kuwait) Al Quwa Al Jawiya (Iraq) Group C Al Sadd (Qatar) Al Wahda (UAE) Al Karama (Syria) Al Ahli (Saudi Arabia) Group D Pakhtakor (Uzbekistan) Al Gharafa (Qatar) Arbil (Iraq) Al Qadsiya (Kuwait) Group E Changchun Yatai (China) Adelaide United (Australia) Pohang Steelers (Korea Republic) Binh Duong (Vietnam) Group F Krung Thai Bank (Thailand) Beijing Guoan (China) Nam Dinh (Vietnam) Kashima Antlers (Japan) 3 5 7 9 10 13 16 20 24 28 33 36 40 44 48 53 56 60 54 68 73 76 80 84 88 93 96 100 104 108 113 116 120 124 128
Ofcial Sponsors
Group G Melbourne Victory (Australia) Chonburi FC (Thailand) Gamba Osaka (Japan) Chunnam Dragons (Korea Republic) Knockout stage Schedule Urawa Red Diamonds ACL 2007 History Results ACL 2006 History Results ACL 2005 History Results ACL 2004 History Results ACL 2002/03 History Results Roll of honour Useful contacts
133 136 140 144 148 153 155 156 161 163 165 169 171 173 177 179 181 185 187 189 192 195 197 201 205
INTRODUCTION
Ofcial Supporters
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AFC Champions League Ofcial Guide 2008
AFC Message
Dear friends, AFC is once again pleased to present the Ofcial Media Guide for the 2008 edition of the AFC Champions League. Since the inaugural publication in 2005, the Ofcial Media Guide has become an indispensable tool for media attending and covering Asias 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 nd this edition as useful, informative and helpful as the earlier editions, and look forward to your feedback and suggestions. Asian club football is on the rise and we look forward to, and appreciate, your on-going support and interest.
Mohamed Bin Hammam President, Asian Football Confederation

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

Matchday One 12/03/2008 vs vs vs vs vs vs vs vs vs vs vs vs vs vs (Wednesday)
Matchday Two -
19/03/2008 vs vs vs vs vs vs vs vs vs vs vs vs vs vs
(Wednesday)
Sepahan (IRN) Al Ittihad (KSA) Al Wasl (UAE) Kuwait SC (KUW) Al Sadd (QAT) Al Karama (SYR) Pakhtakor (UZB) Arbil (IRQ) Changchun Yatai (CHN) Pohang Steelers (KOR) Krung Thai Bank (THA) Nam Dinh (VIE) Melbourne Victory (AUS) Gamba Osaka (JPN)
Al Ittihad (SYR) Kuruvchi (UZB) Al Quwa Al Jawiya (IRQ) Saipa (IRN) Al Ahli (KSA) Al Wahda (UAE) Al Qadsiya (KUW) Al Gharafa (QAT) Binh Duong (VIE) Adelaide United (AUS) Kashima Antlers (JPN) Beijing Guoan (CHN) Chunnam Dragons (KOR) Chonburi FC (THA)
Al Ittihad (KSA) Sepahan (IRN) Kuwait SC (KUW) Al Wasl (UAE) Al Karama (SYR) Al Sadd (QAT) Arbil (IRQ) Pakhtakor (UZB) Pohang Steelers (KOR) Changchun Yatai (CHN) Nam Dinh (VIE) Krung Thai Bank (THA) Gamba Osaka (JPN) Melbourne Victory (AUS)
Matchday Three -
(Wednesday)
Matchday Four Kuruvchi (UZB) Al Ittihad (KSA) Saipa (IRN) Kuwait SC (KUW) Al Wahda (UAE) Al Karama (SYR) Al Gharafa (QAT) Arbil (IRQ) Adelaide United (AUS) Pohang Steelers (KOR) Beijing Guoan (CHN) Nam Dinh (VIE) Chonburi FC (THA) Gamba Osaka (JPN)
(Wednesday)
Al Ittihad (SYR) Sepahan (IRN) Al Quwa Al Jawiya (IRQ) Al Wasl (UAE) Al Ahli (KSA) Al Sadd (QAT) Al Qadsiya (KUW) Pakhtakor (UZB) Binh Duong (VIE) Changchun Yatai (CHN) Kashima Antlers (JPN) Krung Thai Bank (THA) Chunnam Dragons (KOR) Melbourne Victory (AUS)
Kuruvchi (UZB) Al Ittihad (KSA) Saipa (IRN) Kuwait SC (KUW) Al Wahda (UAE) Al Karama (SYR) Al Gharafa (QAT) Arbil (IRQ) Adelaide United (AUS) Pohang Steelers (KOR) Beijing Guoan (CHN) Nam Dinh (VIE) Chonburi FC (THA) Gamba Osaka (JPN)
Al Ittihad (SYR) Sepahan (IRN) Al Quwa Al Jawiya (IRQ) Al Wasl (UAE) Al Ahli (KSA) Al Sadd (QAT) Al Qadsiya (KUW) Pakhtakor (UZB) Binh Duong (VIE) Changchun Yatai (CHN) Kashima Antlers (JPN) Krung Thai Bank (THA) Chunnam Dragons (KOR) Melbourne Victory (AUS)
Matchday Five -
(Wednesday)
Matchday Six -
(Wednesday) Kuruvchi (UZB) Al Ittihad (SYR) Saipa (IRN) Al Quwa Al Jawiya (IRQ) Al Wahda (UAE) Al Ahli (KSA) Al Gharafa (QAT) Al Qadsiya (KUW) Adelaide United (AUS) Binh Duong (VIE) Beijing Guoan (CHN) Kashima Antlers (JPN) Chonburi FC (THA) Chunnam Dragons (KOR)
Urawa Reds Yuki Abe celebrating after the Japanese clubs crowning as Asian club champions in Saitama last year
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Rules & Regulations (Summary)

League winners, Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan, joining at the quarter-nal 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 qualies for the last eight. If two clubs are level on points at the end of the group stage, the following tiebreaker(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 determined 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 eld of play; G) Drawing of lots days before Match Day 1 for medical reasons). Of the 30 players registered, three may be noncitizens or foreign players. Of the 30 players registered, three must be goalkeepers. The club must provide ofcial documents to prove that each player has entered into a contract for a period of not less than six months. Once a player is registered for one club, he cannot register for another club in the competition until the knockout stage.
Match Registration
Clubs are required to le a nal registration of 18 players (11 players and seven substitutes) from the preliminary registration list 90 minutes before kick-off. Only these 18 players are eligible to play in the match. Of the 18 players on the nal registration list, only three may be non-citizens or foreign players.
AFC Director of Competitions Michelle Chai (at right) conducting the 2008 ACL Group Stage draw at AFC House
Disciplinary matters
A player who receives two yellow cards during the competition shall automatically be suspended 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 ofcial expelled shall remain suspended from further play until his case has been decided by the AFC Disciplinary Committee.
The AFC Champions League is Asias 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 national 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 defending champions of the AFC Champions League are also invited to participate. The 15 countries providing teams for the competition are those designated mature by the AFCs Vision Asia blueprint for the development of Asian football. The AFCs Vision Asia ranking takes a number of factors into consideration 10
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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 nish before January 2008.
Format
The competition runs from March to November, with a three-month break in June, July and August. The group stage takes place between March and May, the knockout stage from September to November. Twenty-eight (28) teams are entered for the group stage, with the 2007 AFC Champions
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 (except for a maximum of three players up to three
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GROUP A
Urawa Reds fans celebrating with the ACL trophy in Saitama last year after their team became the rst Japanese club to win the continental title
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Group A
Sepahan (Iran)
Haz Cup winners
Uzbekistan League runners-up

Saudi League winners
Al Ittihad (Syria)
Syrian League runners-up
Two-time champions Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia are back in the ACL fray
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Sepahan (Iran)
Club
President Established Address Tel Fax Email Website Stadium Capacity Mohamed Reza Saket 1944 Kavah Street, 10th Kilometer Isfahan +98 311 6673018 +98 311 6673018 info@fooladsepahansport.com www.fooladsepahansport.com Foolad Shahr Stadium 15,000
Coach
Name Nationality D.O.B Appointed Jorvan Vieira Brazilian 24/05/53 February 2008
Fixtures
MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1530 Sepahan vs Al Ittihad (SYR) Foolad Shahr Stadium, Isfahan, Ir Iran MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1500 Kuruvchi vs Sepahan Mhsk Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1600 Sepahan vs Al Ittihad (KSA) Foolad Shahr Stadium, Isfahan, Ir Iran MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 2045 Al Ittihad (KSA) vs Sepahan Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1900 Al Ittihad (SYR) vs Sepahan International Stadium, Aleppo, Syria MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1730 Sepahan vs Kuruvchi Foolad Shahr Stadium, Isfahan, Ir Iran
All kick-off times are local and correct at the time of going to press
The architect of Iraqs historic AFC Asian Cup triumph, Jorvan Vieira replaced Luka Bonacic 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 Vieiras rst 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.
Media Contact
Name Tel Mobile Fax Email Hamid Bagheri +98 311 6248403 +98 913 3196782 +98 311 6673018 Info@fooladsepahansport.com
Club Colours
Domestic Record
2004 League 6th P W D L 26 21 6 9 F A Pts 47 36 39 2005 League 10th P W D L 30 7 14 9 F A Pts 30 33 35 2006 League 7th P W D L F A Pts 30 12 7 11 38 32 43 Cup Winners Beat Persepolis 4-2 on penalties, 2-2 on aggregate aet 2007 League 5th P W D L 30 14 7 9 F A Pts 41 28 49
Sepahans Mohsen Bangar (in front) and Urawas Marcus Tulio Tanaka eye the ball in last years ACL nal
Home Facts & Stats
Away
Cup Winners Beat Esteghlal 5-2 on aggregate in nal
Cup 1st Rd Lost 4-1 to Pas
Cup Winners Beat Saba Battery 4-0 on aggregate in nal
Prole
Sepahan make their fourth appearance in the AFC Champions League in 2008, having lost in the nal of the 2007 edition to champions Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan. The Haz 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 nal group game. In 2006, they failed to qualify but in the next instalment they smashed their way through to the nal before falling to Urawa despite a 1-1 draw in the rst leg. Coached by AFC Asian Cup winning coach Jorvan Vieira of Brazil, they are heavily tipped to attempt another impressive run this year.
ACL Record
2004 Group Stage Neftchi Al Arabi Al Ittihad H
W 4-0 W 3-1 W 3-1 D 2-2 W 3-2 L 0-4
Domestic Record 2007 Haz Cup winners and league runners-up ______________________________________ Domestic Honours League 2001-02 Cup x3 (2003 -2004, 2005 - 2006, 2006-2007) ______________________________________ Continental Record ACC Did not participate ACWC Did not participate ACL 2004, 2005 (both group stage), 2007 (runners-up)
2005 Group Stage A GS GS GS Al Shabab Al Ain Al Wahda H

W 1-0 D 1-1 D 1-1 L 2-3 W 2-0 L 3-1
2006 Did not qualify A GS GS GS
2007 Runners-up 1st Urawa Reds D 1-1 Al Wahda W 3-1 Kawasaki D 0-0 Frontale H 2nd
L 0-2 F D 0-0 SF W 5-4 QF pen(0-0 aet)
Al Shabab Al Ain Al Ittihad
W 2-0 W 1-0 D 1-1 L 2-3 W 2-1 W 5-0
GS GS GS
ACC ACWC ACL
Asian Club Championship Asian Cup Winners Cup AFC Champions League
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Sepahan (Iran)
Squad
Jersey No. Goalkeepers 1 14 22 24 Defenders 2 3 5 8 9 27 Midelders 4 6 7 11 12 15 17 18 20 21 25 26 28 29 30 Forwards 10 13 16 19 23 Emad Mohamed Ridha Mahmoud Karimi Hamed Rasouli Jalalaldin Alimohammadi Mehdi Seyed Salehi 7/24/82 5/9/78 1/18/85 6/15/90 7/27/81 172 168 177 170 188 70 60 74 68 72 Iraq I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran Moharram Navidkia Jalal Akbari Farshad Bahadorani Hossein Kazemi Abdul Wahab Abulhail Hossein Papi Hadi Jafari Mohsen Hamidi Hojatolah Zad Mahmoud Saeid Bayat Ebrahim Lovinian Amir Radi Ehsan Hajy Sa Behzad Soltani Shahryar Shirvand 11/1/82 7/5/83 8/28/82 10/3/79 12/21/75 2/27/85 8/4/82 9/30/85 9/13/83 8/17/76 9/10/78 1/7/85 2/25/90 9/15/88 3/21/91 181 177 184 177 180 170 178 175 183 183 174 179 180 170 172 71 74 73 73 78 57 75 70 80 80 73 70 75 68 61 I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran Iraq I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran Position: Date of Birth: Country: Defender 15/01/81 Iran Hamid Azizzadeh Seyed Reza Talabeh Hadi Aghily Mohsen Bengar Jaba Mujiri Abolhassan Jafari 3/26/81 2/26/89 1/15/81 7/6/79 6/7/80 7/21/90 193 180 185 185 180 170 82 75 80 82 78 69 I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran Georgia I.R. Iran Abbas Mohammadi Amirhossein Sadeghzadeh Mohammad Savari Masoud Hamami Name DOB
MM/DD/YY
Players to Watch
Height Weight Nationality
Moharram Navidkia
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Midelder 01/11/82 Iran
8/23/75 6/30/90 2/13/85 5/1/83
187 190 198 184
82 70 81 82
I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran
A supremely gifted mideld 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 V Bochum. Navidkia picked up the injury in a 2004 Olympic qualier against Korea Republic at a time when he was one of the most promising players in his country, after the 2003/04 Iran Player of the Year had helped Sepahan to their rst league title and Iran to a gold medal win at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan.
Hadi Aghili
Mahmoud Karimi
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Forward 09/05/78 Iran
One of the most prolic strikers in the AFC Champions League, Mahmoud Karimi has already scored 11 times in Asias premier club competition, the most recent of which came in the rst leg of the 2007 nal 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 Haz Cups but had yet to be capped for Iran since joining the Isfahan side in 1998 and the turn of 2008.
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 respected 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 qualiers Saipa in 2004 and has been a regular xture in the national team squad since making his Iran debut against Iraq in October 2006.
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Club
President Established Address Tel Fax Email Website Stadium Capacity Isok Akbarov 2005 Drujba Narodov 47, Tashkent +998711507004 +998711507007 info@pfc-kuruvchi.com www.pfc-kuruvchi.com Army Stadium 10,000
Coach
Name Nationality D.O.B Appointed Mirdjalol Kasimov Uzbek 17/09/1970 Dec 2007
Fixtures
MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 2030 Al Ittihad (KSA) vs Kuruvchi Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1500 Kuruvchi vs Sepahan Mhsk Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1900 Al Ittihad (SYR) vs Kuruvchi International Stadium, Aleppo, Syria MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1630 Kuruvchi vs Al Ittihad (SYR) Mhsk Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1700 Kuruvchi vs Al Ittihad (KSA) Mhsk Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1730 Sepahan vs Kuruvchi Foolad Shahr Stadium, Isfahan, IR Iran
Uzbek football legend Mirdjalol Kasimov will be looking to combine 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 nds 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 motivate his charges having had successful spells with Pakhtakor and Mashal as well as stints with clubs in Russia and the UAE before ending his playing career in 2005.
Media Contact
Name Tel Mobile Fax Email Bahodir Mirzaev +998977674714 +998711507007 barsa-real@mail.ru
Club Colours
Domestic Record
2004 Club did not exist 2005 3rd division 2006 2nd division 2007 League Runners-up P W D L 30 22 5 3 F A Pts 62 16 71
Kuruvchi have been gaining in strength in recent years and challenging Uzbek giants Pakhtakor
Home Facts & Stats
Away ACL Record

2004 Club did not exist 2005 Did not qualify 2006 Did not qualify
Cup - Runners-up Lost to Pakhtakor 6-7 on penalties in nal (aet 0-0)
Prole
Kuruvchi Tashkent have been going from strength to strength in the Uzbekistan League and setting themselves up as challengers to Pakhtakors long and powerful reign. They nished second in both the league and Cup to Pakhtakor last year to earn their rst 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.
Domestic Record 2007 League and Cup runners-up ______________________________________ Domestic Honours League Cup ______________________________________ Continental Record ACC ACWC ACL Did not participate Did not participate Did not participate
2007 Did not qualify
ACC ACWC ACL
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Squad
Jersey No. Goalkeepers 1 12 25 Defenders 2 3 4 5 13 14 23 Midelders 6 7 8 9 11 18 19 22 24 26 27 28 29 30 Forwards 10 15 16 17 20 21 Ulugbek Bakaev Miraziz Jalolov Anvar Rajabov Dmitriy Kuzin Anvarjon Soliev Ilkhom Muminjanov 11/28/78 1/22/92 1/23/88 7/11/91 2/5/78 1/21/79 185 168 185 173 187 185 78 51 79 68 78 76 Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Ibrohimjon Rahimov Sergey Lushchan Rashidjon Gofurov Shavkat Salomov Vyacheslav Ponomarev Yannis Mandzukas Jasur Hasanov Victor Karpenko Jamol Otakulov Azizbek Haydarov Anvar Rakhimov Aleksey Nikolaev Timur Kapadze Server Djeparov 9/29/84 4/9/73 9/26/77 11/13/85 1/2/78 5/8/84 8/2/83 9/7/77 12/6/85 7/8/85 2/20/88 9/5/79 9/5/81 10/3/82 175 186 168 172 176 180 171 180 172 182 185 184 185 170 67 80 63 65 70 68 63 79 65 78 74 74 80 64 Uzbekistan Russia Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Ashurmatov Gochguly Gochguliyev Hayrulla Karimov Timur Yafarov Alexander Khvostunov Shavkat Raimkulov Sakhob Jurayev 3/25/76 5/26/77 4/22/78 11/30/86 1/9/74 5/7/84 1/19/87 186 185 184 184 176 184 172 74 79 72 80 70 80 64 Uzbekistan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Oleg Belyakov Murotjon Zukhurov Pavel Bugalo Name DOB
MM/DD/YY
Players to Watch
Pavel Bugalo
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Goalkeeper 21/08/74 Uzbekistan
2/1/72 2/23/83 8/21/74
188 189 186
90 80 75
Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan
Uzbekistans Player of the Year in 1996 and 1997, Pavel Bugalo formed his reputation as one of the continents 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 rst 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 ne form for Kuruvchi earned him a call to Uzbekistans squad at last years continental showcase.
Server Djeparov
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Midelder 03/10/82 Uzbekistan
Victor Karpenko
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Midelder 07/09/77 Uzbekistan
After a short trial with Russian side Amkar Perm, creative midelder Server Djeparov joined Kuruvchi at the start of the 2008 season from Uzbek giants Pakhtakor, where the 25-year-old twice reached the semi-nals 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 Uzbekistans player of the year in 2003, just one season after arriving at the Tashkent club from Navbakhor.
Uzbekistan international Victor Karpenko returned to the local football scene in March 2007, signing for Kuruvchi from twotime 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-nals of the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, was part of Pakhtakors youth academy but never made a senior appearance for the Tashkent giants, beginning his career with Bukhara before joining Russian outt Shinnik Yaroslavl in 1999.
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Club
President Jamal Abuemarh Established 1929 Address P.O. Box 5945, Press Street, Jeddah, 21432, Saudi Arabia Tel +966 2672 8888 Fax +966 2672 0112 Email Website www.alittihad.com.sa Stadium Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium Capacity 40,000
Coach
Name Nationality D.O.B Appointed Estevam Soares Brazilian 10/06/56 December 2007
Fixtures
MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 2030 Al Ittihad vs Kuruvchi Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1800 Al Ittihad (SYR) vs Al Ittihad International Stadium, Aleppo, Syria MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1600 Sepahan vs Al Ittihad Foolad Shahr Stadium, Isfahan, Ir Iran MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 2045 Al Ittihad vs Sepahan Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1700 Kuruvchi vs Al Ittihad Mhsk Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 2055 Al Ittihad vs Al Ittihad (SYR) Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Estevam Soares took over the managerial reins of Al Ittihad in December last year when he replaced caretaker coach Salem Halilhodzic, who had lled the void when Brazilian Candinho stepped down in September 2007 citing personal reasons. Joining the two-time AFC Champions League winners from Brazilian second-tier side Grmio Barueri marks only the second time Estevam Soares has coached in Asia, following a spell with Lebanese side Olympic Beirut in 2002.
Media Contact
Name Tel Mobile Fax Email Mohamed Ali Binbaz +966 2670 0678 +966 2672 0112 lttimedia@yahoo.com
Club Colours
Domestic Record
2004 League 2nd Lost 1-0 to Al Shabab in championship playoff Regular season 1st P W D L 22 17 5 0 F A Pts 57 15 56 2005 League 4th Lost 1-0 to Al Hilal in championship playoff Regular season 3rd P W D L 22 11 5 6 F A Pts 53 37 38 2006 League 3rd Lost 1-2 to Al Hilal in stepladder top-four playoff Regular season 3rd P W D L 22 11 9 2 F A Pts 47 28 42 2007 League Winners Beat Al Hilal 2-1 in championship playoff nal Regular season 2nd P W D L 22 15 3 4 F A Pts 52 25 48
Saudi giants Al Ittihad have won the ACL twice in 2004 and 2005
Home Facts & Stats
Away
Cup Winners Defeated Al Ahli 1-0
Cup Semi-nals Lost 1-2 on aggregate to Al Hilal
Cup Quarter-nals Lost to Al Ahli 2-4 on penalties (aet 1-1)
Cup Runners-up Lost to Al Ahli 2-1 in nal
Prole
One of Asias top clubs, Al Ittihad are coming back to the tournament 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 quarternals after an unexpected 4-0 drubbing in the second leg (aggregate 4-2). In 2004, they defeated Korean giants Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma in the nal 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 nishing as runners-up to Al Ahli in the cup competition.
Domestic Record 2007 League champions and Cup runners-up _______________________________________ Domestic Honours League x7 (2006, 2002, 2000, 1999,1998, 1996, 1981) Cup x7 (2003, 2000, 1996, 1990, 1962, 1958, 1957) _______________________________________ Continental Record ACC 2000 (SFs), 2001 (2nd round) ACWC 1999 QFs; 1998 Winners; 1994 Third place; 1992 Semi-nals ACL 2006 QFs, 2005, 2004 Champions
ACL Record
2004 Winners 1st Seongnam L 1-3 W 2-1 Jeonbuk Dalian Shide D 0-0 Neftchi Al Arabi Sepahan H 2nd
W 5-0 D 2-2 W 1-0
2005 Winners F SF QF GS GS GS 1st 2nd D 1-1 W 4-2 F Al Ain Busan IPark W 5-0 W 2-0 SF D 1-1 W 7-3 QF Shandong As defending champions, Al Ittihad received a bye into the knockout stage.
2006 Quarter-nals Al Karama 1st

W 2-0 L 0-4 QF aet (FT 2-2)
2007 Did not qualify 2nd
W 3-0 W 3-1 W 2-0 D 0-0 W 4-0 L 2-3
As defending champions, Al Ittihad received a bye into the knockout stage.
ACC ACWC ACL
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Squad
Jersey No. Goalkeepers 1 22 25 26 Defenders 2 4 5 6 13 19 20 21 28 Midelders 7 8 10 11 14 16 17 18 24 27 30 Forwards 3 9 12 15 23 29 Alhassane Keita Magno Alves Abdulaziz Al Sibyani Mohammed Labieb Naif Hazazi Talal Al Meshal 6/26/83 1/13/76 9/15/87 9/22/86 7/27/88 6/6/78 169 176 174 178 175 183 69 70 70 68 70 76 Guinea Brazil Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Mohammed Ameen Manaf Aboshgair Abdulrahman Al Qahtani Tcheco Saud Khariri Abdullah Hidar Ali Al Falati Mohammed Noor Aqeal Al Qarni Ibrahim Sowed Sultan Al Numare 4/29/80 2/5/80 5/22/83 4/11/76 7/8/80 3/27/85 6/13/86 2/26/78 12/22/87 7/21/74 1/27/86 175 169 178 178 184 170 170 188 167 182 175 66 59 68 75 68 68 65 70 61 76 63 Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Brazil Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Ahmed Dokhi Redha Tukar Mohammed Abdullah Obaid Al Shamrani Talal Assiri Saleh Al Saqri Adnan Falatah Hamad Al Montashari Osama Al Muwalad 10/25/76 11/29/75 8/6/85 7/24/85 8/28/88 1/23/79 10/20/83 6/22/82 5/16/84 175 180 177 177 166 174 168 181 185 72 83 78 75 61 70 65 72 83 Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Mabrouk Zaid Tisir Al Antaif Mustafa Malaeka Ali Al Mazyadi Name DOB
MM/DD/YY
Players to Watch
Mohammed Noor
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Midelder 26/02/78 Saudi Arabia
2/11/79 2/16/74 5/21/86 9/24/85
185 180 184 182
62 79 83 82
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia
Controversially omitted from Saudi Arabias 2007 AFC Asian Cup squad, Al Ittihad skipper Mohammed Noor nevertheless remains one of the Kingdoms top players, whose ability is reected 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 Champions Leagues, while domestically the 2003 Arab Player of the Year has helped the Tigers win ve 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: Date of Birth: Country: Defender 29/11/75 Saudi Arabia Veteran defender Redha Tukar is looking 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 continental crown the following year. An experienced, goal-scoring centreback the 37-year-old veteran of two FIFA World Cups was part of the Saudi Arabia side that nished runners-up at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup and rst tasted Asian club glory in 2001 when he won the Asian Cup Winners cup with former employers Al Shabab.
Magno Alves
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Al Ittihad will be hoping that Magno Alves can repeat the sensational form he displayed in the 2006 AFC Champions League when the prolic Brazilian found the net eight times in six games for his previous club Gamba Osaka to emerge as the competitions 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, rstly to Oita Trinita and then to Gamba, where he averaged almost a goal every two games prior to his move to Jeddah. Forward 13/01/76 Brazil
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Al Ittihad (Syria)
Club
President Established Address Tel Fax Email Website Stadium Capacity Basid Hammoudi 1953 Shahbaa Street, Aleppo +96 3212679800 +96 3212679801 www.alitihadclub.com Aleppo International Stadium 30,000
Coach
Name Nationality D.O.B Appointed Tita Valero
Fixtures
MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1530 Sepahan vs Al Ittihad Foolad Shahr Stadium, Isfahan, Ir Iran MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1800 Al Ittihad vs Al Ittihad (KSA) International Stadium, Aleppo, Syria MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1900 Al Ittihad vs Kuruvchi International Stadium, Aleppo, Syria MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1630 Kuruvchi vs Al Ittihad Mhsk Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1900 Al Ittihad vs Sepahan International Stadium, Aleppo, Syria MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 2055 Al Ittihad (KSA) vs Al Ittihad Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Media Contact
Name Tel Mobile Fax Email Mohamed Hammami +96 3212679801 basel@hammamibros.com
Club Colours
Domestic Record
2004 League 4th P W D L 28 15 7 6 F A Pts 49 15 52 2005 League Winners P W D L 26 15 8 3 F A Pts 50 20 53 2006 League 4th P W D L 26 10 10 6 F A Pts 33 20 40 2007 League 2nd P W D L 26 17 4 5 F A Pts 44 20 55
Syrian club Al Ittihad will be participating in the ACL for the third time
Home Facts & Stats
Away
Cup 2nd round Lost 3-2 on aggregate to Tishrin
Cup Winners Beat Al Majd 3-1 in nal
Cup Winners Beat Tishrin 3-0 in nal
Cup Quarter-nals Lost to Al Majd 3-1 on aggregate
Prole
This is Al Ittihads third straight appearance in the AFC Champions League alongwith archrivals Al Karama. However, in contrast with Al Karamas 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 qualied this time by virtue of nishing second in the league behind double winners and 2006 ACL nalists Al Karama.
ACL Record
2004 Did not qualify 2005 Did not qualify 2006 Group Stage H A Pakhtakor W 2-1 L 0-2 GS D 0-0 W 2-1 GS Foolad Al Qadisiya D 2-2 L 0-1 GS 2007 Group Stage Sepahan Al Shabab Al Ain H
L 0-5 L 1-2 D 1-1 L 0-4 D 0-0 D 1-1
Domestic Record 2007 League runners-up ______________________________________ Domestic Honours League x6 (2005, 1994, 92, 76, 68, 67) Cup x8 (2006, 05, 1998, 85, 84, 82, 73, 65) ______________________________________ Continental Record ACC ACWC ACL 1986 SF Did not participate Did not participate
GS GS GS
ACC ACWC ACL
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Al Ittihad (Syria)
Squad
Jersey No. Goalkeepers 1 24 30 Defenders 2 3 4 5 6 12 14 20 21 22 Midelders 7 8 11 16 17 19 23 26 27 28 29 Forwards 9 10 15 18 25 Mohammad Al Damen Abdulfatah Al Agha Mahmod Al Peef Otobong Ene Edet Otudor Tamer Rashed 1/25/86 8/1/84 1/3/86 6/18/86 1/15/89 174 179 182 186 176 70 75 83 76 72 Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Cameroon Syrian Arab Republic Ammar Rihawi Obaid Al Salal Jesus Gomez Jonathan Perez Mahmoud Al Amena Yahia Al Rached Ayman Habbal Darwish Midou Obada Al Said Ayman Salal Taha Dyab 6/20/75 1/2/87 8/6/84 10/2/77 1/15/83 2/1/82 3/17/85 6/11/90 1/1/86 11/28/90 7/23/90 173 176 168 179 175 180 178 177 175 168 182 67 73 66 77 75 75 74 70 70 63 70 Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Venezuela Venezuela Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Mohamad Daas Rajab Tubarakji Hossen Klawi Omar Hemidi Majd Homsi Zakariya Al Kaddour Wael Ayan Salah Chahrour Yousef Chikhal Eshra Bakri Tarrab 7/1/89 2/16/90 1/1/86 5/1/86 12/12/83 1/1/86 6/13/85 1/2/88 1/15/79 1/20/85 180 175 172 178 180 175 171 190 177 180 75 68 68 73 78 74 67 77 74 73 Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Mahmoud Karkar Yasser Jarkas Khaled Hajj Othman Name DOB*
MM/DD/YY
Players to Watch
Mahmoud Al Amena
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Midelder 15/1/83 Syria
10/21/74 6/11/78 5/1/87
188 185 185
81 81 75
Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic
One of his countrys best midelders, Aleppo-born Mahmoud Al Amena has emerged as Al Ittihads mideld 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: Date of Birth: Country: Midelder 06/08/84 Venezuela
Abdulfatah Al Agha
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Forward 01/08/84 Syria
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 rst 15 league matches. Born in the central Venezuelan city of Maracay, Gomez began his career at two-time national champions Estudiantes de Mrida before arriving in Aleppo after a relatively unsuccessful season in Morocco with Raja.
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 rst 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 nish 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.
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Group A Fixtures
Day/Date Matchday One 12/03/2008 (Wednesday) Kick-Off 1530 SEPAHAN (IRN) Match vs AL ITTIHAD (SYR) Score ___ ___
2030
AL ITTIHAD (KSA)
vs KURUVCHI (UZB)
___ ___
Matchday Two 19/03/2008 (Wednesday)
1800
AL ITTIHAD (SYR)
vs AL ITTIHAD (KSA)
___ ___
1500
KURUVCHI (UZB)
vs SEPAHAN (IRN)
___ ___
Matchday Three 9/04/2008 (Wednesday)
1900
AL ITTIHAD (SYR)
vs KURUVCHI (UZB)
___ ___
1600
SEPAHAN (IRN)
vs AL ITTIHAD (KSA)
___ ___
Matchday Four 23/04/2008 (Wednesday)
1630
KURUVCHI (UZB)
vs AL ITTIHAD (SYR)
___ ___
2045
AL ITTIHAD (KSA)
vs SEPAHAN (IRN)
___ ___
Matchday Five 07/05/2008 (Wednesday)
1900
AL ITTIHAD (SYR)
vs SEPAHAN (IRN)
___ ___
1700
KURUVCHI (UZB)
vs AL ITTIHAD (KSA)
___ ___
Matchday Six 21/05/2008 (Wednesday)
1730
SEPAHAN (IRN)
vs KURUVCHI (UZB)
___ ___
2055
AL ITTIHAD (KSA)
vs AL ITTIHAD (SYR)
___ ___
GROUP B
All kick-off times are subject to change. Simultaneous kick-off times may be required on Matchday Six
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Group B
Al Wasl (UAE)
UAE League and Cup winners
Saipa (Iran)
Iran League winners
Kuwait SC (Kuwait)
Kuwait League winners

Iraq League runners-up
Al Wasls Khaled Darwish (in yellow) in action during a league match. Al Wasl are the UAE League and Cup winners
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Al Wasl (UAE)
Club
President Sheikh Ahmed Bin Rashed Al Maktoum Established 1960 Address P.O. Box 3888, Dubai, UAE Tel +971 4324 3333 Fax +971 4324 4472 Email Website www.alwaslsportclub.com Stadium Al Maktoub Stadium Capacity 12,000
Coach
Name Nationality D.O.B Appointed Ze Mario Brazilian 01/02/1949 2006
Fixtures
MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1930 Al Wasl vs Al Quwa Al Jawiya Al Wasl Stadium, Dubai, UAE MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1430 Saipa vs Al Wasl Enghaleb Stadium, Karaj, Ir Iran MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1945 Al Wasl vs Kuwait SC Al Wasl Stadium, Dubai, UAE MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 2030 Kuwait SC vs Al Wasl Kuwait Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 2000 Al Quwa Al Jawiya vs Al Wasl Kuwait Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 2030 Al Wasl vs Saipa Al Wasl Stadium, Dubai, UAE
One of the most experienced coaches leading a team in this years 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.
Media Contact
Name Tel Mobile Fax Email Abdullah Al Kaabi +971 50 774 1477 +971 4324 4472 waslawyforden@hotmail.com
Club Colours
Domestic Record
2004 League 4th in nal top-four Regular season - 2nd in Group B P W D L 10 6 2 2 F A Pts 18 8 20 2005 League 8th P W D L F A Pts 26 9 7 10 36 35 34 Cup Semi-nals Lost 0-2 to Al Ain 2006 League 8th P W D L F A Pts 22 9 2 11 33 32 29 Cup Last eight Finished last among four teams in Group B and failed to qualify for semi-nals 2007 League Winners P W D L 22 13 8 1 F A Pts 45 24 47
Al Wasl completed a fantastic double last year
Home Facts & Stats
Away
Cup Semi-nals Lost 4-3 on penalties to Al Ahli (aet 1-1)
Cup Winners Beat Al Ain 4-1 in the nal
Prole
Though not exactly a heavyweight in the highly competitive UAE League, Al Wasl completed a fantastic domestic double last season and marked their coming of age. They have won the league six times and clinched the cup twice. The Dubai-based outt, popularly known as Al Fhood (the cheetahs), reached the quarternals of the Asian Club Championship in 1994, their only claim to fame till date in continental football.
Domestic Record 2007 League champions and Cup winners ______________________________________ Domestic Honours League x7 (2007, 1997, 92, 88, 85, 83, 82) Cup x4 (2007, 1986, 82, 81) ______________________________________ Continental Record ACC ACWC ACL 1994-Quarternals Did not participate Did not participate
ACL Record
2004 Did not qualify 2005 Did not qualify 2006 Did not qualify 2007 Did not qualify
ACC ACWC ACL
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Al Wasl (UAE)
Squad
Jersey No. Goalkeepers 1 12 22 29 Defenders 2 3 5 6 8 9 14 16 19 26 30 Midelders 4 7 10 11 13 17 18 21 25 27 28 Forwards 15 20 23 24 Faisal Salem Andre Dias Mohamed Salem Al Enazi Rashed Essa 4/16/86 3/11/81 11/22/74 8/24/90 170 179 187 171 68 79 91 68 United Arab Emirates Brazil United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates Mohammed Jammal Essa Ali Khaled Darwish Rogerinho Mohammed Mubarak Alexandre Oliveira Talal Fahad Jassem Mubarak Tariq Darwish Faisal Ahmed Habib Fardan 7/22/89 4/2/81 10/17/79 12/24/84 1/1/77 1/22/75 12/10/85 10/27/86 7/23/77 8/18/88 11/11/90 180 178 164 171 165 181 168 167 163 192 178 75 71 58 71 62 73 62 63 57 80 68 United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates Brazil United Arab Emirates Brazil United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates Yaser Salem Omran Abdulrahman Sami Rubaiya Waheed Ismail Ali Mahmoud Tariq Hassan Khalaf Ismail Abdulla Essa Radhwan Saleh Humaid Hamed Hassan Ali 10/13/86 9/14/88 5/22/80 7/1/83 11/14/79 3/18/83 12/7/80 5/6/77 11/3/86 4/18/90 2/19/83 175 176 179 174 176 173 178 175 171 176 180 70 72 73 74 68 65 72 74 64 58 70 United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates Ahmed Salem Majed Nasser Salah Hussain Ali Amir Name DOB
MM/DD/YY
Players to Watch
Majed Nasser
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Goalkeeper 01/04/84 UAE
4/12/79 4/1/84 11/7/77 2/21/87
179 178 173 180
75 82 70 75
United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates
Fast emerging as one of the top custodians in the region, Majed Nasser was a key gure in Al Wasls incredible double-winning season and not surprisingly was named as the best keeper in the UAE for 2006/07. Last year couldnt have started any better for the 1.79m shotstopper with Majed picking up the goalkeeper of the tournament award as the UAE won the Gulf Cup back in January but it couldnt have ended much worse as he missed ve matches of the new season having been suspended following an altercation with a linesman in Al Wasls 2007/08 opener against Al Jazira.
Mohamed Salem Al Enazi

Position: Date of Birth: Country: Forward 22/11/74 UAE One of the Gulf regions best ever strikers, Qatarborn 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 nish top of the 2000/01 scoring charts in his debut season in the Emirates. Before moving to the UAE, Al Enazi was the last local player to be the Qatar leagues top scorer when he struck 14 times for Al Rayyan in the 1999/2000 season after which he became the rst Qatari to sign for a European club, joining Turkish side Yozgatspor.
Alexandre
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Midelder 22/01/79 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 countrys football authorities asked the Brazilian to consider UAE citizenship ahead of their 2007 AFC Asian Cup campaign. The 29-year-old came to the Gulf from Paran-based outt 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 Presidents Cup nal as the Dubai club did the 2006/07 UAE double.
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Saipa (Iran)
Club
President Mehrdad Hashemi Established 1989 Address Saipa Sport & Culture Co, No. 20, Vali Asr BLV, Shishe Mina St, Makhsoos Karaj Road, Tehran, Iran. Tel +98 21 44 52 8015 Fax +98 21 44 52 8016 Email news@saipasport.com Website www.saipasport.com Stadium Enghelab Karaj Stadium Capacity 15,000
Coach
Name Nationality D.O.B Appointed Ali Daei Iranian 21/03/69 Oct 2006
Fixtures
MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1945 Kuwait SC vs Saipa Kuwait Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1430 Saipa vs Al Wasl Enghaleb Stadium, Karaj, Ir Iran MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1945 Al Quwa Al Jawiya vs Saipa Kuwait Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1530 Saipa vs Al Quwa Al Jawiya Enghelab Stadium, Karaj, IR Iran MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1545 Saipa vs Kuwait SC Enghelab Stadium, Karaj, IR Iran MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 2030 Al Wasl vs Saipa Al Wasl Stadium, Dubai, UAE
A legend of Iranian and Asian football, 1999 AFC Player of the Year Ali Daei was thrust into football management perhaps sooner than expected, when he became player-coach of Saipa following Werner Lorants 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 coachs 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.
Media Contact
Name Tel Mobile Fax Email Saeed Taghizadeh +98 21 44 52 8008 +98 9122490363 +98 21 44 52 8016 taghizade.saeed@gmail.com, taghizadehsaeed@yahoo.com
Club Colours
Domestic Record
2004 League 13th P W D L F A Pts 26 3 12 11 23 36 21 Cup Semi-nals Lost to Esteghlal 2-1 2005 League 13th P W D L F A Pts 30 7 10 14 24 34 31 Cup Quarter-nals Lost to Fajr-Sepasi 5-6 on penalties (0-0 aet) 2006 League 3rd P W D L 30 13 13 4 F A Pts 41 21 52 2007 League Winners P W D L 30 15 11 4 F A Pts 45 31 56
Saipa players warming up before an Iran Pro League game
Home Facts & Stats
Away ACL Record

Cup Round of 16 Lost to Tractorsazi Tabriz 0-2
Cup Quarter-nals Lost to Sepahan 0-2
Prole
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 nished third in the Asian Club Championship in 1996, will be keen to improve their Asian record under a determined Daei.
Domestic Record 2007 League champions ______________________________________ Domestic Honours League x3 (1994, 1995, 2007) Cup 1995 ______________________________________ Continental Record ACC ACWC ACL 1995-96 Third place Did not participate Did not participate
ACC ACWC ACL
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Saipa (Iran)
Squad
Jersey No. Goalkeepers 1 21 29 Defenders 2 3 4 5 6 12 22 27 28 Midelders 7 8 10 13 15 16 17 18 20 23 24 25 26 Forwards 9 11 14 19 30 Adriano Alves Amin Manouchehry Hamidreza Zohani Karim Ansari Fard Amir Vaziri 1/5/77 2/6/86 5/21/80 4/3/90 2/5/79 191 180 175 85 81 65 Brazil I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran Omid Shari Nasab Ebrahim Sadeghi Kianoush Rahmati Saeid Shademani Roozbeh Shahalidoust Javad Ashtiyani Milad Zanidpour Mageed Gholamnejhad Meisam Armian Hossein Hosseini Issa Traore Saman Aghazamani Mehrdad Azizvand 5/22/77 2/4/79 9/18/78 3/31/85 5/21/86 8/20/81 2/11/87 6/18/83 6/28/84 8/31/88 9/9/79 1/14/89 2/24/89 176 178 177 180 180 171 178 178 184 175 186 180 180 72 75 75 75 81 70 71 68 79 71 76 65 70 I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran Mali I.R. Iran I.R. Iran Alou Traore Habib Houshyar Jalal Hosseini Majid Ayyoubi Kazem Bozcheloo Mohsen Arzani Mohammadali Ashourizad Nader Houshyar Hani Baghaechehrebargh 10/8/74 5/31/78 2/3/82 9/21/80 11/21/80 9/23/84 8/1/80 2/5/90 4/7/87 175 180 184 179 184 180 184 176 186 75 81 80 78 75 78 75 65 79 Mali I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran Rahman Ahmadi Misagh Memarzadeh Vahid Sheikhveysi Name DOB
MM/DD/YY
Players to Watch
Jalal Hosseini
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Defender 03/02/82 Iran
7/3/80 1/9/83 1/10/87
185 192
80 86
I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran
Fast emerging as one of the most consistent defenders in Iran, Jalal Hosseini made 28 full appearances in his nal 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-nals of the AFC Asian Cup, scoring Team Mellis rst goal in their opening game against Uzbekistan.
Adriano Alves
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Forward 05/01/77 Brazil
Issa Traor
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Midelder 09/09/79 Mali
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-nals in 2005. Plucked from the relative obscurity of Campeonato Brasileiro Srie C side Central Sport Club, Adriano Alves came to Iran to join Azadegan League outt Shahab Zanjan before spending 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.
Like his Saipa team-mate Adriano Alves, Issa Traor 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. Traor 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.
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Kuwait SC (Kuwait)
Club
President Marzouk Al Ghanim Established 1960 Address P.O. Box 450, 13005, Kaifan City, Kuwait. Tel +965 4811 791 Fax +965 483 6506 Email alkuwaitclub@alkuwaitclub.com Website www.alkuwaitclub.com Stadium Al Kuwait Sports Club Stadium Capacity 18,000
Coach
Name Nationality D.O.B Appointed Radion Gacanin Croat 13/01/67 May 2007
Fixtures
MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1945 Kuwait SC vs Saipa Kuwait Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1945 Al Quwa Al Jawiya vs Kuwait SC Kuwait Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1945 Al Wasl vs Kuwait SC Al Wasl Stadium, Dubai, Uae MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 2030 Kuwait SC vs Al Wasl Kuwait Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1545 Saipa vs Kuwait SC Enghelab Stadium, Karaj, Ir Iran MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 2030 Kuwait SC vs Al Quwa Al Jawiya Kuwait Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait
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-nals 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 double duty, remaining at the helm of the nine-time champions while also guiding Al Azraq through their 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign.
Media Contact
Name Tel Mobile Fax Email Tamer Tawk +965 4832 958 +965 9521 661 +965 483 6506 tamer_80@hotmail.com, alkhedaiwi2004@yahoo.com
Club Colours
Domestic Record
2004 League 4th Lost 3-1 to Al Arabi in third place play-off Regular season 4th P W D L 13 7 4 2 F A Pts 26 9 25 2005 League 2nd Top Four play-off P W D L F A Pts 3 2 0 1 10 4 8 Regular season 2nd P W D L F A Pts 13 8 3 2 27 12 27 Cup 1st Rd Lost 3-2 to Al Tadamon 2006 League Winners P W D L 26 21 3 2 F A Pts 63 10 66 2007 League Winners P W D L 14 10 2 2 F A Pts 24 12 32
Kuwait Sports Club have qualied for the ACL for the second time after 2005
Cup Semi-nals Lost 1-0 to Al Qadsiya
Home Facts & Stats
Away
Cup Runners-up Lost 2-0 to Al Qadsiya in nal
Cup 3rd Lost to Al Arabi 2-3 in third-fourth place playoff
Prole
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 qualied for the continental championship by virtue of clinching the league title. Kuwait SC, quarter-nalists in the Asian Club Championship in 2002, bowed out from the group stage of the last edition of the AFC Champions League.
Domestic Record 2007 League champions ______________________________________ Domestic Honours League x9 (2007, 06, 01, 1979, 77, 74, 72, 68, 65) Cup x2 (2003, 1994) ______________________________________ Continental Record ACC ACWC ACL 2002 - QF Did Not Participate 2005, 2007 (both group stage)
ACL Record
2004 Did not qualify 2005 Group Stage Neftchi Al Sadd Al Ahli H
W 1-0 L 0-1 L 0-1 L 0-1 W 1-0 D 3-3
2007 Group Stage Al Hilal Pakhtakor H

D 0-0 D 1-1 L 0-1 L 1-2
GS GS
Irans Esteghlal were disqualied for failing to meet the registration deadline.
ACC ACWC ACL
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Kuwait SC (Kuwait)
Squad
Jersey No. Goalkeepers 1 22 23 Defenders 2 3 4 5 7 12 14 21 24 25 28 30 Midelders 6 8 13 15 18 19 20 26 27 Forwards 9 10 11 16 17 29 Abdullah Al Fadli Ziad Jaziri Mousaed Ali Khaled Ajab Abdul Rhman Al Awadhi Abdullah Al Sallal 3/31/81 7/12/78 5/23/83 7/28/86 8/9/87 1/13/87 175 174 170 168 170 175 68 70 65 58 61 67 Kuwait Tunisia Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Ebrahim Shehab Andre Macanga Abdulaziz Al Marshoud Walied Ali Jarah Al Ataiqi Saud Al Otaibi Husain Al Shammari Maurito (Norberto Mauro) Nawaf Al Owaisi 1/20/86 5/14/78 9/20/85 11/3/80 10/15/81 10/17/87 6/26/84 6/24/81 5/31/86 178 178 175 177 175 168 178 181 170 78 70 65 70 66 60 70 72 61 Kuwait Portugal Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Angola Kuwait Yaqoub Al Taher Fahad Shaheen Yousef Al Youha Mubarak Al Enezi Abdulaziz Al Ahmad Bader Al Motairat Khaled Al Kanri Samer Al Martah Abdulrahman Al Bader Ahmad Al Shammari Abdulrazaq Al Buti Fahad Al Reshidi 10/27/83 2/26/85 9/2/79 1/18/77 1/19/88 5/28/91 5/12/86 7/1/72 6/23/89 10/6/80 6/28/88 10/3/90 170 170 182 175 180 170 170 182 173 175 169 172 65 67 77 68 68 60 68 73 67 69 60 65 Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Musab Al Kandari Fahad Al Khaledi Khalid Al Fadhli Name DOB
MM/DD/YY
Players to Watch
Andre Macanaga
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Midelder 14/05/78 Angola
1/11/85 9/5/90 5/15/74
180 180 184
71 71 73
Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait
A no-nonsense defensive midelder, Angolan international Andr arrived at Al Kuwait in September 2005 from Turkish Super League side Gaziantepspor, who he joined after spending seven seasons in Portugal with seven different clubs. Angolas mideld engine, Andr was part of his countrys rst ever appearance at the FIFA World Cup nals 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: Date of Birth: Country: Midelder 24/06/81 Angola
Ziad Jaziri
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Forward 12/07/78 Tunisia
Angolan midelder Maurito (Norberto Mauro) is back for a second stint in the AFC Champions League after helping former club Al Wahda win Group A in last years 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, Mauritos rst spell in Asia was with Al Wahdas Abu Dhabi rivals Al Jazira, who he joined in 2004 from Portuguese side Unio Desportiva de Leiria.
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.
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Club
President Sameer Kadhum Established 1931 Address Martyr Square, Palestine Street, Baghdad, Iraq. Tel +964 1774 3432 Fax +964 1774 3432 Email Website www.algharafa.com Stadium Al Jawiya Stadium Capacity 10,000
Coach
Name Nationality D.O.B Appointed Hamid Salman Iraqi 1951 July 2007
Fixtures
MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1930 Al Wasl vs Al Quwa Al Jawiya Al Wasl Stadium, Dubai, UAE MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1945 Al Quwa Al Jawiya vs Kuwait SC Kuwait Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1945 Al Quwa Al Jawiya vs Saipa Kuwait Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1530 Saipa vs Al Quwa Al Jawiya Enghelab Stadium, Karaj, IR Iran MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 2000 Al Quwa Al Jawiya vs Al Wasl Kuwait Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 2030 Kuwait SC vs Al Quwa Al Jawiya Kuwait Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait
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 Iraqs best players. His work with Al Quwa Al Jawiyas youth side led him to be appointed assistant manager of Iraqs U-19 squad in 2003 alongside Akram Salman, head coach of fellow AFC Champions League qualiers Arbil.
Media Contact
Name Tel Mobile Fax Email Majid Salih Motar +964 7901 210643 +964 1774 3432 roubaee1@yahoo.com
Club Colours
Domestic Record
2004 League The Iraqi League was cancelled in May 2004. A qualication competition was held in September to decide Iraqs representatives in the AFC Champions League. Cup No competition 2005 League Winners Defeated Al Mina 2-0 in playoff nal First phase, Group 1 1st
P W 16 8 W 2 D 7 L 1 F A 18 7 A 2 Pts 31
2006 First phase, Group 3 2nd Final Phase, Group 4 1st

P 4 W 2 D 1 L 1 F 7 A 3 Pts 7 P W 12 6 D 4 L 2 F A Pts 19 10 22
2007 First phase, Group 3 2nd Final phase, Group 1 1st

P 5 W 4 D 1 L 0 F 8 A 4 Pts 13 P 6 W 3 D 1 L 2 F A 12 6 Pts 10
Iraqi powerhouse Al Quwa Al Jawiya are ready for their third appearance in the ACL
Home Facts & Stats
Away
Second phase, Group 4 1st

P 3 D 0 L 1 F 7 Pts 6
Seminals
Prole
The immensely popular Baghdad outt lost to Arbil in the nal of the Iraqi League and qualied 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 lessons, 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 UAEs Al Wahda through.
Cup No competition
Al Zawra 1-1 N/A SF The results of Al Quwa Al Jawiya were declared void after the team withdrew from the pitch during the second leg of their semi-nals against Al Zawra.
1st 2nd
Championship Final Lost 0-1 to Arbil Cup No competition
Domestic Record 2007 League runners-up ______________________________________ Domestic Honours League x7 (2005, 1997, 91, 90, 89, 75, 73) Cup x3 (1996, 91, 78) ______________________________________ Continental Record ACC Did not participate ACWC Did not participate ACL 2003, 2004, 2006 (both group stage)
Cup No competition
ACL Record
2004 Group Stage Al Wahda Al Sadd H
L 0-3 D 0-0 W 1-0 L 0-1
2005 Did not qualify A GS GS
2006 Group Stage Al Shabab Al Sadd Al Arabi H

L 0-2 L 1-2 L 1-2 L 0-3 W 3-0 W 1-0
Al Qadsiya, the third team in the group, were expelled from the competition and all their matches were declared void.
ACC ACWC ACL
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Squad
Jersey No. Goalkeepers 1 21 22 Defenders 2 3 5 6 11 12 13 27 Midelders 7 8 14 16 17 19 20 23 24 25 28 30 Forwards 9 10 15 18 26 29 Ahmed Hanoun Ali Mansour Alaeaa Mansour Yasir Abdul Muhsen Akram Hashem Amjed Radhi 7/15/82 9/27/85 1/1/86 5/27/88 6/3/93 7/17/90 179 168 71 67 Iraq Iraq Iraq Iraq Iraq Iraq Haitham Kadhum Hassan Ismail Haitham Kadhum Jasim Hamoodi Kadhum Rad Ibrahim Ahmed Iyad Mothna Khaled Azhar Taher Mohammed Hanoun Kusay Hashim Ibrahim Kamel Haider Abdul Qadir 2/2/83 1/1/88 10/24/79 3/19/85 1/4/88 1/1/86 6/14/89 8/4/86 1/15/90 6/9/81 9/9/88 7/15/82 170 168 169 169 168 171 70 61 67 61 66 70 Iraq Iraq Iraq Iraq Iraq Iraq Iraq Iraq Iraq Iraq Iraq Iraq Hussein Ali Ali Abdul Gabar Mokhalad Ali Hader Raheem Jasim Swadi Malik Zwaid Waleed Khaled Haider Alewi 2/27/90 1/17/85 2/25/81 4/22/85 9/15/80 4/20/90 6/8/89 8/13/90 179 169 165 67 68 64 Iraq Iraq Iraq Iraq Iraq Iraq Iraq Iraq Wisam Kasid Ali Hussein Zuhair Fadhil Name DOB
MM/DD/YY
Players to Watch
Wisam Kasid
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Goalkeeper 15/02/77 Iraq
2/15/77 9/6/84 3/2/90
184 188 170
75 79 67
Iraq Iraq Iraq
The elder brother of Iraq international keeper Mohammed Kasid, Wisam Kasid is taking part in his second AFC Champions League after putting in some impressive performances for Al Quwa Al Juwiya in the 2004 edition of Asias premier club competition. Wisam, who was called up to the Iraq squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualiers, joined the Air Force club in 2004 from Baghdad rivals Al Shorta where he was voted the Iraqi leagues best goalkeeper in the 2000/01 season.
Jassim Swadi
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Defender 15/09/80 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 Limassol, who he joined following a brief stint with English League Two side Maccleseld Town at the end of 2004. The 33-year-old was groomed at the youth club of Al Quwa Al Jawiyas neighbours and rivals Al Shorta but it was at Al Zawraa where he rst 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: Date of Birth: Country: Defender 24/10/79 Iraq
A natural leader, Haitham Kadhum rst caught the eye as the captain of Iraqs 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 Kings Cup winners before having a spell with Syrian side Al Futowa prior to his return to the Air Force.
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Group B Fixtures
Day/Date Matchday One 12/03/2008 (Wednesday) Kick-Off 1930 AL WASL (UAE) Match vs AL QUWA AL JAWIYA (IRQ) Score ___ ___
1945
KUWAIT SC (KUW) AL QUWA AL JAWIYA (IRQ) SAIPA (IRN) AL QUWA AL JAWIYA (IRQ) AL WASL (UAE)
vs SAIPA (IRN)
___ ___
1945
vs KUWAIT SC (KUW)
___ ___
1430
vs AL WASL (UAE)
___ ___
1945
vs SAIPA (IRN)
___ ___
1945
vs KUWAIT SC (KUW) AL QUWA AL JAWIYA (IRQ)
___ ___
1530
SAIPA (IRN)
vs
___ ___
2030
KUWAIT SC (KUW) AL QUWA AL JAWIYA (IRQ) SAIPA (IRN)
vs AL WASL (UAE)
___ ___
2000
vs AL WASL (UAE)
___ ___
1545
vs KUWAIT SC (KUW)
___ ___
2030
AL WASL (UAE)
vs SAIPA (IRN) AL QUWA AL JAWIYA (IRQ)
___ ___
2030
KUWAIT SC (KUW)
vs
___ ___
GROUP C
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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

Saudi Cup winners
Action from the Al Karama-Jeonbuk Motors ACL 2006 nal

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Al Sadd (Qatar)
Club
President Established Address Tel Fax Email Website Stadium Capacity Sheikh Mohamed Bin Khalifa Al Thani 1969 P.O. Box 2122, Doha, Qatar. +974 4448080 +974 4448091 admin@al-saddclub.com www.al-saddclub.com Jassem bin Hamad Stadium 18,000
Coach
Name Nationality D.O.B Appointed Hassan Hormatullah Moroccan 15/04/52 February 2008
Fixtures
MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1800 Al Sadd vs Al Ahli Al Sadd Stadium, Doha, Qatar MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 2000 Al Wahda vs Al Sadd Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi, UAE MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1815 Al Sadd vs Al Karama Al Sadd Stadium, Doha, Qatar MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 2030 Al Karama vs Al Sadd Khaled Bin Al Waleed Stadium, Homs, Syria MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 2050 Al Ahli vs Al Sadd Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1800 Al Sadd vs Al Wahda Al Sadd Stadium, Doha, Qatar
Hassan Hormatullah took over the managerial reins at Al Sadd in early February following the sacking of Dutchman Co Adriaanse after the Qatar Football 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 Qatar football scene having guided unheralded Umm Salal to promotion in 2005 before leading them to a third-place nish in the top ight the following season.
Media Contact
Name Tel Mobile Fax Email Mubarak Khalifa Rashid Al Ammari +974 4841014 +974 5544221 +974 4448091 alammari75@hotmail.com
Club Colours
Domestic Record
2004 League Winners P W D L 18 13 3 2 F A Pts 38 10 42 2005 League 7th P W D L F A Pts 27 9 7 11 35 36 34 Cup Winners Defeated Al Wakra 5-4 on penalties (0-0 aet) 2006 League Winners P W D L 27 16 4 7 F A Pts 48 32 52 2007 League Winners P W D L 27 17 4 6 F A Pts 52 29 55
Al Sadd have qualied for all the editions of the ACL so far since 2003
Home Facts & Stats
Away
Cup seminals Lost to Al Rayyan 5-2 on aggregate
Cup Quarter-nals Lost 2-1 to Al Gharafa
Cup Winners Defeated Al Khor 5-4 on penalties in nal (0-0 aet)
Prole
Qatar league champions Al Sadd are familiar faces in the AFC Champions League and are making their sixth consecutive appearance 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-nals by Koreas Busan IPark following a 5-1 aggregate defeat.
ACL Record
2004 Group Stage H A Al Quwa Al W 1-0 L 0-1 GS Jawiya (IRQ) D 0-0 D 0-0 GS Al Wahda (UAE) 2005 Quarter-nals 1st 2nd Busan IPark L 0-3 L 1-2 QF Neftchi Al Kuwait Al Ahli H A GS GS GS 2006 Group Stage Al Shabab Al Arabi Al Quwa Al Jawiya H
L 2-3 D 0-0 W 4-1 W 2-1 W 3-0 W 2-0
Domestic Record 2007 League, Emirs Cup, Crown Prince Cup ______________________________________ Domestic Honours League 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 Record ACC 2000 2nd Rd; 1991 GS; 1990 Prelim Rd; 1989 Winners ACWC 2002 SF; 2001 2nd Rd; 1995 QF; 1992 1st Rd ACL 2005 (QFs), 2003, 04, 06, 07 (all group stage)
2007 Group Stage A GS GS GS Al Najaf Al Karama Neftchi H

L 1-4 L 0-1 D 1-1 L 1-2 W 2-0 L 1-2
GS GS GS
W 3-2 L 0-2 W 1-0 W 1-0 W 2-0 L 1-2
ACC ACWC ACL
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Al Sadd (Qatar)
Squad
Jersey No. Goalkeepers 1 22 30 Defenders 3 4 5 6 13 18 21 25 Midelders 2 7 8 12 15 16 17 19 20 23 27 28 29 Forwards 9 10 11 14 24 26 Hasan Al Haydos Marcio Emerson Carlos Tenorio Khalfan Ibrahim Ali Af Yusef Ahmed 12/11/90 9/6/78 5/14/79 2/18/88 1/20/88 10/14/88 163 170 184 171 172 163 58 65 83 62 65 61 Qatar Qatar Ecuador Qatar Qatar Qatar Jafafal Rashed Wesam Riziq Mesaad Alhamad Magid Mohammed Talal Al Bloushi Mohammed Gholam Khalid Al Hajari Ali Sanad Meshaal Ali Felipe Mohamed Rabia Abdulla Hassen Mohammed Al Yazidi 9/27/72 2/5/81 2/11/86 10/1/85 5/22/86 11/8/80 9/1/86 10/31/85 8/7/89 9/2/77 5/10/81 5/3/88 10/30/88 182 183 163 171 178 168 170 174 175 175 180 165 66 74 61 65 77 64 57 63 69 74 75 54 Qatar Qatar Qatar Qatar Qatar Qatar Qatar Qatar Qatar Brazil Oman Qatar Qatar Tahir Zakaria Sultan Al Shahwani Ibrahim Majed Ali Naser Hamad Al Shamari Bakhit Al Marri Abdulla Koni Khaled Abdulraaof 8/20/88 8/11/88 5/12/90 5/16/86 4/23/84 11/30/84 7/19/79 11/14/90 182 164 174 177 172 188 170 82 60 61 74 61 80 62 Qatar Qatar Qatar Qatar Qatar Qatar Qatar Qatar Saad Al Sheeb Talal Basolaiman Mohamed Saqr Name DOB
MM/DD/YY
Players to Watch
Carlos Tenorio
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Forward 14/05/79 Ecuador
2/19/90 9/27/87 5/17/81
185 181 190
80 78 80
Qatar Qatar Qatar
Carlos Tenorio has been one of the most inuential 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 nisher with both feet and well known for his aerial ability, Tenorio nished runner-up in the scoring charts behind Gabriel Batistuta in his rst 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: Date of Birth: Country: Forward 18/02/88 Qatar
Felipe
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Midelder 02/09/77 Brazil
One of the most promising footballers in the continent, Khalfan Ibrahim became the rst 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-yearold scored twice on his senior national team debut, a 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualier against Bangladesh, but his career for club and country was temporarily curtailed when he partially tore his cruciate ligaments during a 2008 Olympic qualier against Bahrain back in April 2007.
A skilful attacking midelder, Felipe is currently in his second spell with Al Sadd having originally joined the Qatari outt 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 Brazilian league titles as well as glory in the 1998 Copa Libertadores.
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Al Wahda (UAE)
Club
President Established Address Tel Fax Email Website Stadium Capacity Sheikh Saeed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan 1984 P.O. Box 4388, Abu Dhabi +971 2443 3000 +971 2443 3001 www.algharafa.com Al Nahyan Stadium 18,000
Coach
Name: Nationality: D.O.B: Appointed: Ahmed Abdul Halim Egyptian 12/01/56 February 2008
Fixtures
MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1930 Al Karama vs Al Wahda Khaled Bin Al Waleed, Homs, Syria MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 2000 Al Wahda vs Al Sadd Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi, UAE MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 2040 Al Ahli vs Al Wahda Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1945 Al Wahda vs Al Ahli Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi, UAE MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 2000 Al Wahda vs Al Karama Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi, UAE MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1800 Al Sadd vs Al Wahda Al Sadd Stadium, Doha, Qatar
This is the second time Al Wahda have turned to trusted old hand Ahmed Abdul Halim after suffering 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-nals. 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 softspoken Egyptian is best known for steering Al Sharjah to the UAE rst division ve years ago.
Media Contact
Name Tel Mobile Fax Email Ahmed Al Qubaisi +971 50 446 3446 +971 2443 3001 wahdas@emirates.net.ae
Club Colours
Domestic Record
2004 League 6th Lost 3-2 to Al Jazira in fthplace play-off (3rd in preliminary round group 2) P W D L 10 6 2 2 F A Pts 19 12 20 2005 League Winners P W D L 26 20 2 4 F A Pts 75 35 62 2006 League 2nd Lost 4-1 to Al Ahli in championship play-off Regular season 1st P W D L 22 15 2 5 F A Pts 64 30 47 2007 League 2nd P W D L 22 13 4 5 F A Pts 40 34 43
Ismail Matar (No 10) has proved to be the lynchpin of the Al Wahda team
Home Facts & Stats
Away
Cup 2nd Rd Lost 4-3 on penalties to Al Ahli (aet 1-1)
Cup Runners-up Lost 3-1 aet to Al Ain
Cup Second round Lost to Al Shaab 2-3
Prole
Al Wahda have qualied for the AFC Champions League for the fourth time after nishing 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-nals in the last edition, when they lost to eventual runners-up Sepahan. In 2004, they qualied for the last eight after nishing 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.
Cup Semi-nals Lost 4-2 on penalties to Sharjah (aet 3-3)
Domestic Record 2007 League runners-up _______________________________________ Domestic Honours League x3 (2005, 01, 1999) Cup x1 (2000) _______________________________________ Continental Record ACC 2002 QF, 2000 1st Rd ACWC 2001 1st Rd, 1999 1st Rd ACL 2004(QFs), 2006 (Group stage), 2007(SFs)
ACL Record
2004 Quarter-nals Pakhtakor Al Sadd Al Quwa 1st H
D 1-1 L 0-4 D 0-0 D 0-0 W 3-0 D 0-0
2005 Did not qualify 2nd A SF GS GS
2006 Group Stage H A Al Karama W 4-2 L 1-2 GS Al Gharafa W 2-0 L 3-5 GS Saba Battery L 2-4 D 2-2 GS
2007 Semi-nals Sepahan Al Hilal Al Zawra Al Arabi Al Rayyan 1st

L 1-3 D 0-0 D 0-0 D 1-1
2nd
SF QF GS GS GS
Al Qadsiya were expelled from the competition and all their matches were declared void
D 1-1 W 2-1 W 4-1 L 2-3 W 3-0 W 1-0
ACC ACWC ACL
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Al Wahda (UAE)
Squad
Jersey No. Goalkeepers 1 17 18 Defenders 3 4 8 13 14 15 21 23 25 28 Midelders 2 5 6 12 16 19 22 24 26 29 30 Forwards 7 9 10 11 20 27 Mohamed Al Shehhi Josiel Ismail Matar Saeed Salem Saleh Al Menhali Abdulla Ali 3/28/88 8/7/80 4/7/83 3/28/88 1/1/84 6/2/88 177 174 169 173 68 74 68 70 United Arab Emirates Brazil United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates Tawfeeq Albdul Razak Mohamed Othman Yaser Matar Marwan Mohamed Abdulla Ali Ahmed Al Abri Andre Luciano Abdulraheem Jumaa Mahmoud Khamees Hasan Ameen Eissa Abdulla 7/1/82 2/15/87 9/20/85 4/26/87 1/8/87 1/28/90 4/27/81 5/23/79 10/28/87 6/13/85 6/16/88 183 182 176 169 174 180 172 185 82 76 68 69 76 71 62 74 United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates Brazil United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates Yaser Abdalla Ali Jomaa Al Zaabi Omar Ali Talal Abdulla Waleed Ali Eisa Ahmed Basheer Saeed Haidar Alo Ali Hamdan Al Kamali Faisal Ali 5/10/88 6/8/85 6/16/81 3/23/86 3/15/88 1/13/87 6/28/81 12/25/79 5/2/89 1/1/85 176 174 184 174 181 177 183 177 65 72 79 72 80 74 73 67 United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates Shaiban Saleh Nadir Lamyaghri Ali Rabee Name DOB
MM/DD/YY
Players to Watch
Josiel
9/15/74 2/13/76 3/19/83
176 186 -
73 85 -
United Arab Emirates Morocco United Arab Emirates
Livewire Brazilian forward Josiel arrived at Al Wahda in January 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 years AFC Champions League semi-nalists having nished top scorer in the 2007 Campeonato Brasileiro Srie A, scoring 20 times for Parana to nish one above Nauticos Uruguayan international Beto Acosta and ve clear of Dodo, who previously played in Asia with Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i and Al Ain.
Ismail Matar
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Forward 07/04/83 UAE
Haidar Alo Ali

Position: Date of Birth: Country: Defender 25/12/79 UAE
Undoubtedly one of the Arab worlds best strikers, the short but skillful Ismail Matar became a hero in his homeland when he inspired the UAE to the 2007 Gulf Cup, scoring a tournament best ve goals and picking up the MVP award in the process. Despite Al Wahda reaching the semi-nal of the 2007 AFC Champions League it was a relatively disappointing campaign for the 2003 FIFA World Youth Cup Golden Ball winner, nding the back of the net just once in six appearances having been red carded in the Abu Dhabi sides opening match against Al Rayyan.
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 mideld and has been known to weigh in with his fair share of goals. A condent taker of penalties, the 28-year-old featured in all but one match as Al Wahda reached the semi-nals of the 2007 AFC Champions League and scored from the spot in the three-time UAE champions 3-0 win over Qatari side Al Rayyan.
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Al Karama (Syria)
Club
President Established Address Tel Fax Email Website Stadium Capacity En Nasouh Baroudi 1928 Al Karama, Homs, Syria. +963 31 426 939 +963 31 446 926 www.algharafa.com Khalid Bin Waleed Stadium 35,000
Coach
Name Nationality D.O.B Appointed Mohamed Kwid Syrian 04/09/56 November 2005
Fixtures
MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1930 Al Karama vs Al Wahda Khaled Bin Al Waleed Stadium, Homs, Syria MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 2045 Al Ahli vs Al Karama Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1815 Al Sadd vs Al Karama Al Sadd Stadium, Doha, Qatar MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 2030 Al Karama vs Al Sadd Khaled Bin Al Waleed Stadium, Homs, Syria MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 2000 Al Wahda vs Al Karama Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi, UAE MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1930 Al Karama vs Al Ahli Khaled Bin Al Waleed Stadium, Homs, Syria
Mohamed Kwid made a massive impact in Asian football when he led unheralded Al Karama to the nal 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 rst league title in a decade before eclipsing that the following season by winning the Syrian Cup as well as successfully defending their league crown.
Media Contact
Name Tel Mobile Fax Email Fares Chahin +963 31 222 707 +963 944 423180 +963 31 446 926
Club Colours
Domestic Record
2004 League 2nd P W D L 28 16 10 2 F A Pts 51 24 58 2005 League 2nd P W D L 26 14 8 4 F A Pts 38 24 50 2006 League Winners P W D L 26 17 5 4 F A Pts 60 19 56 2007 League Winners P W D L 26 18 8 0 F A Pts 54 14 62
Al Karama were the losing nalists in 2006
Home Facts & Stats
Away
Cup 2nd Rd Lost 2-0 on aggregate to Hottain
Cup Semi-nals Lost on away goals to Al Majd, 2-2 on aggregate
Cup Semi-nals Lost 3-0 on aggregate to Tishrin
Cup Winners Beat Al Taleiah 2-1 in nal
Prole
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 nal and the quarternals 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-nals) and Kuwaits Al Qadsiya (semi-nals) before their golden run was ended by Korean side Jeonbuk Motors in the nal (aggregate 3-2). To prove that their success was no ash in the pan, Mohamed Kwids men repeated a similar performance in 2007 to book their berth in the quarter-nals where they lost to Korean champions Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma.
ACL Record
2004 Did not qualify 2005 Did not qualify 2006 Runners-up 1st 2nd L 0-2 W 2-1 F Jeonbuk Motors Al Qadsiya D 0-0 W 1-0 SF L 0-2 W 4-0 OF Al Ittihad
W 2-1 L 2-4 GS Al Wahda Saba Battery W 1-0 W 2-1 GS Al Gharafa W 3-1 L 0-4 GS
Domestic Record 2007 League champions _______________________________________ Domestic Honours League x6 (2007, 06, 1996, 84, 83, 75) Cup x5 (2007, 1996, 95, 87, 83) _______________________________________ Continental Record ACC Did not participate ACWC Did not participate ACL 2006 runners-up; 2007(QFs)
2007 Quarter-nals 1st 2nd L 1-2 L 0-2 QF Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma Neftchi Al Najaf Al Sadd H A GS GS GS
W 2-0 L 1-2 D 1-1 W 4-2 W 2-1 D 1-1
ACC ACWC ACL
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Al Karama (Syria)
Squad
Jersey No. Goalkeepers 1 22 29 30 Defenders 2 3 4 13 14 16 23 Midelders 5 6 7 10 11 12 15 18 21 24 25 Forwards 8 9 17 19 20 26 28 Mohanad Al Ibrahim Mohamad Al Hamwi Youssef Sleman Abdalrahman Akkari Ziad Chaabo Haani Al Taiar Edgard Lima De Melo 2/1/86 1/1/84 9/17/86 3/3/84 1/1/79 5/1/90 6/10/80 176 171 177 176 180 184 186 70 65 75 74 80 78 77 Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Brazil Sar Atasi Jehad Al Hussein Mohamad Idd Iyad Mando Fahed Oudah Mohamad Al Jaja Alaa Alshbli Mahmoud Al Maaloul Aattef Jenniat Mohamad Abdulkader Feras Ismail 11/4/84 7/30/82 1/3/86 2/20/78 1/1/82 3/12/86 5/3/90 1/8/85 5/8/84 1/3/85 1/3/83 175 171 171 178 179 178 173 176 170 171 182 65 65 70 77 70 70 64 79 67 75 77 Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Naser Al Sebai Fabio Santos Hassan Abbas Belal Abduldaim Anas Al Khouja Tamer Hajmohamed Tawfek Taearaa 5/14/85 2/23/81 1/24/74 6/1/83 1/28/80 4/3/90 1/1/84 186 204 179 178 179 180 181 82 104 78 75 80 77 82 Syrian Arab Republic Brazil Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Mosab Balhous Adnan Al Hafez Hussen Rahal Fahd Saleh Name DOB
MM/DD/YY
Players to Watch
Ziad Chaabo
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Forward 01/01/79 Syria
10/5/82 4/23/84 1/1/88 4/3/85
185 184 184 178
88 80 80 72
Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Republic
One of Syrias most decorated players, Ziad Chaabo emerged as the leagues top scorer in 2000 and 2003 when he was also named his countrys 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: Date of Birth: Country: Midelder 20/02/78 Syria A regular source of goals from mideld, Iyad Mando has been a hugely inuential gure in Al Karamas recent success 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 nal, Al Karama lost to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors marking the second time Mando had missed out on continental glory after former club Al Wahda were defeated by Al Jaish in the all-Syrian AFC Cup 2004 nal.
Fabio Santos
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Defender 23/02/81 Brazil At well over 2 meters tall, giant Brazilian defender 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 Karamas two previous ACL campaigns. In his rst season since joining the Homs outt from Lebanese side Al Ansar, the 27-year-old helped Al Karama nish runners-up in the 2006 AFC Champions League before playing all eight matches as the Syrians reached the quarter-nals the following year.
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Club
President Established Address Tel Fax Email Website Stadium Capacity Ayman Saleh Fadel 1937 Al Ahli, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Coach
Name Nationality D.O.B Appointed Nebojsa Vukovic Serbian 13/05/49 Oct 2007
Fixtures
MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1800 Al Sadd vs Al Ahli Al Sadd Stadium, Doha, Qatar MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 2045 Al Ahli vs Al Karama Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 2040 Al Ahli vs Al Wahda Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1945 Al Wahda vs Al Ahli Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi, UAE MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 2050 Al Ahli vs Al Sadd Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1930 Al Karama vs Al Ahli Khaled Bin Al Waleed Stadium, Homs, Syria
Prince Sultan Bin Fahd Stadium 24,000
Nebojsa Vukovic was brought back to Al Ahli last October when the Jeddah side were languishing 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 season. Vukovic had already achieved cult status amongst the Al Ahli fans when he masterminded last Februarys 2-1 victory over city rivals Al Ittihad that won the club its fth Crown Prince Cup and a place in the AFC Champions League for a second time.
Media Contact
Name Tel Mobile Fax Email Mohamed Al Sheikhi +966 555 644 547
Club Colours
Domestic Record
2004 League 3rd Lost to Al Shabab 1-2 in step-ladder top-four playoff Regular season 4th P W D L 22 10 8 4 F A Pts 31 21 38 2005 Did not qualify for step-ladder top-four playoffs Regular season 5th P W D L 22 10 4 8 F A Pts 41 29 34 2006 League 4th Lost to Al Ittihad 0-3 in stepladder top-four playoff Regular season 4th P W D L 22 9 9 4 F A Pts 45 23 36 2007 Did not qualify for stepladder top-four playoff Regular season 4th P W D L 22 7 8 7 F A Pts 29 33 29
Al Ahli have qualied for the ACL for the second time
Home Facts & Stats
Away
Cup Runners-up Lost to Al Ittihad 0-1 in nal
Cup Round of 16 Lost to Al Watani 3-5 on penalties (aet 2-2)
Cup Runners-up Lost to Al Hilal 0-1 in nal
Cup Winners Beat Al Ittihad 2-1 in nal
Prole
The Jeddah-based Al Ahli are one of Saudi Arabias most popular clubs with a mass fan following. Their league derbies with their illustrious neighbours and twotime 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.
Domestic Record 2007 Cup champions _______________________________________ Domestic Honours League x2 (1984, 1978) Cup x3 (2007, 2002, 2001) _______________________________________ Continental Record ACC ACWC ACL Did not participate Did not participate 2005 (QFs)
ACL Record
2004 Did not qualify 2005 Quarter-nals Shenzen Jianlibao Pakhtakor Al Zawra Al Jaish 1st
W 2-1 L 1-3
2006 Did not qualify 2nd QF
W 3-0 L 1-2 W 5-1 W 2-1 W 3-1 W 4-0
GS GS GS
ACC ACWC ACL
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Squad
Jersey No. Goalkeepers 1 21 22 Defenders 2 3 4 6 13 14 16 19 20 24 28 30 Midelders 5 7 8 10 12 15 18 25 27 Forwards 9 11 17 23 26 29 Malek Maaz Waleed Al Gizani Osvaldo Felix de Souza Hussain Al Absi Nasir Al Selimi Abdelellah Hawsawi 8/10/81 2/26/81 4/17/81 8/7/87 4/7/87 11/1/86 167 183 177 177 173 63 90 68 64 73 Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Brazil Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Motaz Al Mosa Turki Al Thaga Taiseer Al Jassam Antonio Caio Saleh Al Mohammedi Saheb Al Abdullha Ahmed Darwish Faraj Alaa Al Rishani Hamoud Abbas 8/6/87 5/1/86 7/25/84 11/10/80 11/18/80 7/21/77 10/29/84 10/30/87 10/4/86 174 181 168 167 176 180 180 179 73 67 63 63 73 75 72 70 Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Brazil Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Leandro Bernardi Mohammed Eid Ahmed Alassiri Hassan Al Yamani Fawaz Al Mqati Mohammed Massad Mansour Al Harbi Walid Abdrabh Ali Al Abdali Hussain Abdul Ghani Jufain Al Bishi Ibrahim Hazzazi 10/6/79 5/3/87 12/3/88 10/4/84 3/2/87 2/17/83 10/19/87 6/1/82 2/5/79 1/21/77 5/1/87 11/22/84 183 181 180 175 173 178 177 174 179 172 84 84 64 62 63 70 72 70 73 63 Brazil Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Yasser Al Mosailem Abdullah Al Muaiouf Abdu Al Bsisi Name DOB
MM/DD/YY
Players to Watch
Malek Maaz
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Forward 10/08/81 Saudi Arabia
2/27/84 1/23/87 6/18/77
186 188 -
80 80 -
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia
After beginning his professional career in Medina with Al Ansar, Malek Maaz returned to his home-city Jeddah to sign from Al Ahli in 2003 and after changing position from midelder to striker has emerged as one of Saudi Arabias 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 nal and was one of Saudi Arabias stars at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, bagging a brace as the Kingdom defeated defending champions Japan in the semi-nal.
Hussain Abdulghani
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Defender 21/01/77 Saudi Arabia
Taiseer Al Jassam
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Midelder 25/07/84 Saudi Arabia
His rampaging runs down the left ank may have been curtailed recently by his advancing years but Al Ahli legend Hussain Abdulghani remains one of the clubs key gures both in defence and attack, where he is known for his accurate crossing as well as his exceptional set-piece delivery. Although the ery 31-yearold was not in the Saudi Arabia squad that reached the nal of the 2007 AFC Asian Cup he did represent the Kingdom at three FIFA World Cups and it was his impressive displays for the national team that helped earn him a trial with French Ligue 1 side Lorient in October 2006.
Attacking midelder Taiseer Al Jassam, who is taking part in the AFC Champions League for a second time after helping Al Ahli to the quarter-nals of the 2005 tournament, is regarded as one of Saudi Arabias rising stars of the future. Part of the Saudi Arabia squad that nished runners-up at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, Al Jassam endeared himself to the Al Ahli fans by scoring the opening goal in their 2-1 Crown Prince Cup nal victory over arch rivals Al Ittihad, before becoming one of the few Saudis to play outside the Kingdom following a brief loan spell with Qatars Al Gharafa.
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Group C Fixtures
Day/Date Matchday One 12/03/2008 (Wednesday) Kick-Off 1800 AL SADD (QAT) Match vs AL AHLI (KSA) Score ___ ___
1930
AL KARAMA (SYR)
vs AL WAHDA (UAE)
___ ___
2045
AL AHLI (KSA)
vs AL KARAMA (SYR)
___ ___
2000
AL WAHDA (UAE)
vs AL SADD (QAT)
___ ___
2000
AL AHLI (KSA)
vs AL WAHDA (UAE)
___ ___
1815
AL SADD (QAT)
vs AL KARAMA (SYR)
___ ___
1945
AL WAHDA (UAE)
vs AL AHLI (KSA)
___ ___
2030
AL KARAMA (SYR)
vs AL SADD (QAT)
___ ___
2050
AL AHLI (KSA)
vs AL SADD (QAT)
___ ___
2000
AL WAHDA (UAE)
vs AL KARAMA (SYR)
___ ___
1800
AL SADD (QAT)
vs AL WAHDA (UAE)
___ ___
1930
AL KARAMA (SYR)
vs AL AHLI (KSA)
___ ___
GROUP D
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Group D
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-nal experience in the 2003 ACL

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Club
President Abdukahhor Tukhtaev Established 1956 Address 98 A Uzbekistanskaya Street, Shaykhontokhur District, 70027, Tashkent Tel +99 871 1322350 Fax +99 871 1322350 Email info@pakhtakor.uz Website www.pakhtakor.uz Stadium Pakhtakor Stadium Capacity 55,000
Coach
Name Nationality D.O.B Appointed Ravshan Haydarov Uzbek 15/07/61 Aug 2006
Fixtures
MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1500 Pakhtakor vs Al Qadsiya Mhsk Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1848 Al Gharafa vs Pakhtakor Al Gharafa Stadium, Doha, Qatar MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1630 Pakhtakor vs Arbil Mhsk Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1700 Arbil vs Pakhtakor Prince Mohammad Stadium, Amman, Jordan MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1905 Al Qadsiya vs Pakhtakor Mohammed Al Hamed Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1700 Pakhtakor vs Al Gharafa Mhsk Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
The national coach of Uzbekistan when they reached the quarter-nals of the AFC Asian Cup in 2004, Ravshan Haydarov led Pakhtakor 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 Haydarov in the CIS Cup, where they nished 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.
Media Contact
Name Tel Mobile Fax Email Salimov Ravshan +99 871 1130008 +99 898 1289097, +99 893 3829097 +99 871 1322350 rovsh07@mail.ru, alish07@mail.ru
Club Colours
Domestic Record
2004 League Winners P W D L 26 22 3 1 F A Pts 81 15 69 2005 League Winners P W D L 26 21 2 3 F A Pts 78 15 65 2006 League Winners P W D L 30 25 2 3 F A Pts 84 12 77 2007 League Winners P W D L 30 26 4 0 F A Pts 83 13 82
Pakhtakor have been the undisputed Uzbek champions
Cup Winners Beat Traktor 3-2 in nal
Cup Winners Beat Neftchi 1-0 in nal
Cup Winners Beat Mashal 2-0 in nal
Home Facts & Stats
Away ACL Record

2004 Semi-nals 1st 2nd Seongnam D 0-0 L 0-2 SF Al Wahda D 1-1 W 4-0 QF Qatar SC Zob Ahan H
W 1-0 D 0-0 W 2-0 L 0-1
Cup Winners Beat Kuruvchi 7-6 on penalties (0-0 aet)
Prole
Winners of the league and Cup double in Uzbekistan for six consecutive years, Pakhtakor will be attempting to rediscover the form that carried them to semi-nal 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.
Domestic Record 2007 League and Cup champions _______________________________________ Domestic Honours League x8 (2007, 06, 05, 04, 03, 02, 1998, 92) Cup x9 (2007, 06, 05, 04, 03, 02, 01, 1997, 93) _______________________________________ Continental Record ACC 2000 (rst round) ACWC 2002 - 2nd Rd; 1999 - QF; 1995 - Prelim Rd ACL 2003 (SF), 2004 (SF), 2005, 2006, 2007 (all group stage)
2005 Group Stage H A W 2-1 L 0-3 GS Al Ahli W 4-1 W 2-0 GS Al Jaish Al Zawraa L 1-2 L 0-1 GS
2006 Group Stage H A W 2-0 L 1-2 GS Al Ittihad D 2-2 L 1-2 GS Al Qadsiya W 2-0 W 3-1 GS Foolad
2007 Group Stage Al Hilal Kuwait SC H

L 0-2 L 0-2 W 2-1 W 1-0
GS GS
GS GS
Irans Esteghlal were disqualied for failing to meet the registration deadline.
Riffa refused to play in Tashkent citing security concerns and withdrew
ACC ACWC ACL
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Squad
Jersey No. Goalkeepers 1 12 16 30 Defenders 2 3 4 5 10 13 21 27 Midelders 6 7 8 11 14 17 18 19 20 22 24 25 28 Forwards 9 15 23 26 29 Haydar Pirnazarov Alexander Geynrikh Alisher Azizov Sanat Shikhov Zaynitdin Tadjiyev 1/3/88 10/6/84 2/14/90 12/28/89 6/21/77 180 180 180 180 185 78 80 73 69 87 Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Leonid Koshelev Darko Markovic Akmal Holmatov Sadriddin Abdullaev Rustam Azamov Nodirbek Kuziboyev Vladislav Kiryan Islom Inomov Ildar Magdeev Renat Bayramov Anzur Ismailov Odil Ahmedov Stanislav Andreev 12/20/79 5/15/87 4/4/76 6/11/86 12/15/85 2/17/85 7/6/79 5/30/84 4/11/84 9/21/79 4/21/85 11/25/87 5/6/88 178 178 177 180 180 180 180 180 178 185 180 177 75 80 75 79 76 85 79 80 77 87 70 70 Uzbekistan Serbia and Montenegro Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Ahrol Riskullaev Rahmatullo Berdimurodov Shavkatjon Mulladjanov Asror Alikulov Farhod Tadjiyev Alexandr Kletskov Komoliddin Tadjiev Ilhomjon Suyunov 5/2/85 10/24/87 1/19/86 9/12/78 4/9/86 9/27/85 5/3/83 5/17/83 180 182 180 183 183 185 183 180 74 73 78 80 80 80 80 80 Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Eldor Tadjibaev Ignatiy Nesterov Sardor Kobuljanov Temur Juraev Name DOB
MM/DD/YY
Players to Watch
Ignatiy Nesterov
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Goalkeeper 20/06/83 Uzbekistan
6/3/86 6/20/83 2/2/87 5/12/84
180 180 184 185
76 84 80 84
Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan
One of Asias top keepers, Ignatiy Nesterov has emerged as rst 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 gure in Pakhtakor reaching the semi-nals 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: Date of Birth: Country: Midelder 04/04/76 Tajikistan
Asror Aliqulov
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Defender 12/09/78 Uzbekistan
Tajikistan international midelder Akmal Kholmatov is no stranger to the AFC Champions League having played in four editions of Asias premier club competition with Neftchi Fergana, where he scored 19 times to nish 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 Lithuanias FBK Kaunas to send the defending champions through to the nal.
Experienced and assured, Asror Aliqulov has been at the heart of Pakhtakors defence since enlisting with the AFC Champions League ever-presents in 2002 after spells with Uzbek rivals Mashal and Nasaf. A winner of ve 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 countrys fourth most-capped player having racked up over half-a-century of international appearances.
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Al Gharafa (Qatar)
Club
President Sheikh Hamad Bin Thamer Established 1979 Address P.O. Box 4767, Al Gharafa, Doha, Qatar Tel +974 489 1555 Fax +974 486 8656 Email Website www.algharafa.com Stadium Thani bin Jassim Stadium Capacity 25,000
Coach
Name Nationality D.O.B Appointed Marcos Paqueta Brazilian 27/08/58 August 2007
Fixtures
MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1500 Arbil vs Al Gharafa Prince Mohammad Stadium, Amman, Jordan MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1848 Al Gharafa vs Pakhtakor Al Gharafa Stadium, Doha, Qatar MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1840 Al Qadsiya vs Al Gharafa Mohammed Al Hamed Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1830 Al Gharafa vs Al Qadsia Al Gharafa Stadium, Doha, Qatar MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1848 Al Gharafa vs Arbil Al Gharafa Stadium, Doha, Qatar MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1700 Pakhtakor vs Al Gharafa Mhsk Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Marcos Paqueta made an immediate 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 headlines in 2003 when he guided Brazil to top honours in both the FIFA World Youth Championship and the FIFA U-17 World Championship.
Media Contact
Name Tel Mobile Fax Email Zohir Hama +974 5722280 +974 486 8656 algharafa@qatarolympics.org
Club Colours
Domestic Record
2004 League 6th P W D L 18 7 5 6 F A Pts 33 24 26 2005 League Winners P W D L 26 20 6 1 F A Pts 71 23 66 2006 League 6th P W D L 27 8 10 9 F A Pts 29 30 34 2007 League 2nd P W D L 27 11 10 6 F A Pts 51 41 43
Al Gharafa are coached by veteran Brazilian Marcos Paqueta
Cup Round 2 Lost to Al Sailiya 1-3
Cup Quarter-nals Lost 1-0 to Al Ahli
Home Facts & Stats
Away ACL Record

2004 Did not qualify 2005 Did not qualify
Cup Runners-up Lost to Al Rayyan 3-5 on penalties in nal (aet 1-1)
Cup Seminals Lost to Al Sadd 4-5 on penalties (aet 0-0)
Prole
Al Gharafa have qualied for the AFC Champions League for the second time after their lacklustre debut in 2006. Known as Al Etehad until they changed their name in 2004-05, Al Gharafa are one of Qatars more successful clubs, having won the Emirs Cup four times, three league titles, an Heir Apparents Cup and the 1999 Arab Cup Winners Cup. Marcos Paqueta, former coach of Saudi Arabia, is now at the controls and expected to work his magic with the Qatari giants.
Domestic Record 2007 League runners-up _______________________________________ Domestic Honours League x4 (2005, 02, 1998, 1992) Cup x5 (2002, 1998, 97, 96, 95) _______________________________________ Continental Record ACC 1994 Preliminary round ACWC 1998 QF; 1997 2nd round; 1996 1st round ACL 2006 Group stage
2006 Group Stage H A Saba Battery L 0-2 L 1-4 GS W 5-3 L 0-2 GS Al Wahda Al Karama W 4-0 L 1-3 GS
ACC ACWC ACL
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Al Gharafa (Qatar)
Squad
Jersey No. Goalkeepers 1 21 22 27 Defenders 2 6 8 11 13 15 17 19 24 25 26 28 Midelders 3 4 16 18 20 23 30 Forwards 5 7 9 10 12 14 29 Adel Jadoua Fahid Al Shammari Younes Mahmoud Araujo Mohamed Al Mazroai Mohammed Harees Fahad Al Shamari 9/13/81 1/1/82 2/3/83 8/8/77 5/25/88 6/9/91 2/18/77 175 183 172 180 164 179 75 71 67 75 61 60 Qatar Qatar Iraq Brazil Qatar Qatar Qatar Abdul Aziz Wadi Lawrence Quaye Rashid Mohammed Hamad Naseer Otman El Assas Mohammed Shaker Soud Al Shimmeri 6/12/86 8/22/84 2/25/91 11/20/84 1/30/79 6/16/85 4/27/78 170 175 179 167 175 182 172 75 74 72 56 75 75 60 Qatar Qatar Qatar Qatar Morocco Qatar Qatar Abdulaziz Yaqout Hamed Shami Saad Al Shammari Ahmed Fars Saghayer Al Shammari Mohammed Al Haj Ali Fatah Abdulla Eyal Naief Al Enazi Haz El Taiyb Bilal Mohammed Mustafa Abdi 9/20/90 11/13/84 8/6/80 8/27/75 3/31/79 10/5/84 5/22/83 3/3/81 3/24/84 3/1/90 6/2/86 1/2/84 174 169 170 170 183 170 172 180 175 182 182 60 65 58 67 72 62 64 70 60 74 74 Qatar Qatar Qatar Qatar Qatar Qatar Qatar Qatar Qatar Qatar Qatar Qatar Abdulla Aziz Mohammed Al Gamdi Abdulaziz Ali Amer Al Dosari Name DOB
MM/DD/YY
Players to Watch
Younes Mahmoud
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Forward 03/02/83 Iraq
3/5/91 4/28/85 6/5/80 3/2/77
180 178 184
90 87 75
Qatar Qatar Qatar Qatar
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 nal to emerge as the tournaments joint-top scorer and MVP. His rst club outside Iraq was Al Wahda, where he took part in the UAE sides 2004 ACL campaign, before moving to Qatar and becoming one of the Q-Leagues most prolic strikers. After scoring 46 times in two seasons with Al Khor he moved to Al Gharafa and the goals followed, nishing runner-up in the top scorer charts in the 2005/06 campaign before going on to win last seasons Golden Boot with 19 goals.
Arajo
Bilal Mohammed
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Defender 02/06/86 Qatar
Arajo, or Clemerson de Arajo 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, Arajo had a highly successful spell in Japan. In 2003 he left his homeland to join Shimizu S-Pulse and after a year in Shizuoka he transferred to Gamba Osaka, scoring 33 goals in 34 games as Gamba won the 2005 J.League and Arajo picked up the MVP and top scorer awards.
Despite not turning 22 until June 2008, defender Bilal Mohammed has packed more highlights in the past few years for club and country than many players get to see in their entire careers. His consistent performances 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 nal.
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Arbil (Iraq)
Club
President Established Address Tel Fax Email Website Stadium Capacity Abdallah Meguid Dazabi 1958 Azadi Street, Arbil Stadium, Arbil, Iraq. +9647705496675 +12156234966 himdad-center@yahoo.com www.algharafa.com Franso Hariri Stadium 40,000
Coach
Name Nationality D.O.B Appointed Akram Salman Iraqi 1947 2007
Fixtures
MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1500 Arbil vs Al Gharafa Prince Mohammad Stadium, Amman, Jordan MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1825 Al Qadsiya vs Arbil Mohammed Al Hamed Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1630 Pakhtakor vs Arbil Mhsk Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1700 Arbil vs Pakhtakor Prince Mohammad Stadium, Amman, Jordan MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1848 Al Gharafa vs Arbil Al Gharafa Stadium, Doha, Qatar MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1700 Arbil vs Al Qadsia Prince Mohammad Stadium, Amman, Jordan
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 Arbil 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 nals, Salman has also successfully coached in a number of countries throughout the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar.
Media Contact
Name Tel Mobile Fax Email Jalal Mohammed Abdullah +9647504458157 +12156234966
Club Colours
Domestic Record
2004 League The Iraqi League was cancelled in May 2004. A qualication competition was held in September to decide Iraqs representatives (Al Quwa Al Jawiya and Al Shorta) in the AFC Champions League. Cup No competition 2005 First phase, Group 1 3rd P W D L 16 6 6 4 F A Pts 24 18 24 2006 First phase, Group 4 3rd P W D L 12 4 5 3 P W D L 4 2 1 1 F A Pts 10 7 17 F 7 A Pts 4 7 2007 First phase, Group 1 1st P W D L 12 10 1 1 P W D L 5 4 0 1 F A Pts 24 9 31 F A Pts 10 3 12
Second phase, Group 4 2nd (failed to qualify for nal phase) P W D L 3 2 0 1 F 5 A Pts 4 6
Second phase, Group 1 1st
Final phase, Group 1 1st
Arbil are the third non-Baghdad team to have won the Iraqi League
Home Facts & Stats
Away
Cup No competition
Prole
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 rst Iraqi-Kurdish team to qualify for the AFC Champions League. The club is also known as Hewler (Kurdish for Arbil).
Semi-nals Lost to Al Najaf 2-5 on aggregate Cup No competition
Final Beat Al Quwa Al Jawiya 1-0 Cup No competition
Domestic Record Domestic Record 2007 League champions _______________________________________ Domestic Honours League 1 (2007) Cup _______________________________________ Continental Record ACC ACWC ACL Did not participate Did not participate Did not participate
ACL Record
ACC ACWC ACL
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Arbil (Iraq)
Squad
Jersey No. Goalkeepers 1 21 22 Defenders 2 3 4 5 6 30 Midelders Samal Saeed Yasser Raad Rafed Badraddin Salah Aldeen Siamend Salam Shaker Dara Mohammed 1/7/86 6/25/83 9/30/76 7/3/81 7/31/86 7/16/87 175 70 Iraq Iraq Iraq Iraq Iraq Iraq Sardar Adel Sarhank Muhsen Dydar Hamed Name DOB
MM/DD/YY
Players to Watch
Ahmed Salah
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Forward 18/06/82 Iraq
1/5/87 12/1/86 7/1/84
Iraq Iraq Iraq
A talented attacker that can create havoc in the oppositions defence, Ahmed Salah was the 2006/07 Iraq leagues top scorer with 12 goals, the most important of which was undoubtedly the winner in Arbils 1-0 victory over Al Quwa Al Jawiya in the championship nal. Previously with Egyptian giants Zamalek, Ahmed Salahs potential was rst recognised by Al Zawraa, where he earned call-ups to the Iraq U-17 and then U-19 teams before moving to Al Talaba and with more rst team opportunities he helped the Students win the 2002 league and cup double.
7 8 9 14 15 23 24 25 Forwards 10 11 17 18 20
Alai Nairooz Haider Sabbah Kay Abdul Rahman Khaldoon Ibrahim Usama Ali Sherzad Mohammed Wisam Zaki Ahmed Abid Ali
5/15/83 12/1/86 1/1/78 7/16/87 6/25/88 4/8/82 9/21/85 1/18/86
172 182 165 -
71 71 60 -
Iraq Iraq Iraq Iraq Iraq Iraq Iraq Iraq
Ahmad Abid Ali

Position: Date of Birth: Country: Midelder 18/01/86 Iraq
Rad Badraddin
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Defender 30/09/76 Iraq
Mouslim Mubarak Luay Salah Ahmad Salah Haydar Qaraman Ahmad Muhammed
9/29/85 2/7/82 6/18/82 12/12/85 10/10/87
172 -
70 -
Iraq Iraq Iraq Iraq Iraq
Ahmad Abid Ali is one of the his countrys most promising midelders and he already has considerable big match experience, making three appearances as Iraq won the 2007 AFC Asian Cup and playing all six matches for former club Al Zawraa in last years AFC Champions League. The 22-year-old, who scored in the 11-time Iraqi champions ACL 2007 Group A match against Al Wahda, announced his presence with an impressive season in 2004 with Al Karakh before moving to Al Zawra and picking up a 2006 Iraq League winners medal.
Captain of the side as they defeated Al Quwa Al Jawiya 1-0 in the 2006/07 Iraq championship nal, Rad Badraddin and fellow defender Salah Aldeen Siamend are the only two players remaining from the Arbil squad that gained promotion to the top-ight in 1998. A versatile, attack-minded defender who is comfortable playing anywhere along the backline Rad was called up by Bernd Stange to Iraqs 2006 World Cup qualifying squad but to the surprise of many observers of Iraqi football never went on to become a national team regular.
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Al Qadsiya (Kuwait)
Club
President Sheikh Talal Al Fahad Established 1960 Address Hawalli Yurmouk St., P.O. Box 13016, Kuwait Tel +965 265 2322 Fax +965 263 2807 Email Website www.qadsia.com Stadium Mohammad Al Hamad Capacity 20,000
Coach
Name Nationality D.O.B Appointed Jose Garrido Portuguese 28/11/75 June 2007
Fixtures
MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1500 Pakhtakor vs Al Qadsiya Mhsk Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1825 Al Qadsiya vs Arbil Mohammed Al Hamed Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1840 Al Qadsiya vs Al Gharafa Mohammed Al Hamed Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1830 Al Gharafa vs Al Qadsiya Al Gharafa Stadium, Doha, Qatar MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1905 Al Qadsiya vs Pakhtakor Mohammed Al Hamed Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1700 Arbil vs Al Qadsiya Prince Mohammad Stadium, Amman, Jordan
Former Benca central defender Jose Garrido arrived at Al Qadsiya in June 2007 with the unenviable task of replacing local hero Mohamed Ibrahim, who led the side to the semi-nals of the 2006 AFC Champions league. Garrido caught the Al Qadsiya eye thanks to an impressive 2006/07 campaign with Kazma when the Portuguese tactician took the two-time Gulf Club Championship winners to a runners-up nish in the league and in the Crown Prince Cup, where they lost 1-0 to Al Arabi.
Media Contact
Name Tel Mobile Fax Email Nasser Hussain +965 265 2322 +965 794 0404 +965 263 2807 qadsiaclub@gmail.com
Club Colours
Domestic Record
2004 League Winners P W D L 13 10 1 2 F A Pts 27 8 31 2005 League Winners P W D L 13 10 1 2 F A Pts 33 10 31 2006 League 2nd P W D L 26 19 5 2 F A Pts 67 14 62 2007 League 4th P W D L 14 8 1 5 F A Pts 27 19 25
Badr Al Mutawa of Al Qadsiya will be expected to spearhead the Kuwaiti giants challenge
Cup Winners Beat Kuwait 2-0 in nal
Home Facts & Stats
Away ACL Record

2004 Expelled
Cup Semi-nals Lost to Kazma 2-3 on penalties (aet 2-2)
Cup Runners-up Lost to Al Arabi 2-0 in nal
Cup Winners Beat Al Salmiya 5-0 in nal
Prole
The 2006 AFC Champions League semi-nalists are back in contention 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 Qadsiyas credentials are as solid as ever. They completed the domestic treble in 2004 and won the league and Gulf Club Championship in 2005.
Domestic Record 2007 Cup winners _______________________________________ Domestic Honours League 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 Record ACC ACWC ACL Did not participate 1995 2nd round 2006 (SFs)
2005 Suspended
2006 Semi-nals Al Karama Al Ain Pakhtakor Al Ittihad Foolad 1st

D 0-0 L 0-1 D 2-2 W 3-0
2007 Did not qualify 2nd SF QF GS GS GS
W 2-1 D 2-2 W 1-0 D 2-2 W 2-0 L 0-6
ACC ACWC ACL
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Al Qadsiya (Kuwait)
Squad
Jersey No. Goalkeepers 1 21 22 Defenders 2 3 4 6 11 13 23 25 28 29 30 Midelders 5 8 10 12 14 15 19 20 24 26 Forwards 7 9 16 17 18 27 Khalaf Al Salama Ahmad Ajab Ahmad Abdulla Badr Al Mutawa Ali Al Kandari Hamad Al Enezi 7/25/79 5/13/84 4/11/81 1/10/85 3/12/85 10/5/86 178 181 168 174 174 170 68 75 66 71 71 69 Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Ibrahima Keita Saleh Al Sheikh Abdullah Al Dhafeeri Fawaz Buhamad Selim Ben Achour Fahed Al Ebrahim Nawaf Al Mutairi Abdulrahman Mousa Mohammad Fahaad Mladen Jovancic 1/1/85 5/29/82 4/29/86 5/27/84 9/8/81 2/25/87 9/28/82 12/4/81 1/17/81 3/17/80 180 175 172 174 175 190 170 178 175 180 84 65 66 77 69 73 72 72 64 79 Ivory Coast Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait France Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Serbia And Montenegro Ali Al Namash Mohammad Rashed Hussain Fadhel Fayez Bandar Ali Al Shamali Mesaed Neda Sadoun Hameed Nohayr Al Shamari Dhary Saeed Tareq Al Khulai Mohammad Al Nemesh 10/31/82 7/1/87 10/9/84 12/7/83 8/17/83 7/8/83 8/28/77 7/12/76 3/2/87 1/18/82 3/13/87 170 169 183 179 170 179 174 181 174 176 165 63 67 70 71 66 70 70 74 67 70 62 Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Ali Al Eissa Ali Jawad Nawaf Al Khaldi Name DOB
MM/DD/YY
Players to Watch
Badr Al Mutawa
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Forward 10/01/85 Kuwait
3/2/84 1/31/86 5/25/81
177 176 181
74 71 73
Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait
Since graduating to the senior team at the tender age of 17, Bader Al Mutawa has been an integral part of Al Qadsiyas recent success and his standout performances as his club reached the semi-nals of the 2006 AFC Champions League saw the 23year-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 countrys 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: Date of Birth: Country: Midelder 08/09/81 Tunisia
Ibrahima Keita
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Midelder 01/01/84 Cote dIvoire
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 Champions League with Paris Saint Germain and had spells with French clubs FC Martigues and Troyes before moving on to Vitoria Guimaraes in Portugal and then Russian outt Rubin Kazan.
Al Qadsiya signed Ibrahima Keita from unheralded Kuwaiti side Al Fahaheel in August 2005 and since then the versatile midelder has played a key role in the clubs recent success, helping them to the semi-nals of the 2006 AFC Champions League as well as a number of domestic trophies. A tireless worker who can operate defensively in front of the back four or use his dribbling skills to launch attacks, Keita began his career in France with CS Louhans-Cuiseaux before returning to Cote dIvoire and a spell with Acadmie Cyril Domoraud prior to his move to Kuwait.
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Group D Fixtures
Day/Date Matchday One 12/03/2008 (Wednesday) Kick-Off 1500 PAKHTAKOR (UZB) Match vs AL QADSIYA (KUW) Score ___ ___
1500
ARBIL (IRQ)
vs AL GHARAFA (QAT)
___ ___
1825
AL QADSIYA (KUW)
vs ARBIL (IRQ)
___ ___
1848
AL GHARAFA (QAT)
vs PAKHTAKOR (UZB)
___ ___
1840
AL QADSIYA (KUW)
vs AL GHARAFA (QAT)
___ ___
1630
PAKHTAKOR (UZB)
vs ARBIL (IRQ)
___ ___
1830
AL GHARAFA (QAT)
vs AL QADSIYA (KUW)
___ ___
1700
ARBIL (IRQ)
vs PAKHTAKOR (UZB)
___ ___
1905
AL QADSIYA (KUW)
vs PAKHTAKOR (UZB)
___ ___
1848
AL GHARAFA (QAT)
vs ARBIL (IRQ)
___ ___
1700
PAKHTAKOR (UZB)
vs AL GHARAFA (QAT)
___ ___
1700
ARBIL (IRQ)
vs AL QADSIYA (KUW)
___ ___
GROUP E
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Group E

China League winners

Australian League runners-up

Korean League winners
Vietnamese League winners
Richie Alagich (centre) in action for Adelaide United in an A-League match

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Club
President Liu Yuming Established 1996 Address No.13 Yang Jia Dian, Changchun Economic Development Zone, Changchun Tel +86 431 8483 9747 Fax +86 431 8483 9693 Email zhangzhuochao1@hotmail.com Website www.yataifc.com Stadium Changchun Stadium Capacity 40,000
Coach
Name Nationality D.O.B Appointed Gao Hongbo Chinese 25/01/66 January 2007
Fixtures
MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1530 Changchun Yatai vs Binh Duong Changchun City Stadium, Changchun, China PR MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1930 Adelaide United vs Changchun Yatai Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, Australia MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1530 Changchun Yatai vs Pohang Steelers Changchun City Stadium, Changchun, China PR MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1900 Pohang Steelers vs Changchun Yatai Pohang Steelyard, Pohang, Korea Republic MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1700 Binh Duong vs Changchun Yatai Binh Duong Stadium, Vietnam MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1530 Changchun Yatai vs Adelaide United Changchun City Stadium, Changchun, China PR
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 difcult time went to study in Europe, returning to take helm of the China U-17 in 2000. The former Beijing Guoan striker, who was Chinas player of the year in 1991, has also had spells as assistant coach for the national team but it was his work with Xiamen Lanshi 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 nish the previous season.
Media Contact
Name Telephone Mobile Fax Email Zhang Ning Yun +86 13844147768 +86 431 8483 9693 yataifc@163.com
Club Colours
Domestic Record
2004 League 5th (First Division) P W D L 32 13 12 7 F A Pts 53 34 51 2005 League 2nd (Division 1; promoted to Chinese Super League) P W D L 26 20 4 2 F A Pts 71 22 64 2006 League 4th P W D L 28 13 7 8 F A Pts 41 29 46 2007 League Winners P W D L 28 16 7 5 F A Pts 48 26 55
Changchun Yatais Du Zhenyu is expected to play a key role for the Chinese team
Home Facts & Stats
Away
Cup First round play-off
No Cup competition in China
Prole
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 nish fth and maintain an unbeaten record at home before nishing 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.
ACL Record
2004 Did not participate 2005 Did not participate 2006 Did not participate 2007 Did not participate
Domestic Record 2007 League champions _______________________________________ Domestic Honours League 2007 Cup _______________________________________ Continental Record ACC Did not participate ACWC Did not participate ACL Did not participate
ACC ACWC ACL
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Squad
Jersey No. Goalkeepers 1 22 28 Defenders 2 3 4 12 16 20 25 26 27 Midelders 5 6 7 13 15 17 18 19 23 24 29 Forwards 8 10 11 14 21 30 Du Zhenyu Zadi Guillaume Dah Wang Rui Cao Tianbao Liu Weidong Liu Yulong 2/1/83 1/1/78 4/23/82 4/3/82 1/29/87 6/14/88 177 186 174 185 177 180 75 80 66 73 68 72 China P.R. Cote D'ivoire China P.R. China P.R. China P.R. China P.R. Chinwuzo Gabriel Melkam Wang Dong Jiang Pengxiang Tang Tao Yang Haibo Huang Jie Ma Xiaohuan Haw Dongri Zhang Xiaofei Yan Feng Zhang Tianhan 3/13/80 9/10/81 2/9/81 8/1/87 12/2/80 2/28/87 7/18/87 9/20/83 7/11/82 2/7/82 10/22/87 187 181 179 182 178 175 175 178 179 173 184 82 68 67 67 72 70 65 70 70 68 75 Germany China P.R. China P.R. China P.R. China P.R. China P.R. China P.R. China P.R. China P.R. China P.R. China P.R. Wang Wanpeng Tang Jing Jorge Samuel Caballero Alvarez Cui Wei Li Bin Liu Chengyu Lu Jianjun Wang Bo Chen Lei 6/9/82 2/14/75 12/24/74 4/7/83 5/13/81 10/15/85 8/1/85 5/8/82 10/16/85 186 191 184 182 180 186 180 185 180 78 86 93 78 74 75 70 72 68 China P.R. China P.R. Honduras China P.R. China P.R. China P.R. China P.R. China P.R. China P.R. Zong Lei Wang Peng An Qi Name DOB
MM/DD/YY
Players to Watch
Du Zhenyu
188 188 192 81 75 82 China P.R. China P.R. China P.R. Position: Date of Birth: Country: Forward 01/02/83 China
7/26/81 9/19/89 6/21/81
Du Zhenyu had a stellar 2007 in which he scored nine times in 20 games to help Chanchung Yatai win their rst Chinese league title and himself a player of the year nomination. Dus performances last season for the club he has played for since 2001 didnt go unnoticed by the Chinese football authorities and although he didnt make the cut for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup the 25-year-old was called up for Chinas 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying squad and is also a candidate for his countrys side for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Chinwuzo Gabriel Melkam

Position: Date of Birth: Country: An end-of-theseason buy from relegated Xiamen Lanshi, Chinwuzo Gabriel Melkam is a Nigerian-born German midelder expected to pull the strings from the centre of the park with Du Zhenyu. Melkam is no stranger to big temperament games, having nished runners-up at the 1999 African Youth Championship and bowing out as quarter-nalists from the FIFA World Youth Championship the same year. Before joining Xiamen in 2006, Melkam proved his credentials with German clubs like Karlsruhrer, Hansa Rostock and Sportfreunde Siegen. Midelder 13/03/80 Germany
Zadi Guillaume Dah

Position: Date of Birth: Country: Forward 01/01/78 Cote dIvoire Powerful Ivorian striker who joined Changchun Yatai in April 2007 initially on-loan form Bulgarian side CSKA Soa, Zadi put his European experience to good use by bagging ten goals in 18 games to nish the Jilin Province sides second highest scorer in their championship winning season. Prior to his move to China via Bulgaria Zadi was groomed as a youth at 14time Cote dIvoire champions Africa Sports before having spells with Abidjan rivals FC Satellite, Moroccan outt Wydad Casablanca, and EOGK Tunisie.
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Club
Chairman Dario Fontanarosa Established 2003 Address Hindmarsh Stadium, Holden Street, PO Box 620, Hindmarsh, Australia Tel +61 88340 3000 Fax +61 88340 3033 Email info@adelaideunited.com.au Website www.adelaideunited.com.au Stadium Hindmarsh Stadium Capacity 16,500
Coach
Name Nationality D.O.B Appointed Aurelio Vidmar Australian 03/02/67 2007
Fixtures
MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1900 Pohang Steelers vs Adelaide United Pohang Steelyard, Pohang, Korea REP MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1930 Adelaide United vs Changchun Yatai Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, Australia MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1800 Binh Duong vs Adelaide United Binh Duong Stadium, Vietnam MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1930 Adelaide United vs Binh Duong Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, Australia MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1930 Adelaide United vs Pohang Steelers Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, Australia MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1530 Changchun Yatai vs Adelaide United Changchun City Stadium, Changchun, China PR
Aurelio Vidmars prestigious senior career started at Adelaide City, where he played for seven seasons in the NSL before moving abroad for eight years. In 1994/95 at Standard Liege he was Belgiums top scorer, with 22 goals for the season. He was voted Oceanias 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 Vidmars international career was brilliant. He played in the 1996 Olympic Games, played 53 games for the Socceroos and scored 18 goals. He also gured in the Confederations Cup 1997 and 2001.
Media Contact
Name Tel Mobile Fax Email Dominic Rinaldo +61 88340 3000 +61 (0) 402293 470 +61 88340 3033 dom.rinaldo@adelaideunited.com.au
Club Colours
Domestic Record
2004 No A-League 2005 No A-League 2006 League 1st P W D L 21 13 4 4 F A Pts 33 25 43 2007 League Runners up P W D L 21 10 3 8 F A Pts 32 27 33
Adelaide United were A-League runners-up
Home Prole
Adelaide United became one of Australias rst 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 ALeague 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.
Away ACL Record

2004 Did not participate 2005 Did not participate
Note: Lost 1-0 to Central Coast Mariners in the Preliminary nal.
Note: Lost 6-0 to Melbourne Victory in the Grand Final
Facts & Stats

Domestic Record 2007 League runners-up _______________________________________ Domestic Honours League Cup ________________________________________ Continental Record ACC Did not participate ACWC Did not participate ACL 2007(Group Stage)
2006 Did not participate
2007 Group Stage H A Seongnam D 2-2 L 0-1 GS Ilhwa Shandong L 0-1 D 2-2 GS Luneng Dong Tam W 3-0 W 2-0 GS Long An
ACC ACWC ACL
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Squad
Jersey No. Goalkeepers 1 20 30 Defenders 2 3 4 5 6 17 18 19 24 Midelders 7 8 12 13 14 15 21 22 26 Forwards 9 10 11 23 Paul Agostino Nathan Burns Bruce Djite Dezmon Giraldi 6/9/75 5/7/88 3/25/87 3/24/86 184 173 183 185 82 72 86 80 Australia Australia Australia Australia Lucas Pantelis Kristian Sarkies Matthew Mullen Travis Dodd Shaun Ontong Gyawe Salley Jason Spagnuolo Diego Walsh Fabian Barbiero 3/12/82 10/25/86 2/24/89 1/6/80 3/25/87 3/16/82 8/2/84 12/8/79 5/2/84 166 177 181 177 175 179 172 183 176 66 78 76 80 71 76 64 84 72 Australia Australia Australia Australia Australia Cote DIvoire Australia Brazil Australia Richie Alagich Milan Susak Angelo Costanzo Michael Valkanis Cassio Oliveira Isyan Erdogan Robert Cornthwaite Sasa Ognenovski Alvin Ceccoli 10/30/73 1/29/84 5/9/76 8/23/73 1/8/80 9/25/82 10/24/85 4/3/79 8/5/74 177 183 181 168 175 193 195 74 88 80 71 77 85 95 Australia Australia Australia Australia Brazil Australia Australia Australia Australia Daniel Beltrame Robert Bajic Eugen Galekovic Name DOB
MM/DD/YY
Players to Watch
Richie Alagich
190 195 186 96 87 91 Australia Australia Australia Position: Date of Birth: Country: Defender 30/10/1973 Australia
12/28/75 7/29/77 6/12/81
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 200506, 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: Date of Birth: Country: Midelder 25/10/1986 Australia
Bruce Djite
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Striker 25/3/1987 Australia
Kristian Sarkies grew up in Dingley Village, a suburb in Melbournes South-East. Kristian Sarkies is a promising young midelder for Australia with an eye for goal and is known for his powerfully hit setpieces. He played in the A-league Grand Final with Melbourne, scoring his third goal for the club in his teams 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, linking 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 was born in the U.S. and moved to Sydney with his parents when he was three years old. His father, an Associate Professor at the University of Western Sydney, is from Cote DIvoire 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 although he was also eligible for the U.S., Cote dIvoire 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 Australian Under-20 squad to compete at the 2006 AFC Youth Championship in India.
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Coach
Name Nationality D.O.B Appointed Sergio Ricardo Brazil 09/06/67 2005
Fixtures
MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1900 Pohang Steelers vs Adelaide United Pohang Steelyard, Pohang, Korea Republic MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1800 Binh Duong vs Pohang Steelers Binh Duong Stadium, Vietnam MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1530 Changchun Yatai vs Pohang Steelers Changchun City Stadium, Changchun, China PR MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1900 Pohang Steelers Vs Changchun Yatai Pohang Steelyard, Pohang, Korea Republic MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1930 Adelaide United vs Pohang Steelers Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, Australia MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1900 Pohang Steelers Vs Binh Duong Pohang Steelyard, Pohang, Korea Republic
Club
President Kim Hyun Sik Established 1973 Address Ji-Kok Plaza 2F, 166-19 Ji-kok dong, Nam-gu, Pohang, Kyungbuk, Korea (postal code 790-834) Tel +82 54 221 7700 Fax +82 54 221 9788 Email jhshin@steelers.co.kr Website www.steelers.co.kr Stadium Steelyard Capacity 18,960
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 champions, 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 Unio Barbarense and until his success with the Steelers was best known for his work in youth football, having taken charge of Brazils Under-17s and Under-20s after leading Santos to the 2000 South American U-17 Championship.
Media Contact
Name Tel Mobile Fax Email Kim Tae-hyung +82 54 221 9782 +82 10 2956 1907 +82 54 221 9788 pisy1907@steelers.co.kr
Club Colours
Domestic Record
2004 League- 2nd P W D L 27 9 9 9 F A Pts 24 24 36 2005 League-6th P W D L 24 11 7 6 F A Pts 28 22 40 2006 League 3rd P W D L 27 13 8 6 F A Pts 42 29 47 2007 League 5th P W D L 26 11 6 9 F A Pts 27 31 39
Pohang Steelers won the Korean League for the fourth time in 2007
Cup Round of 32 Lost 0-1 to Dong-Eui Univ.
Home Facts & Stats
Away ACL Record

Cup Quarter-nals Lost 3-4 on penalties to Ulsan Mipo Dockyard (aet 0-0)
Cup Round 16 Lost to FC Seoul 1-3
Cup Runners-up Lost to Chunnam 3-6 on aggregate.
Prole
Pohang Steelers won the K-League title in 2007 by defeating defending champions Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma under the guidance 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 domination 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 establish themselves as one of Asias top teams.
Domestic Record 2007 League champions _______________________________________ Domestic Honours League x4 (1986,1988, 1992, 2007) Cup 1996 _______________________________________ Continental Record ACC ACWC ACL 1996/1997, 1997/1998 Did not participate Did not participate
ACC ACWC ACL
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Squad
Jersey No. Goalkeepers 1 21 Defenders 3 4 5 22 24 25 26 27 Midelders 2 6 7 8 9 11 12 13 14 16 20 28 29 Forwards 10 15 17 18 19 23 Denilson Martins Nascimento Clodoaldo Paulino De Lima Lee Kwang Jae Namkung Do Lee Sung Jae Ryu Changhyun 9/4/76 11/25/78 1/1/80 6/4/82 9/16/87 5/14/85 177 188 185 186 179 181 80 86 77 80 72 74 Brazil Brazil Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Choi Hyojin Kim Gi Dong Kim Jaesung Hwang Jinsung Hwang Ji-soo Choi Jongbum Park Yoonhwa Shin Kwang Hoon Kwon Jip Park Won Jae Fabiano Ferreira Gadelha Song Changho Lee Seungyoul 8/18/83 1/12/72 10/3/83 5/5/84 3/27/81 3/27/78 6/13/78 3/18/87 2/13/84 5/28/84 1/9/79 2/20/86 9/28/83 172 171 180 177 175 178 175 178 182 175 170 180 180 70 68 67 70 72 72 73 76 75 70 74 76 76 Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Brazil Korea Republic Korea Republic Kim Kwangsuk Lee Chang Won Cho Sung Hwan Jang Hyunkyu Hwang Jae Won Shin Hyungmin Kim Sooyoun Cho Han Bum 2/12/83 7/10/75 4/9/82 8/22/81 4/13/81 7/18/86 4/17/83 3/28/85 182 183 183 186 186 182 186 72 75 77 78 80 76 80 Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Shin Hwa Yong Song Dong Jin Name DOB
MM/DD/YY
Players to Watch
Hwang Ji-soo
182 184 78 76 Korea Republic Korea Republic Position: Date of Birth: Country: Mideld 27/03/81 Korea Republic
4/13/83 5/12/84
Hwang Ji-soo went directly into the K-League after completing college, joining Pohnag Steelers in 2004 and with his physical tness and limitless stamina he has emerged as the engine in mideld, whether supporting attacks or helping out in defence. Hwangs 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: Date of Birth: Country: Mideld 12/01/72 Korea Republic
Denilson
Veteran midelder 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 outeld player. The decisive match of the 2007 K-League took Kims total number of appearances to 426, during which he has won two league cups with Bucheon and two league titles with Pohang, the rst of which being in 1992 when the club was known as POSCO Atoms.
A cult gure 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. Denilsons 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 Guadalajarabased Atlas.
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Club
President Tran Van Duong Established 2001 Address 30/4 Street, A Stand, Bnh Dng Stadium, Thu Dau Mot, Vietnam Tel +84 0650 816263 Fax +84 0650 816059 Email Website Stadium Go Dau Stadium Capacity 15,000
Coach
Name Nationality D.O.B Appointed Le Thuy Hai Vietnamese 1946 February 2006
Fixtures
MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1530 Changchun Yatai vs Binh Duong Changchun City Stadium, Changchun, China PR MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1800 Binh Duong vs Pohang Steelers Binh Duong Stadium, Vietnam MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1800 Binh Duong vs Adelaide United Binh Duong Stadium, Vietnam MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1930 Adelaide United vs Binh Duong Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, Australia MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1700 Binh Duong vs Changchun Yatai Binh Duong Stadium, Vietnam MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1900 Pohang Steelers Vs Binh Duong Pohang Steelyard, Pohang, Korea REP
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 delivered the silverware.
Media Contact
Name Tel Mobile Fax Email Dang Tat Dat +84 9039 00449 +84 0650 816059 dangtatdat@yahoo.com
Club Colours
Domestic Record
2004 League Sixth P W D L 22 7 7 8 F A Pts 24 24 28 2005 League Third P W D L 22 11 5 6 F A Pts 40 32 38 2006 League Runners-up P W D L 24 11 6 7 F A Pts 33 25 39 2007 League Winners P W D L 26 16 7 3 F A Pts 42 22 55
V-League champions Binh Duong will be hoping for a decent ACL debut
Cup Semi-nal Lost to Binh Dinh 3-1
Cup Quarter-nal Lost to HAGL 1-2
Cup Quarter-nal Lost to Khanh Hoa 1-2
Cup Quarter-nal Lost to Dong Thap 2-1
Home Facts & Stats
Away ACL Record

Prole
Binh Duong were established in 1976 and earned their promotion to the Vietnamese rst division in 2003, two years after a professional relaunch. Going from strength to strength, Binh Duong nished as runnersup in 2006 before being crowned league champions in 2007. Binh Duong are known in the region for organising an international level invitational tournament which they have won thrice. This is Binh Duongs rst foray into the AFC Champions League.
Domestic Record 2007 League champions _______________________________________ Domestic Honours League 2007 Cup x2 (2003, 2004) _______________________________________ Continental Record ACC ACWC ACL Did not participate Did not participate Did not participate
ACC ACWC ACL
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Squad
Jersey No. Goalkeepers 1 13 16 Defenders 2 3 5 14 15 17 20 23 Midelders 6 8 9 19 21 22 Forwards 7 10 11 12 18 Kesley Alves Philani Bhekiziz We Lancelot Kubheka Nguyen Anh Duc To Duc Cuong Robson Damasceno De Lima 12/23/81 5/18/79 10/24/85 12/18/79 1/9/78 179 183 180 170 180 70 80 72 60 65 Brazil South Africa Vietnam Vietnam Brazil Nguyen Vu Phong Tran Truong Giang Nguyen Ngoc Thanh Tuan Giang Thanh Thong Nguyen Van Linh Phung Cong Minh 2/6/85 11/1/76 1/8/83 1/15/77 8/4/81 9/27/85 169 170 174 176 171 168 69 68 65 70 63 72 Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam Nguyen Hoang Voung Pham Minh Duc Pham Dinh Phuoc Nguyen Hoang Nam Luong Trung Tuan Troung Van Hai Huynh Quang Thanh Vu Nhu Thanh 10/17/81 5/5/76 8/5/75 6/24/79 12/4/75 7/19/75 10/10/84 8/28/81 168 165 175 168 180 170 175 181 61 60 71 58 70 66 71 75 Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam Nguyen The Anh Dang Dinh Duc Tran Minh Quang Name DOB
MM/DD/YY
Players to Watch
Nguyen Vu Phong
178 188 176 72 75 70 Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam Position: Date of birth: Country: Midelder 06/02/1985 Vietnam
9/21/81 12/7/82 4/19/73
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 superlative performance at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup where Vietnam reached the quarter-nals.
Huynh Quang Thanh

Position: Date of birth: Country: Defender 10/10/1984 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 defence and played a key role in helping his club clinch the V-League title.
Alves Kesley
Position: Date of birth: Country: 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 following year. Binh Duong lured him back in 2007 and he repaid their faith by helping them win the title. Kesley is extremely dependable in the penalty area with a knack of outjumping rival defenders. Forward 23/12/81 Brazil
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Group E Fixtures
Day/Date Matchday One 12/03/2008 (Wednesday) Kick-Off 1530 CHANGCHUN YATAI (CHN) POHANG STEELERS (KOR) BINH DUONG (VIE) ADELAIDE UNITED (AUS) BINH DUONG (VIE) CHANGCHUN YATAI (CHN) ADELAIDE UNITED (AUS) POHANG STEELERS (KOR) BINH DUONG (VIE) ADELAIDE UNITED (AUS) CHANGCHUN YATAI (CHN) POHANG STEELERS (KOR) Match vs BINH DUONG (VIE) ADELAIDE UNITED (AUS) POHANG STEELERS (KOR) CHANGCHUN YATAI (CHN) ADELAIDE UNITED (AUS) POHANG STEELERS (KOR) Score ___ ___
1900
vs
___ ___
1600
vs
___ ___
1930
vs
___ ___
1600
vs
___ ___
1530
vs
___ ___
1930
vs BINH DUONG (VIE) CHANGCHUN YATAI (CHN) CHANGCHUN YATAI (CHN) POHANG STEELERS (KOR) ADELAIDE UNITED (AUS)
___ ___
1900
vs
___ ___
1600
vs
___ ___
1930
vs
___ ___
1530
vs
___ ___
1900
vs BINH DUONG (VIE)
___ ___
GROUP F
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Group F

Thailand League runners-up

China League runners-up
Nam Dinh (Vietnam)

Vietnam Cup winners

Japan League winners
Action from a Kashima Antlers-Shanghai Shenhua ACL 2003 group game

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Club
President Established 1977 Address 230 Krung Thai Building 3rd Floor Larn Luang Road, Pomprab Satrupai, Bangkok 10110 Tel +66 2 628 1151-2 Fax +66 2 628 1153 Email warawut.sitthiyos@ktb.co.th Website www.ktb.co.th Stadium Chula Stadium Capacity 20,000
Coach
Name Nationality D.O.B Appointed Attapol Pussapakhom Thai 01/11/62 2006
Fixtures
MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1530 Krung Thai Bank vs Kashima Antlers Chula Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1900 Beijing Guoan vs Krung Thai Bank Feng Tai Stadium, Beijing, China PR MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1600 Krung Thai Bank vs Nam Dinh Chula Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1700 Nam Dinh vs Krung Thai Bank My Dinh Stadium, Hanoi, Vietnam MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1900 Kashima Antlers vs Krung Thai Bank Kashima Soccer Stadium, Ibaraki, Japan MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1600 Krung Thai Bank vs Beijing Guoan Chula Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand
Having famously guided BEC Tero Sasana to the nal of the inaugural 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 Thailand 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 rst ACL nal.
Media Contact
Name Tel Mobile Fax Email Prapanpong Pramotkui +66 8 48 70319 +66 2 628 1153 prapanpong.pramotkul@ktb.co.th
Club Colours
Domestic Record
2004 League Winners P W D L 18 12 2 4 F A Pts 33 18 38 2005 League 5th P W D L 18 6 7 5 F A Pts 24 22 25 2006 League 9th P W D L 22 5 10 7 F A Pts 22 26 25 2007 League 2nd P W D L 30 15 9 6 F A Pts 40 24 54
The Krung Thai Bank team posing with ofcials
There is no Cup competition in Thailand
Home Facts & Stats
Away ACL Record

2004 Group Stage
Dalian Shide L 0-2 L 1-3 GS Hoang Anh GL D 2-2 W 1-0 GS PSM Makassar L 1-2 W 3-2 GS
Prole
The exclusion of Indonesias 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 nal in the inaugural edition of Asias premier club competition, Krung Thai Bank have arguably been the most consistent of Thailands participants. Inspired by the three goals of attacking midelder Phichitpong Choechiu, Krung Thai Bank nished as runners-up in their group behind Chinese giants Dalian Shide in their debut in 2004, before winning three times in six games to end up second behind group winners and eventual semi-nalists Busan IPark the following year.
Domestic Record 2007 League runners-up _______________________________________ Domestic Honours League x2 (2003, 2004) Cup _______________________________________ Continental Record ACC Did not participate ACWC Did not participate ACL 2004, 2005 (Group Stage)
2005 Group Stage A

Busan IPark Persebaya Binh Dinh
2006 Did not participate A
L 0-2 L 0-4 GS W 1-0 W 3-1 GS L 0-1 W 2-1 GS
ACC ACWC ACL
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Squad
Jersey No. Goalkeepers 1 2 3 18 Defenders 5 6 8 13 17 20 21 26 30 Midelders 4 7 10 15 16 22 24 25 29 Forwards 9 11 12 14 19 23 27 Rewat Meerian Sarun Promkeaw Yuttana Chaikaew Mathee Pungpo Nantawat Thaensopa Kassim Kone Mongkol Tossakai 2/24/80 2/15/82 2/26/81 2/12/87 2/22/84 12/30/86 5/9/87 172 174 174 174 171 178 67 68 68 73 65 75 68 Thailand Thailand Thailand Thailand Thailand Cote DIvoire Thailand Somjate Kasarat Anon Boonsuko Phichitphong Choeichiu Anawin Jujeen Tanat Wongsupphalak Kumron Chinsri Peeraphong Pichitchotirat Noppon Sankapong Wannapol Puspakom 8/20/80 6/1/78 8/25/82 3/13/87 2/19/85 5/18/88 6/28/84 3/29/87 1/2/89 174 169 170 171 170 174 70 67 64 66 77 65 Thailand Thailand Thailand Thailand Thailand Thailand Thailand Thailand Thailand Surachet Phupha Amnart Kaewkhew Rungroch Sawangsri Tada Keelalay Supachai Komsilp Kraikiat Beadtaku Suphachai Phupha Wachira Sangsri Pradit Sawangsri 1/22/87 1/11/75 8/1/81 1/4/84 2/18/80 1/26/82 1/22/87 5/8/87 1/25/78 168 174 174 177 178 168 170 173 65 65 73 75 75 65 68 70 Thailand Thailand Thailand Thailand Thailand Thailand Thailand Thailand Thailand Naratip Panprom Sarawut Khambua Uklit Teerajantranon Klisana Klunklin Name DOB
MM/DD/YY
Players to Watch
Rungroj Sawangsri
177 177 178 177 70 80 65 74 Thailand Thailand Thailand Thailand Position: Date of Birth: Country: Defender 01/08/81 Thailand
12/11/78 3/7/72 12/20/87 2/26/84
A long-time regular in the heart of the Krung Thai bank rearguard, classy defender 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 countrys 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
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Defender 18/02/80 Thailand Another long serving Krung Thai Bank player who was groomed in the clubs youth squad, defender Supachai Komsilp is participating 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 didnt 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: Date of Birth: Country: Midelder 28/08/82 Thailand A versatile attacking midelder who can also play in a number of roles upfront, Choechiu will be looking to make the same impact in this years AFC Champions League that he had in 2004 when he scored three times as Krung Thai Bank nished runners-up in Group F to Chinese giants Dalian Shide. Something of a fringe player in the senior Thailand national team having looked one of the countrys 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 tournament last year.
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Club
President Li Jianyi Established 1992 Address Opposite to stand 22 Beijing Workers Stadium, Beijing, P.R.CHINA, 100027 Tel +8610 83694173 Fax +8610 83695041 Email bjguoan@public3.bta.net.cn, guoanwu@sina.com Website www.gaf.citic.com Stadium Beijing Workers Stadium Capacity 60,000
Coach
Name Nationality D.O.B Appointed Lee Jan-soo Korean 15/10/56 December 2006
Fixtures
MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1700 Nam Dinh vs Beijing Guoan My Dinh Stadium, Hanoi MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1900 Beijing Guoan vs Krung Thai Bank Feng Tai Stadium, Beijing, China PR MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1900 Kashima Antlers vs Beijing Guoan Kashima Soccer Stadium, Ibaraki, Japan MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 2000 Beijing Guoan vs Kashima Antlers Feng Tai Stadium, Beijing, China PR MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 2000 Beijing Guoan Vs Nam Dinh Feng Tai Stadium, Beijing, China PR MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1600 Krung Thai Bank vs Beijing Guoan Chula Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand
Beijing Guoans highly successful Korean coach Lee Jang-soo is no stranger to AFC competition having led Seongnam Ihlwa Chunma to an extra-time victory over Saudi side Al Nasr in the nal 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.
Media Contact
Name Tel Mobile Fax Email Wu Shao +86 13039003326 +8610 83695041 guoanwu@sina.com
Club Colours
Domestic Record
2004 League 7th P W D L 28 22 8 7 F A Pts 36 31 31 2005 League 6th P W D L F A Pts 26 12 4 10 46 32 40 Cup Semi-nals 2006 League 3rd P W D L 28 13 10 5 Cup Last 16 F A Pts 27 16 49 2007 League 2nd P W D L 28 15 9 4 F A Pts 47 19 54
Chinas Beijing Guoan nished second in the league to qualify for the ACL
Cup Second round play-off
No Cup competition in China
Home Facts & Stats
Away ACL Record

Prole
Beijing Guoan Football Club was established in 1992 and their predecessors were the representative team of Chinas 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 Guoan 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, qualied for the AFC Champions League after nishing second in the league.
Domestic Record 2007 League runners-up _______________________________________ Domestic Honours League Cup x2 (1996, 1997) _______________________________________ Continental Record ACC ACWC ACL Did not participate Did not participate Did not participate
ACC ACWC ACL
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Squad
Jersey No. Goalkeepers 1 12 22 Defenders 2 3 4 8 13 27 30 Midelders 5 6 7 14 15 25 Forwards 10 11 16 21 23 24 28 Tiago Honorio Yan Xiangchuang Huang Bowen Yao Shuang Yue Kaihao Yang Yun Guo Hui 12/4/77 9/5/86 7/13/87 10/21/87 10/9/87 7/18/89 4/9/78 194 174 181 183 183 182 177 87 66 72 65 78 75 72 Brazil China P.R. China P.R. China P.R. China P.R. China P.R. China P.R. Sang Yifei Sui Dongliang Wang Changqing Wang Dong Tao Wei Stojan Ignatov 2/18/89 9/24/77 3/21/81 6/11/85 3/11/78 12/22/79 175 178 178 177 176 170 79 79 75 74 70 68 China P.R. China P.R. China P.R. China P.R. China P.R. Macedonia Lang Zheng Zhang Shuai Zhou Ting Yang Pu Xu Yunlong Yu Yang Zhang Yonghai 7/22/86 7/20/81 2/5/79 3/30/78 2/17/79 8/6/89 3/15/79 188 182 181 178 181 184 183 79 75 78 76 80 78 75 China P.R. China P.R. China P.R. China P.R. China P.R. China P.R. China P.R. Zhang Sipeng Cheng Yuelei Yang Zhi Name DOB
MM/DD/YY
Players to Watch
Tiago
188 188 186 78 80 79 China P.R. China P.R. China P.R. Position: Date of Birth: Country: Forward 04/12/77 Brazil
5/14/87 10/28/87 1/15/83
Tiago, or Tiago Jorge Honrio as he is more commonly referred to in East Asia, was Beijing Guoans 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 Unio Barbarense side that won the 1998 So 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 Atltico Paranaense before returning to China and Shanghai United in 2006.
Yan Xiangchuang
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Forward 05/09/86 China Yan Xiangchuangs electrifying pace upfront caught the eye of Chinas Olympic coach Ratomir Dujkovi and the speedy 21-year-old will be hoping his performances in this years ACL will earn him a place at Beijing 2008. In the 2007 Chinese Super league season Yan weighed in with eight goals, six of which were scored away from home highlighting the youngsters potential ability at handling the big pressure matches.
Tao Wei
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Tao Wei celebrates his 30th birthday one day before Beijing Guoan make their AFC Champions League debut against Nam Dinh and the club captain will be expected to lead by example throughout their continental campaign. A condent and assured presence in defence Tao is a useful source of goals having scored eight times as Beijing Guoan nished runners-up in the 2007 Chinese Super League. Midelder 11/03/78 China
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Nam Dinh (Vietnam)

Club
President Established Address Tel Fax Email Website Stadium Capacity Do Thanh Xuan 1989 217 Chuong Trinh, Nam Dinh, Vietnam +84 3503 644278 +84 3503 642866 Thien Truong Stadium 30,000
Coach
Name Nationality D.O.B Appointed Nguyen Ngoc Hao Vietnam 27/05/60 1996
Fixtures
MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1700 Nam Dinh vs Beijing Guoan My Dinh Stadium, Hanoi, Vietnam MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1900 Kashima Antlers vs Nam Dinh Kashima Soccer Stadium, Ibaraki, Japan MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1600 Krung Thai Bank vs Nam Dinh Chula Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1700 Nam Dinh vs Krung Thai Bank My Dinh Stadium, Hanoi, Vietnam MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 2000 Beijing Guoan vs Dam Phu My Nam Dinh Feng Tai Stadium, Beijing, China PR MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1700 Nam Dinh vs Kashima Antlers My Dinh Stadium, Hanoi, Vietnam
Nguyen Ngoc Hao is credited with Nam Dinhs successes in recent years. He took over the reins of the club in 2004 and guided them to 16 consecutive victories, which helped the club nished 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.
Media Contact
Name Tel Mobile Fax Email Nguyen Quoc Anh +84 913063043 +84 3503 642866 doublea1972@yahoo.com
Club Colours
Domestic Record
2004 League Runners-up P W D L 22 13 5 4 F A Pts 30 23 44 2005 League Sixth P W D L 22 7 7 8 F A Pts 27 31 28 2006 League Ninth P W D L F A Pts 24 9 5 10 22 28 32 Cup Quarter nal Lost to Da Nang 3-2 2007 League Fourth P W D L 26 10 8 8 F A Pts 35 31 38
Nam Dinh, one of Vietnams oldest clubs, are playing in the ACL for the rst time
Cup Quarter-nal Lost to The Cong 0-1
Cup Round 2 Lost to Hai Phong 1-0
Cup Winners Beat Binh Dinh 1-0
Home Facts & Stats
Away ACL Record

Prole
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 Indonesian 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 20042005, Nam Dinh were runners-up in the V-League and the Cup triumph is only their second silverware in recent history.
Domestic Record 2007 Cup champions _______________________________________ Domestic Honours League Cup 2007 _______________________________________ Continental Record ACC Did not participate ACWC Did not participate ACL Did not participate
ACC ACWC ACL
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Nam Dinh (Vietnam)

Squad
Jersey No. Goalkeepers 1 25 26 Defenders 3 4 5 7 13 14 16 17 19 24 Midelders 6 8 9 12 15 20 22 23 27 29 30 Forwards 11 18 21 28 Hoang Ngoc Linh Nguyen Thanh Luan Tran Manh Dung Obinna Darlinton Ajoku 2/5/85 8/16/88 3/9/90 11/4/84 167 172 167 179 57 61 57 80 Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam Nigeria Emmanuel Ejike Onyeji Onyeji Tran Trong Loc Nguyen Manh Tu Mai Van Hieu Hoang Nhat Nam Nguyen Dinh Hung Pham Xuan Phu Tran Duc Duong Mai Thanh Binh Nguyen Viet Dung Hoang Danh Ngoc 12/25/85 1/15/82 3/6/85 1/22/85 4/3/90 10/19/87 4/16/82 10/24/83 10/13/81 2/18/88 4/3/90 184 168 164 167 165 171 168 173 169 168 167 84 58 55 63 54 60 66 68 65 60 60 Nigeria Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam Tran Thanh Tung Tran Van Toan Nguyen Van Bien Le Ngoc Lung Nguyen Minh Duc Le Van Duyet Lai Viet Huy Khuong Quoc Tuan Nguyen Quang The Moussa Saib Kone 3/9/83 5/1/84 4/27/85 8/13/80 10/24/85 9/12/88 1/7/84 6/4/83 4/18/88 6/7/87 172 164 173 164 171 170 172 184 71 61 68 62 56 65 61 84 Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam Cote Divoire Bui Quang Huy Vu Duc Son Tran Thanh Trung Name DOB
MM/DD/YY
Players to Watch
Bui Quang Huy

178 180 177 72 67 69 Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam Position: Date of birth: Country: Goalkeeper 24/07/82 Vietnam
7/24/82 9/6/88 12/6/85
Bui Quang Huy caught the eye after winning the best goalkeeper 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 nished runners-up. He was handed the No.1 jersey for the Asean Football Championship last year, but failed to show his best form in a disappointing campaign, playing in only three of ve games as Vietnam went out in the semi-nals. This solid and agile 25-year-old custodian, however, warmed the bench during the national teams quarter-nal appearance in the AFC Asian Cup 2007.
Nguyen Van Bien

Position: Date of birth: Country: Defender 27/04/85 Vietnam Nguyen Van Bien is considered one of the best left ank defenders of Vietnamese football. Armed with good physical strength, Van Bien is key to Nam Dinhs rock-solid defence. Van Bien also played his part in the Olympic and national teams. Van Bien has just recovered from a knee injury but still remains the rst choice for coach Nguyen Ngoc Hao.
Tran Trong Loc

Position: Date of birth: Country: This diminutive midelder is a master in ball control and known for penetrating rival defences with ease. Tran Trong Loc is also renowned for his pinpoint long balls. He controls the mideld, often creates goalscoring moves and also helps in orchestrating attacks. He could well prove to be the trump card for coach Nguyen Ngoc Hao in their rst AFC Champions League campaign. Midelder 15/1/82 Vietnam
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Club
President Kazumi Ohigashi Established 1991 Address 2887 Aou Higashiyama, Kashima City, Ibaraki 314-0021 Tel +81 299 84 6800 Fax +81 299 84 6825 Email Website www.so-net.ne.jp/antlers Stadium Kashima Stadium Capacity 40,278
Coach
Name Nationality D.O.B Appointed Oswaldo de Oliveira Brazilian 05/12/50 February 2007
Fixtures
MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1530 Krung Thai Bank vs Kashima Antlers Chula Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1900 Kashima Antlers vs Nam Dinh Kashima Soccer Stadium, Ibaraki, Japan MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1900 Kashima Antlers vs Beijing Guoan Kashima Soccer Stadium, Ibaraki, Japan MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 2000 Beijing Guoan vs Kashima Antlers Feng Tai Stadium, Beijing, China PR MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1900 Kashima Antlers vs Krung Thai Bank Kashima Soccer Stadium, Ibaraki, Japan MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1700 Nam Dinh vs Kashima Antlers My Dinh Stadium, Hanoi, Vietnam
Media Contact
Name Tel Mobile Fax Email Hiroki Konishi +81 299 84 6810 +81 (0) 90 4425 6073 +81 299 84 6825 konishi@antlers.co.jp viiiv_169@ybb.ne.jp
Thanks to Oswaldo de Oliveiras tactical nous, Kashima lifted the J-League title in 2007 in the last round with a nine-win streak and also clinched the Emperors Cup after defeating Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the nal, 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 teams 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 Corinthians Paulista to the title in the 2000 FIFA Club World Championship.
Club Colours
Domestic Record
2004 League 6th P W D L F A Pts 30 14 6 10 41 31 48 Emperors Cup Quarter-nals Lost to Gamba Osaka 0-1 2005 League 3rd P W D L 34 16 11 7 F A Pts 61 39 59 2006 League 6th P W D L F A Pts 34 18 4 12 62 53 58 Emperors Cup Semi-nals Lost to Urawa Reds 1-2 2007 League Winners P W D L 34 22 6 6 F A Pts 60 36 72
J-League champions Kashima Antlers will be hoping to improve on their 2003 record
Home Facts & Stats
Away
Emperors Cup Quarter-nals Lost to Omiya Ardija 0-1
Emperors Cup Winners Beat Sanfrecce Hiroshima in nal 2-0
Prole
Kashima Antlers clinched their fth J-League title recently with a brilliant run towards the end of the league which saw them win nine matches on the trot and nish two points ahead of defending champions and Asian champions Urawa Reds in the nal 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-nals. Former Cruzeiro coach Brazilian Oswaldo Oliveira continues to lead the team for the continental title.
ACL Record
Domestic Record 2007 League champions _______________________________________ Domestic Honours League x5 (2007, 01, 2000, 1998, 96) Cup x2 (2000, 1997) _______________________________________ Continental Record ACC 1998 QF ACWC 1999 - Third round ACL 2003 (Group Stage)
ACC ACWC ACL
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Squad
Jersey No. Goalkeepers 1 21 28 29 Defenders 2 3 4 7 12 19 22 24 27 Midelders 6 8 10 11 13 14 15 16 23 25 26 30 Forwards 9 17 18 20 Yuzo Tashiro Ryuta Sasaki Marcos Gomes Araujo Shuto Suzuki 7/22/82 2/7/88 3/23/76 8/31/85 181 180 174 171 77 74 76 67 Japan Japan Brazil Japan Mitsuo Ogasawara Takuya Nozawa Masashi Motoyama Danilo Gabriel De Andrade Shinzoh Kohrogi Chikashi Masuda Takeshi Aoki Masaki Chugo Yuji Funayama Yasushi Endoh Kenji Koyano Hiroyuki Omichi 4/5/79 8/12/81 6/20/79 6/11/79 7/31/86 6/19/85 9/28/82 5/16/82 1/19/85 4/7/88 6/22/88 6/25/87 173 176 175 186 175 179 183 178 176 170 170 177 72 70 66 84 67 75 75 73 72 68 62 68 Japan Japan Japan Brazil Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan Atsuto Uchida Daiki Iwamasa Go Oiwa Toru Araiba Seiji Kaneko Masahiko Inoha Naoya Ishigami Takefumi Toma Kenta Kasai 3/27/88 1/30/82 6/23/72 7/12/79 5/27/80 8/28/85 3/2/85 3/21/89 12/25/85 176 187 180 182 180 179 181 178 178 62 85 75 74 79 73 74 70 74 Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan
OFFICE PRIMAVERA
Players to Watch
Name DOB
MM/DD/YY
Height
Weight
Nationality
Mitsuo Ogasawara
Position: Midelder DOB: 05/04/79 Country: Japan The Iwate-born midelder 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, contributing handsomely to their wins in the league (four times), Emperors Cup (twice) and J-League Cup (twice). His only appearance so far in the AFC Champions League has been unproductive as Kashima nished 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.
Hideaki Ozawa Hitoshi Sogahata Shinichiro Kawamata Tetsu Sugiyama
3/17/74 8/2/79 7/23/89 6/26/81
188 187 188 184
84 80 86 78
Japan Japan Japan Japan
Daiki Iwamasa
Position: DOB: Country: Defender 30/01/82 Japan A central defender who is a constant threat to rival defences, thanks to his immense strength in the air, the 187-cm tall Iwamasa gured in 33 matches (more than any other player) for Kashima last season during which he hit six goals. A defensive lynchpin, Iwamasas stock continues to rise with a callup from Japan national team coach Takeshi Okada in January 2008.
Marcos Gomes De Araujo (Marquinhos)

Position: DOB: Country: 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 SPulse. He joined Kashima 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 nd the net from distance make him a standout player. Forward 23/03/76 Brazil
OFFICE PRIMAVERA
OFFICE PRIMAVERA
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Group F Fixtures
Day/Date Matchday One 12/03/2008 (Wednesday) Kick-Off 1530 KRUNG THAI BANK (THA) NAM DINH (VIE) KASHIMA ANTLERS (JPN) BEIJING GUOAN (CHN) KASHIMA ANTLERS (JPN) KRUNG THAI BANK (THA) BEIJING GUOAN (CHN) Match vs KASHIMA ANTLERS (JPN) Score ___ ___
1700
vs BEIJING GUOAN (CHN)
___ ___
1900
vs NAM DINH (VIE) KRUNG THAI BANK (THA)
___ ___
1900
vs
___ ___
1900
vs BEIJING GUOAN (CHN)
___ ___
1600
vs NAM DINH (VIE) KASHIMA ANTLERS (JPN) KRUNG THAI BANK (THA) KRUNG THAI BANK (THA)
___ ___
2000
vs
___ ___
1700
NAM DINH (VIE) KASHIMA ANTLERS (JPN) BEIJING GUOAN (CHN) KRUNG THAI BANK (THA) NAM DINH (VIE)
vs
___ ___
1900
vs
___ ___
2000
vs NAM DINH (VIE)
___ ___
1600
vs BEIJING GUOAN (CHN) KASHIMA ANTLERS (JPN)
___ ___
1700
vs
___ ___
GROUP G
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Group G

Australian League winners
Thailand League winners
Gamba Osaka (Japan)
Third-place in Japan League and Cup runners-up*

Korean FA Cup winners
* Gamba Osaka qualify by virtue of nishing 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
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Club
CEO Geoff Miles Established 2004 Address Basement Level, Vodafone Arena, Olympic Boulevard, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000 Tel +61 1300 783 013 Fax +61 03 9654 7859 Email mvfc@mvfc.com.au Website www.melbournevictory.com.au Stadium Telstra Dome Capacity 56,000
Coach
Name Nationality D.O.B Appointed Ernie Merrick Scottish 03/01/53 2005
Fixtures
MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1930 Melbourne Victory vs Chunnam Dragons Telstra Dome, Melbourne, Australia MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1930 Chonburi FC vs Melbourne Victory Supachalasai Stadium, Bangkok MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1930 Melbourne Victory vs Gamba Osaka Telstra Dome, Melbourne, Australia MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1900 Gamba Osaka vs Melbourne Victory Expo 70 Commemorative Stadium, Osaka, Japan MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1900 Chunnam Dragons vs Melbourne Victory Gwangyang Football Stadium, Gwangyang, Korea Rep MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1930 Melbourne Victory vs Chonburi FC Telstra Dome, Melbourne, Australia
Having earned his UEFA Professional Licence Diploma, Ernie Merrick is one Australias highest qualied 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 Victorian 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 nish 12 points clear on top of the ladder, which was followed by a spectacular 6-0 defeat of Adelaide United in the Grand Final.
Media Contact
Name Tel Mobile Fax Email Damien Souness +61 03 8656 0786 +61 0419 305 776 +61 03 9654 7859 dsouness@mvfc.com.au
Club Colours
Domestic Record
2004 No A-League 2005 No A-League 2006 League 7th P W D L 21 7 5 9 F A Pts 26 24 26 2007 League 1st P W D L 21 14 3 4 F A Pts 41 20 45
The Melbourne Victory squad will be taking part in the ACL for the rst time
Note: Did not qualify for the playoff
Home Facts & Stats
Away ACL Record

2004 Did not participate 2005 Did not participate 2006 Did not participate
Note: Beat Adelaide United 6-0 in the Grand Final
Prole
After a relatively poor rst season in the edgeling A-League, Melbourne Victory swept aside all before them, nishing the regular season 12 points ahead of Adelaide United to win the Championship, before hammering the runners-up 6-0 in the Grand Final. In front of an A-league record attendance of 55,436, Victorys leading goal scorer Archie Thompson set a milestone of his own, as the New Zealand-born Australia international netted ve of the six goals scored against their fellow 2008 AFC Champions League qualiers. Unfortunately for the passionate followers of the Big V, Melbourne Victory has struggled to nd the form of last season and won just three times in 16 matches of the 2007/08 campaign.
Domestic Record 2007 League champions _______________________________________ Domestic Honours League A-League 2006-07 1st (premiership), 1st (championship) Cup _______________________________________ Continental Record ACC ACWC ACL Did not participate Did not participate Did not participate
ACC ACWC ACL
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Squad
Jersey No. Goalkeepers 1 20 23 Defenders 3 4 5 6 7 12 21 Midelders 2 13 14 16 17 18 19 22 25 Forwards 9 10 11 15 24 Daniel Allsopp Archie Thompson Nathan Elasi Leandro Da Silva Blagoja Celeski 8/10/78 10/23/78 11/18/89 12/3/85 7/14/85 185 174 181 178 176 90 70 79 73 72 Australia Australia Australia Brazil Australia Kevin Muscat Kaz Patafta Claudio Caceres Carlos Valverde Daniel Vasilevski Leigh Broxham Evan Berger Nicholas Ward Tomislav Pondeljak 8/7/73 10/25/88 1/10/82 4/9/82 9/4/81 1/13/88 8/16/87 3/24/85 1/8/76 180 174 178 170 177 169 169 183 177 73 64 84 70 75 70 62 79 74 Australia Australia Australia Costa Rica Australia Australia Australia Australia Australia Daniel Piorkowski Steven Pace Ljubo Milicevic Stilianos Pantelidis Matthew Kemp Rodrigo Vargas Sebastian Ryall 1/12/84 3/6/83 2/13/81 8/17/83 8/8/80 10/20/78 7/18/89 187 185 193 182 175 181 180 81 77 88 83 71 82 75 Australia Australia Australia Australia Australia Australia Australia Seram Theoklitos Mitchell Langerak Steve Mautone Name DOB
MM/DD/YY
Players to Watch
Kevin Muscat
186 191 188 93 77 96 Australia Australia Australia Position: Date of Birth: Country: Midelder 07/08/73 Australia
2/11/81 8/22/88 8/10/70
Kevin Muscat is one of Australias most decorated footballers, having made 51 international 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 Victory Medals as the clubs best player in the process.
Danny Allsopp
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Forward 10/08/78 Australia
Archie Thompson
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Forward 23/10/78 Australia
Danny Allsopp established himself as one of the most powerful strikers in the A-League after winning the ALeague 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 including 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 etched his place in Australian football history after scoring ve goals in the A-League 2007 Grand Final against Adelaide United. Thompson, who is Victorys marquee player, was part of Australias squad at the 2006 FIFA World Cup and scored a world record 13 goals against American Samoa in 2001. The dynamic forward also holds the record for most goals in the ALeague, with 29 from the rst three seasons of the competition.
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Club
President Established 2002 Address 2 Floor, Chonburi Municipality Stadium, Bangplasoi district, Muang Chonburi 20000 Thailand Tel +66 38 288 290 Fax +66 38 275 001 Email Website www.chonburifc.net Stadium Chonburi Municipality Stadium Capacity 5,000
Coach
Name Nationality D.O.B Appointed Jadej Meelap Thai 17/01/72 2007
Fixtures
MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1900 Gamba Osaka vs Chonburi FC Expo 70 Commemorative Stadium, Osaka, Japan MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1930 Chonburi FC vs Melbourne Victory Supachalasai Stadium, Bangkok MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1900 Chunnam Dragons vs Chonburi FC Gwangyang Football Stadium, Gwangyang, Korea Rep MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1930 Chonburi FC vs Chunnam Dragons Supachalasai Stadium, Bangkok MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1930 Chonburi FC vs Gamba Osaka Supachalasai Stadium, Bangkok MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1930 Melbourne Victory vs Chonburi FC Telstra Dome, Melbourne, Australia
Jadet Meelarp made Thai football history as he led to Chonburi to become the rst team from outside Bangkok to win the Thailand Premier League, an achievement that earned him that years 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 academy before being appointed assistant coach in 2004, helping the side win the Provincial League and promotion to Thailands top ight the following year.
Media Contact
Name Tel Mobile Fax Email Kesrin Kaewtecha +66 270 64077 +66 891 280 256 +66 38 275 001 kesrin_k@hotmail.com
Club Colours
Domestic Record
2004 Did not participate 2005 Did not participate 2006 Thailand Premier League 8th P W D L 22 5 12 5 F A Pts 29 28 27 2007 Thailand Premier League Winners P W D L 30 19 6 5 F A Pts 50 25 63
Chonburi FC players with the Thai Premier League trophy
Home Facts & Stats
Away ACL Record

2004 Did not participate 2005 Did not participate
Prole
Chonburi made history in their homeland when they became the rst team from outside Bangkok to win the Thailand Premier League, losing just ve 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 debut on the continental stage, Chonburi proved they can compete outside of Thailand by nishing runners-up in the 2006 Singapore Cup nal, losing out 3-2 in extra-time to Tampines Rovers. One of Thailands most ambitious clubs, Chonburi have entered into partnerships with a number of overseas teams including English Premier League outt Manchester City, who recently signed defenders Suree Sukha and Kiatprawut Saiwaeo, two of their best players.
Domestic Record 2007 League champions _______________________________________ Domestic Honours League 2007 Cup _______________________________________ Continental Record ACC ACWC ACL Did not participate Did not participate Did not participate
ACC ACWC ACL
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Squad
Jersey No. Goalkeepers 1 18 22 Sujin Naknayom Kosin Hathairattanakool Somkiat Passajantr Name DOB
MM/DD/YY
Players to Watch
1/5/79 3/23/82 1/1/63
180 179 175
76 77 -
Thailand Thailand Thailand
Kosin Hathairattanakool
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Goalkeeper 23/03/82 Thailand
Defenders 3 4 6 13 20 27 Midelders 5 7 8 14 15 17 23 24 25 28 29 Forwards 9 10 11 12 16 Watcharaphong Makklang Pipob On-mo Baga Jules Yves Stephane Ney Fabiano De Oliveira Nikorn Anuwan 3/13/85 4/28/79 6/14/87 2/9/79 6/21/78 165 163 184 177 167 65 79 79 60 Thailand Thailand Cameroon Brazil Thailand Phanuwat Jinta Arthit Suntornphit Sarawut Janthapan Adul Lahso Kone Hamed Kriangkrai Pimrat Teerasak Po-on Ekaphan Inthasen Chonlatit Jantakam Ampai Mutaporn Jetsadakorn Hemdaeng 1/6/87 1/19/86 4/26/84 9/19/86 11/2/87 2/20/87 5/18/78 9/23/83 6/2/85 1/10/85 3/2/86 162 177 167 167 165 175 170 164 178 166 171 60 64 60 68 65 68 62 70 64 68 Thailand Thailand Thailand Thailand Cote Divoire Thailand Thailand Thailand Thailand Thailand Thailand Nattaphong Samana Suttinun Phukhom Nataporn Phanrit Phaisan Pona Udorn Pimpak Surat Sukha 6/29/84 11/29/87 1/11/82 3/13/82 2/7/82 7/27/82 174 180 182 185 174 177 70 70 80 82 69 66 Thailand Thailand Thailand Thailand Thailand Thailand
Thailands undisputed number one Kosin Hathairattanakool had a stellar 2007, emerging as the goalkeeper of the year for league champions Chonburi and impressing on the international stage with some superb displays during Thailands AFC Asian Cup campaign. After graduating from Chonburis academy in 2001, Kosin was immediately farmed out to gain experience in Thailands top division, spending three seasons at Thailand Tobacco Monopoly and a year with Osotspa before embarking on his rst overseas stint, gaining invaluable experience during a six-month spell with Indonesian side Persib Bandung in 2006.
Nattaphong Samana
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Defender 29/06/84 Thailand Left-back Nattaphong Samana spent the last three seasons at fellow AFC Champions League qualiers Krung Thai Bank but rejoined Chonburi after the 2007 Thailand Premier League, returning to the club where he started his career as a promising 15-year-old from Assumption Sriracha College. Although he missed the cut for Thailands 2007 AFC Asian Cup campaign, Nattaphong is considered one of the Kingdoms best left-sided defenders and represented his country at the 2007 ASEAN Championship having 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: Date of Birth: Country: Forward 28/04/79 Thailand An explosive and unpredictable attacker who is also known for his accurate set-pieces, Pipob On-mo played a key role in Chonburis 2007 Thailand Premier League season as both the Sharks 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 nished runners-up in the inaugural AFC Champions League.
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Gamba Osaka (Japan)

Club
President Izumi Sano Established 1980 Address Banpaku Kinen Koen Sports Hiroba, 3-3 Senri-Banpaku-Koen, Suita City, Osaka 565-0826 Tel +81 6 6875 8111 Fax +81 6 6875 7778 Email Website www.gamba-osaka.net Stadium Expo 70 Commemorative Capacity 21,000
Coach
Name Nationality D.O.B Appointed Akira Nishino Japanese 07/04/55 Feb 2002
Fixtures
MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1900 Gamba Osaka vs Chonburi FC Expo 70 Commemorative Stadium, Osaka, Japan MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1830 Chunnam Dragons vs Gamba Osaka Gwangyang Football Stadium, Gwangyang, Korea Rep MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1930 Melbourne Victory vs Gamba Osaka Telstra Dome, Melbourne, Australia MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1900 Gamba Osaka vs Melbourne Victory Expo 70 Commemorative Stadium, Osaka, Japan MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1930 Chonburi FC vs Gamba Osaka Supachalasai Stadium, Bangkok MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1900 Gamba Osaka vs Chunnam Dragons Expo 70 Commemorative Stadium, Osaka, Japan
Media Contact
Name Tel Mobile Fax Email Kana Katayama +81 6 6875 8111 +81 80 2409 6560 +81 6 6875 7778 koizumi@sf.gamba.osaka.net.
This is Nishinos seventh season in charge of the Western Japanese powerhouse, a reign during which he steered the club to their rst ever J-League title in 2005. Nishino is also the rst 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 Reysols fortunes for more than two seasons in the J1 League, before taking up the Gamba job in 2002.
Club Colours
Domestic Record
2004 League 3rd place P W D L 30 15 6 9 F A Pts 69 48 51 2005 League Winners P W D L F A Pts 34 18 6 10 82 58 60 Emperors Cup Quarter-nals Lost to Cerezo Osaka 1-3 2006 League 3rd P W D L 34 20 6 8 F A Pts 80 48 66 2007 League 3rd P W D L 34 19 10 5 F A Pts 71 37 67
Gamba Osakas Takahiro Futagawa (L) celebrates with team mate Magno Alves after scoring a goal in the Super Cup against Urawa Reds
Home Facts & Stats
Away
Emperors Cup Semi-nals Lost to Tokyo Verdy 1969 1-3
Emperors Cup Runners-up Lost to Urawa Reds 0-1
Emperors Cup Seminals Lost to Sanfrecce Hiroshima 1-3
Prole
Gamba Osaka get another shot at the AFC Champions League by virtue of nishing third in the J-League in 2007 and runners-up in the cup, both behind Asian champions Urawa Red Diamonds, in 2006. Gamba gured in the 2006 edition of the continental club showpiece after winning their rst 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 rm.
ACL Record
2004 Did not qualify 2005 Did not qualify 2006 Group Stage
Jeonbuk Motors D 1-1 L 2-3 GS Dalian Shide W 3-0 L 0-2 GS Da Nang W 15-0 W 5-1 GS
Domestic Record 2007 Third in league; Nabisco Cup winner _______________________________________ Domestic Honours League 2005 Cup 1990 (as Matsushita) _______________________________________ Continental Record ACC Did not participate ACWC Did not participate ACL 2006 Group stage
2007 Did not qualify H A
ACC ACWC ACL
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Gamba Osaka (Japan)

Squad
Jersey No. Goalkeepers 1 22 26 29 Defenders 2 3 4 5 6 19 21 28 Midelders 7 8 10 12 13 17 20 23 27 Forwards 9 11 14 18 24 25 30 Lucas Severino Ryuji Bando Shoki Hirai Jader Volnei Spindler Kenta Hoshihara Hideya Okamoto Masato Yamazaki 1/3/79 8/2/79 12/4/87 1/18/82 5/1/88 5/18/87 12/4/81 183 171 179 190 173 183 174 75 65 67 77 66 67 68 Brazil Japan Japan Brazil Japan Japan Japan Yasuhito Endo Shinichi Terada Takahiro Futagawa Kodai Yasuda Michihiro Yasuda Tomokazu Myojin Shu Kurata Takuya Takei Hideo Hashimoto 1/28/80 6/10/85 6/27/80 8/8/89 12/20/87 1/24/78 11/26/88 1/25/86 5/21/79 178 170 168 165 173 173 172 179 173 75 65 63 60 65 70 68 72 68 Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan Sota Nakazawa Huenes Marcelo Lemos Hiroki Mizumoto Satoshi Yamaguchi Yohei Fukumoto Takumi Shimohira Akira Kaji Ryujiro Ueda 10/26/82 12/5/81 9/12/85 4/17/78 4/12/87 10/6/88 1/13/80 1/29/88 188 184 183 178 181 176 177 185 79 72 72 74 68 68 73 74 Japan Brazil Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan Naoki Matsuyo Yosuke Fujigaya Masaki Kinoshita Atsushi Kimura Name DOB
MM/DD/YY
Players to Watch
Yasuhito Endo
181 185 185 184 73 78 80 78 Japan Japan Japan Japan Position: Midelder DOB: 28/01/80 Country: Japan An 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 xtures 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 disappointing AFC Champions League campaign in 2006 when he played in ve matches and scored three goals but couldnt help his side make the knockout stage.
4/9/74 2/13/81 6/22/89 5/1/84
Akira Kaji
Position: DOB: Country: Defender 13/01/80 Japan
Lucas Severino (Lucas)

Position: DOB: Country: Forward 03/01/79 Brazil
Well known for his tireless work rate on the right ank, Akira Kaji played 28 matches in his second season with Gamba Osaka last year. The Awaji-island born defender made his debut in the J-League with Cerezo Osaka in 1998, before switching sides thrice (Oita Trinita, FC Tokyo and Gamba Osaka). He has clocked up 217 J-League appearances (including 75 matches in the J2 with Oita Trinita for two seasons). His international experience started with the Japanese U-20 side in the AFC Youth Championship in 1998 and he made quite an impression when Japan nished as runners-up in the FIFA World Youth Championship the following year. At the senior level, he recorded his rst appearance in October 2003 under coach Zico, and now has 60 caps under his belt.
Gambas new signing from FC Tokyo, Lucas is expected to replace compatriot 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-yearold with Botafogo FC before moving on to the French League (Stade Rennais). He shifted to J-league side FC Tokyo in 2004. The Sau Paulo-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.
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Coach
Name Nationality D.O.B Appointed Park Hang-Seo Korean 04/01/59 December 2007
Fixtures
MD1 Wednesday, March 12, 1930 Melbourne Victory vs Chunnam Dragons Telstra Dome, Melbourne, Australia MD2 Wednesday, March 19, 1830 Chunnam Dragons vs Gamba Osaka Gwangyang Football Stadium, Gwangyang, Korea Rep MD3 Wednesday, April 9, 1900 Chunnam Dragons vs Chonburi FC Gwangyang Football Stadium, Gwangyang, Korea Rep MD4 Wednesday, April 23, 1930 Chonburi FC vs Chunnam Dragons Supachalasai Stadium, Bangkok MD5 Wednesday, May 7, 1900 Chunnam Dragons vs Melbourne Victory Gwangyang Football Stadium, Gwangyang, Korea Rep MD6 Wednesday, May 21, 1900 Gamba Osaka Vs Chunnam Dragons Expo 70 Commemorative Stadium, Osaka, Japan
Club
President Lee Gun Soo Established 1996 Address 5F. Development Bank Building, 1318-2 Jung-dong, Gwangyang, Jeollanam-do 545-879 Tel +82 61 792 5600 Fax +82 61 792 5605 Email Website www.dragons.co.kr Stadium Gwangyang Stadium Capacity 15,000
Park Hang-seo, who was an assistant to Guus Hiddink when Korea Republic reached the seminals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, took over the managerial reins of the Dragons in December 2007 after previous incumbent Huh Jung-moo was appointed national team coach. Park, head coach of fellow ACL qualiers Pohang Steelers between 2003 and 2005, joined Chunnam from K-League newcomers Gyeongnam FC, who he managed to keep in the top ight in their rst season in 2006 before stunning the Korean football scene by taking them to a fourth-place nish last year.
Media Contact
Name Tel Mobile Fax Email Kim Mun-hyoung +82 61 815 0130 +82 11 600 5175 +82 61 792 5605 futebol@dragons.co.kr
Club Colours
Domestic Record
2004 League 3rd P W D L 25 9 10 6 F A Pts 29 20 37 2005 League 11th P W D L F A Pts 24 7 6 11 23 29 27 Cup Seminals Lost 1-3 to Ulsan Mipo Dockyard 2006 League 6th P W D L 26 7 13 6 F A Pts 28 25 34 2007 League 10th P W D L F A Pts 26 7 9 10 24 27 30 Cup Winners Defeated Pohang 6-3 on aggregate
Chunnam Dragons Kim Chi-Woo in action during their Korea FA Cup match
Cup Quarter-nals Lost 0-1 to Daejeon
Cup Winners Defeated Suwon 2-0 in nal
Home Facts & Stats
Away ACL Record

Prole
After their failure to clear the group stage of the AFC Champions League last year, Chunnam Dragons come back into the continental fray as Korea FA Cup champions. They defeated the other Korean representatives in the ACL this year, Pohang Steelers, in the nal. Chunnam appeared in the Asian Cup Winners Cup in 1998/1999 when they nished second after a 2-3 extra-time defeat to Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia in the nal.
Domestic Record 2007 Cup champions _______________________________________ Domestic Honours League Cup x3 (2007, 2006, 1997) _______________________________________ Continental Record ACC ACWC ACL Did not participate 1999 2007 (Group Stage)
2007 Group Stage

Kawasaki L 0-3 L 1-3 GS Frontale Arema Malang W 1-0 W 2-0 GS Bangkok Univ. D 0-0 W 3-2 GS
ACC ACWC ACL
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Squad
Jersey No. Goalkeepers 1 21 24 Defenders 3 4 5 6 13 17 Midelders 2 7 8 9 12 14 15 16 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 Forwards 10 11 18 19 20 Andriano Neves Pereira Sandro Hiroshi Parreao Oi De Oliveira Victor Simoes Ju Kwangyoun Ko Kigu 5/24/79 11/19/79 3/23/81 10/23/82 7/31/80 186 174 176 177 185 80 71 79 73 80 Brazil Brazil Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Kim Jinhyun Kim Chiwoo Kim Taesu Song Jung Hyun Lee Sangil Baek Seungmin Kim Mung Woon Lim Kwan Sik Kim Seongjae Kim Ung Jin Lee Kyuro Jeong Junyeon Lee Sang Yong Cho Beomseok Hong Jongho Yoo Hongyoul 7/29/87 11/11/83 8/25/81 5/28/76 5/25/79 3/12/86 11/1/87 7/28/75 9/17/76 3/9/87 8/20/88 4/30/89 1/9/86 1/9/90 6/6/85 12/30/83 177 176 180 175 174 170 181 172 178 181 177 176 175 180 178 170 68 64 76 68 68 68 75 70 18 70 63 68 69 67 80 71 Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Park Jiyong Jung Inwhan Kwak Tae Hwi Sabitovic Jasenko Lee Yunpyo Lee Junki 5/28/83 12/15/86 7/8/81 3/29/73 9/4/84 4/25/82 182 187 186 185 184 184 74 84 85 80 80 74 Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Cha Kiseok Yeom Donggyun Cho Min Hyuck Name DOB
MM/DD/YY
Players to Watch
Song Jung Hyun

189 190 85 86 Korea Republic Korea Republic Korea Republic Position: Date of Birth: Country: Midelder 28/05/76 Korea Republic
12/26/86 9/6/83 5/5/82
Chunnams Korea FA Cup specialist, Song Jung-hyun scored the opener in the 2006 nal victory over Suwon Bluewings before skippering the Dragons as they retained the trophy and booked another ticket to the AFC Champions League by defeating Pohang Steelers last year. Ajou University student Song was Chunnams rst 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 Gyeongsangbuk-do club.
Kim Chiwoo
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Midelder 11/11/83 Korea Republic Kim Chiwoo was named MVP as Chunnam Dragons defeated Pohang Steelers in the Korea FA Cup nal and has emerged as one of the clubs key players since joining the Gwangyangbased 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 Hotspurs 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
Position: Date of Birth: Country: Forward 19/11/79 Brazil Lively Brazilian forward Sandro Hiroshi was snapped up by the Dragons in 2006 after he impressed at Daegu FC, where he scored 17 goals and was top scorer in the 2005 K-League Cup in his rst season in Korea. However, a raft of injuries in early 2006 saw his performance plummet before he regained full tness towards the end of 2007. The prolic striker can count among several highlights of his career the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 1996, where he gave notice of his superlative poaching skills, and the South American U-17 Championship in 1997.
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Group G Fixtures
Day/Date Matchday One 12/03/2008 (Wednesday) Kick-Off 1930 MELBOURNE VICTORY (AUS) GAMBA OSAKA (JPN) CHUNNAM DRAGONS (KOR) CHONBURI FC (THA) CHUNNAM DRAGONS (KOR) MELBOURNE VICTORY (AUS) CHONBURI FC (THA) Match vs CHUNNAM DRAGONS (KOR) Score ___ ___
1900
vs CHONBURI FC (THA)
___ ___
1830
vs GAMBA OSAKA (JPN) MELBOURNE VICTORY (AUS)
___ ___
1930
vs
___ ___
1900
vs CHONBURI FC (THA)
___ ___
1930
vs GAMBA OSAKA (JPN) CHUNNAM DRAGONS (KOR) MELBOURNE VICTORY (AUS) MELBOURNE VICTORY (AUS)
___ ___
1930
vs
___ ___
1900
GAMBA OSAKA (JPN) CHUNNAM DRAGONS (KOR) CHONBURI FC (THA) MELBOURNE VICTORY (AUS) GAMBA OSAKA (JPN)
vs
___ ___
1900
vs
___ ___
1930
vs GAMBA OSAKA (JPN)
___ ___
1930
vs CHONBURI FC (THA) CHUNNAM DRAGONS (KOR)
___ ___
1900
vs
___ ___
KNOCKOUT STAGE
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Knockout Stage
Urawa Reds celebrating their ACL triumph after the nal whistle in Saitama in November 2007
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 defending AFC Champions League champions.
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 double (the visiting team qualies).
Format
A single draw will take place for the two-legged (home and away) quarter-nals, semi-nals and the nal. Teams from the same country cannot be drawn together in the quarter-nal stage. In the knock-out system, both teams shall play one home and one away match each. The team which scores the most goals
Registration
Teams can register 30 players for the knock-out stage until August 17, 2008. Once the registrations are done and three days prior to the rst match day of the knock-out stage, up to three players may be replaced in the event they are medically unt to play (certied 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 Quarter-nals Semi-nals Final September 17 October 8 November 5 Second Leg September 24 October 22 November 12
Action from the Urawa Reds-Sepahan ACL nal second leg in Saitama last year
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Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan)

Club
President Mitsunori Fujiguchi Established 1992 Address Nakanoda 500, Midori-ku, Saitama City, Saitama 336-8505 Japan Tel +81 48 812 1001 Fax +81 49 812 1212 Email Website www.urawa-reds.co.jp Stadium Saitama Stadium 2002 Capacity 63,700
Coach
Name Nationality D.O.B Appointed Holger Osieck Germany 31/08/48 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 nishing 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 condence, Urawa nished sixth (out of 16 teams) in 1996 and Osiecks achievement was widely recognised as far from being a ash in the pan. The German quit the Japanese scene soon after to spend two seasons 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 FIFAs Technical Department for three years. In his second patch with Urawa, which started in January 2007, the German led them to their rst ever continental title. After they were crowned Asian champions, they became the rst Asian team to nish third in the FIFA Club World Cup, losing narrowly to eventual world champions AC Milan.
Media Contact
Name Tel Mobile Fax Email Mizue Hosoda +81 48 832 3330 +81 90 9139 4336 +81 49 812 1212 m.hosoda@urawa-reds.co.jp, media@urawa-reds.co.jp
Club Colours
Domestic Record
2004 League Runners-up P W D L 30 19 5 6 F A Pts 70 39 62 2005 League Runners-up P W D L 34 17 8 9 F A Pts 65 37 59 2006 League Winners P W D L 34 22 6 6 F A Pts 67 28 72 2007 League Runners-up P W D L 34 20 10 4 F A Pts 55 28 70
ACL defending champions Urawa Reds have a bye into the knockout stage and will join the fray in the quarter-nals
Home Facts & Stats
Away
Emperors Cup Semi-nals Lost to Jubilo Iwata 1-2
Emperors Cup Winners Beat Shimizu S-Pulse in nal 2-1
Emperors Cup Winners Beat Gamba Osaka in nal 1-0
Emperors Cup Round 32 Lost to Ehime FC 0-2
Prole
Urawa Red Diamonds made their debut on the continental stage last year and became the rst Japanese team to lift the AFC Champions League. The Saitama-based side are one of Asias richest and well-supported clubs with a huge fan base. Urawa defeated Sepahan of Iran in a memorable ACL nal 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 Emperors Cup titles, they became the rst Asian side to nish third in the FIFA Club World Cup after defeating Etoile Sportive Du Sahel in the third-fourth place playoff.
ACL Record
2004 Did not qualify 2005 Did not qualify 2006 Did not qualify 2007 Winners
Foolad Sepahan D 1-1 W 2-0 F Seongnam D 2-2 D 2-2 SF (5-3 PK) Chunma Jeonbuk Motors W 2-1 W 2-0 QF
Domestic Record 2007 League runners-up _______________________________________ Domestic Honours League X1 (2006) Cup X2 (2006, 05) _______________________________________ Continental Record ACC ACWC ACL Did not participate Did not participate 2007 Champions
1st
2nd
Group Stage
Sydney FC Persik Kediri Shanghai Shenhua
D 0-0 D 2-2 GS W 3-0 D 3-3 GS W 1-0 D 0-0 GS
ACC ACWC ACL
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Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan)

Squad Players to Watch Robson Ponte
Position: DOB: Nationality: Midelder 06/11/76 Brazilian
Current J-League Player of the Year Robson Ponte is one of the best offensive midelder in the Japanese league. From 1999, the Brazilian playmaker strutted his stuff for six seasons in Germany (with Bayer Leverkusen and V Wolfsburg) before joining Urawa Reds in 2005 when the team was guided by German coach Guido Buchwald. In the last edition of the AFC Champions League, he scored ve goals including crucial ones in the semi-nal and nal. A serious knee injury towards the end of the season kept him out of the FIFA Club World Cup 2007.
Yuki Abe
Position: DOB: Nationality: Defender 06/09/81 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 clubs key defensive players. The 25-yearold utility player gured in all 12 matches for Urawa in the AFC Champions League 2007. He won his national team cap in January 2005 against Kazakhstan 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 JLeague Best XI.
Naohiro Takahara
Position: DOB: Nationality: After more than ve seasons in the Bundesliga which resulted in 135 appearances and 25 goals, Takahara returned to Japan 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 matches. 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 Iraqs Younes Mahmoud and Saudi Arabias Yasser Al Qahtani) with four goals. Forward 04/06/79 Japanese
Urawa skipper Keita Suzuki in action
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ACL 2007
Jubilant scenes from the stands after Urawa Reds won the ACL in 2007
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Urawa make history
Urawa Reds pose with the trophy after the prize presentation ceremony in Saitama
Urawa Reds became the rst 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 aggregate victory. Nagai gave Urawa the lead in the 22nd minute in front of more than 59,000 fans before Abe doubled his sides advantage on the night with a header from close range 19 minutes from time, wrapping up what was a comfortable win for Holger Osiecks side. The Reds had gone into the game with the slimmest of advantages from the rst leg after a 11 draw in Isfahan which gave the Japanese a valuable away goal ahead of the home tie. Urawas hopes were further boosted by the return of inspirational defender Marcus Tulio Tanaka, who missed the rst 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.
Urawa captain Keita Suzuki with the ACL trophy
Sepahan goalkeeper Abbas Mohammadi was called into action as early as the eighth minute when he reacted superbly to push Tulios header to safety after Robson Pontes perfectly weighted free kick into the penalty area. However, 14 minutes later the Iranian goalkeeper 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 Mohammadis despairing grasp and into the top corner. Within ve minutes of Nagais strike, the Iranians were pushing forward, looking for a goal of their own. Former Iraqi international Abdul Wahab Abolheil let y with his attempt from long range, only to see the ball go beyond Ryota Tsuzukis 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 rst half as he sought a way through.
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But it was at the other end that the next goal looked more likely to be scored. Nagais 39thminute pass released Ponte only for the Brazilian 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 Mohammadis crossbar. With seconds remaining in the half, Sepahan had a rare glimpse of goal when a mix-up between 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, Moharram Navidkia had the Reds fans ustered for a split second when he came close to ending a owing move with a ourish, but his shot was narrowly wide of Tsuzukis goal.
Just 60 seconds later Reds should have wrapped the game up when Washington cut inside the Sepahan defence, only for the Brazilian 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-olds volley. But there was little he could do in the 71st minute as Reds killed off the game. Washingtons lay-off inside the area found Nagai and, while Mohammadi blocked his goal-bound effort, Abe pounced to head home the rebound as it ballooned into the air. From there, Reds ran down the clock although Sepahan did nd the back of the net with Karimi in an offside position - before claiming a deserved rst Asian title for the club.
2007 Knockout Stage results

Final
7/11/07 14/11/07 Sepahan (IRN) 1 Urawa Reds (JPN) 1 Urawa Reds (JPN) 2 Sepahan 0 (IRN) Urawa Reds win 3-1 on aggregate HT: 0-1 HT: 1-0
Semi-nals
3/10/07 24/10/07 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (KOR) 2 Urawa Reds (JPN) 2 Urawa Reds (JPN) 2 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma 2 (AET) Urawa Reds win 5-3 on penalties Sepahan (IRN) 3 Al Wahda (UAE) 1 Al Wahda (UAE) 0 Sepahan (IRN) 0 Sepahan win 3-1 on aggregate HT: 1-0 HT: 1-0
3/10/07 24/10/07
HT: 1-0 HT: 0-0
Quarter-nals 2007 Final

First leg 7/11/07 Sepahan (IRN)......................1
(Mahmoud Karimi 47) (Robson Ponte 45) Foolad Shahr Stadium, Isfahan
19/09/07 26/09/07
Sepahan (IRN) 0 Kawasaki Frontale (JPN) 0 Kawasaki Frontale (JPN) 0 Sepahan (IRN) 0 Sepahan win 5-4 on penalties Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (KOR) 2 Al Karama (SYR) 1 Al Karama (SYR) 0 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (KOR) 2 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma win 4-1 on aggregate Al Wahda (UAE) 0 Al Hilal (KSA) 0 Al Hilal (KSA) 1 Al Wahda (UAE) 1 Al Wahda win on away goals Urawa Reds (JPN) 2 Jeonbuk Motors (KOR) 1 Jeonbuk Motors (KOR) 0 Urawa Reds (JPN) 2 Urawa Reds win 4-1 on aggregate
HT: 0-0 HT: 0-0
19/09/07 26/09/07
HT: 0-1 HT: 0-1
Urawa Reds (JPN)................1 19/9/07 26/9/07
Second leg 14/11/07 Urawa Reds (JPN)........... 2

(Yuichiro Nagai 22, Yuki Abe 71)
HT: 0-0 HT: 0-1
Sepahan (IRN)...........0
Saitama World Cup Stadium, Saitama
19/9/07 26/9/07
HT: 1-0 HT: 0-1
Urawa Reds win 3-1 on aggregate
Jeonbuk Motors received a bye into the knockout stage as the defending champions.
Urawa coach Holger Osieck hugs a Urawa ofcial after the nal whistle
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2007 Group Stage results

Group A
P Al Wahda (UAE) Al Zawraa (IRQ) Al Arabi (KUW) Al Rayyan (QAT) 7/3/07 21/3/07 11/4/07 25/4/07 9/5/07 23/5/07 6 6 6 6 W 4 3 2 0 D 1 2 1 2 L 1 1 3 4 F 13 9 10 3 A 6 6 12 11 Pts 13 11 7 2 Al Hilal (KSA) Pakhtakor (UZB) Al Kuwait (KUW) Esteghlal (IRN)* 7/3/07 21/3/07 11/4/07 25/4/07 9/5/07 23/5/07
Group B
P 6 6 6 6 W 2 2 0 0 D 2 0 2 0 L 0 2 2 0 F 5 3 2 0 A 1 5 4 0 Pts 8 6 2 0
Group E
P Urawa Reds (JPN) Sydney FC (AUS) Persik Kediri (IDN) Shanghai Shenhua (CHN) 6 6 6 6 W 2 2 2 1 D 4 3 1 2 L 0 1 3 3 F 9 8 6 7 A Pts 5 5 16 4 10 9 7 5
Group F
P Kawasaki Frontale (JPN) Chunnam Dragons (KOR) Arema Malang (IDN) Bangkok University (THA) 6 6 6 6 W 5 3 1 0 D 1 1 1 3 L 0 2 4 3 F 15 7 2 4 A Pts 4 8 9 7 16 10 4 3
Al Rayyan (QAT) 0 Al Wahda (UAE) 1 Al Arabi (KUW) 0 Al Zawraa (IRQ) 1
HT: 0-0 HT: 0-0
Al Hilal (KSA) 1 Al Kuwait (KUW) Al Kuwait (KUW) 0 Pakhtakor (UZB) 1 Pakhtakor (UZB) 0 Al Hilal (KSA) 2 Al Hilal (KSA) 2 Pakhtakor (UZB) 0 Al Kuwait (KUW) 0 Al Hilal (KSA) 0 Pakhtakor (UZB) 2 Al Kuwait (KUW) 1
HT: 1-0 HT: 0-0 HT: 0-0 HT: 1-0 HT: 0-0 HT: 1-0
Al Wahda (UAE) 4 Al Arabi(KUW) 1 HT: 1-1 Al Zawraa (IRQ)0 Al Rayyan (QAT) 0 HT: 0-0 Al Arabi (KUW) 1 Al Rayyan (QAT) 1 Al Zawraa (IRQ) 1 Al Wahda (UAE) 2 Al Rayyan (QAT) 1 Al Arabi (KUW) 3 Al Wahda (UAE) 1 Al Zawraa (IRQ) 1 Al Wahda (UAE) 3 Al Rayyan (QAT) 0 Al Zawraa (IRQ)3 Al Arabi (KUW) 2 HT: 0-0 HT: 0-1 HT: 1-1 HT:0-0 HT: 2-0 HT: 1-0
7/3/07 Shanghai Shenhua (CHN) 1 Sydney FC (AUS) 2 Urawa Reds (JPN) 3 Persik Kediri (IDN) 0 21/3/07 Persik Kediri (IDN) 1 Shanghai Shenhua (CHN) 0 Sydney FC (AUS) 2 Urawa Reds (JPN) 2 11/4/07 Urawa Reds (JPN) 1 Shanghai Shenhua (CHN) 0 12/4/07 Persik Kediri (IDN) 2 Sydney FC (AUS) 1 25/4/07 Shanghai Shenhua (CHN) 0 Urawa Reds (JPN) 0 Sydney FC (AUS) 3 Persik Kediri (IDN) 0 9/5/07 Persik Kediri (IDN) 3 Urawa Reds (JPN) 3 Sydney FC (AUS) 0 Shanghai Shenhua (CHN) 0 23/5/07 Shanghai Shenhua (CHN) 6 Persik Kediri (IDN) 0 Urawa Reds (JPN) 0 - Sydney FC (AUS) 0
HT: 0-2 HT: 2-0 HT: 0-0 HT: 2-1 HT: 1-0 HT: 1-1 HT: 0-0 HT: 0-0 HT: 2-1 HT: 0-0 HT: 2-0 HT: 0-0
7/3/07 Arema Malang (IDN) 1 Kawasaki Frontale 3 (JPN) Bangkok University (THA) 0 Chunnam Dragons (KOR) 0
HT: 1-1 HT: 0-0
21/3/07 Kawasaki Frontale (JPN) 1 Bangkok University (THA) 1 HT: 0-1 Chunnam 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: 0-0 Kawasaki Frontale (JPN) 3 Chunnam Dragons (KOR) 0 HT: 1-0 9/5/07 Kawasaki Frontale (JPN) 3 Arema Malang (IDN) 0 Chunnam Dragons (KOR) 3 Bangkok University (THA) 2 HT: 1-0 HT: 1-2
Esteghlal were disqualied for failing to comply with the competitions Player Registration rules
Al Rayyan (QAT) 1 Al Zawraa (IRQ) 3 HT: 3-0 Al Arabi 3 (KUW) Al Wahda (UAE) 2 HT: 1-1
Group C
P Al Karama (SYR) Neftchi (UZB) Al Najaf (IRQ) Al Sadd (QAT) 7/3/07 21/3/07 11/4/07 25/4/07 9/5/07 23/5/07 6 6 6 6 W 3 3 2 1 D 2 1 2 1 L 1 2 2 4 F 11 6 9 6 A 7 7 8 10 Pts 11 10 8 4
Group D
P Sepahan (IRN) Al Shabab (KSA) Al Ain (UAE) Al Ittihad (SYR) 7/3/07 21/3/07 11/4/07 25/4/07 9/5/07 23/5/07 6 6 6 6 W 4 3 1 0 D 1 1 3 3 L 1 2 2 3 F 12 9 5 3 A 5 3 8 13 Pts 13 10 6 3
23/5/07 Arema Malang (IDN) 0 Chunnam Dragons (KOR) 1 HT: 0-0 Bangkok University (THA) 1 Kawasaki Frontale (JPN) 2 HT: 1-1
Group G
P Seongnam Chunma (KOR) Shandong Luneng (CHN) Adelaide United (AUS) Dong Tam Long An (VIE) 6 6 6 6 W 4 4 2 0 D 1 1 2 0 L 1 1 2 6 F 13 12 9 4 A Pts 6 8 6 18 13 13 8 0
25/4/07 Dong Tam Long An (VIE) 2 Shandong Luneng (CHN) 3 HT: 2-1 Seongnam Chunma (KOR) 1 Adelaide United (AUS) 0 HT: 1-0 9/5/07 Dong Tam Long An (VIE) 1 Seongnam Chunma (KOR) 2 HT: 1-1 Shandong Luneng (CHN) 2 Adelaide United (AUS) 2 HT: 1-1 23/5/07 Seongnam Chunma (KOR) 3 Shandong Luneng (CHN) 0 HT: 2-0 Adelaide United (AUS) 3 Dong Tam Long An (VIE) 0 HT: 3-0
Al Karama (SYR) 2 Al Sadd (QAT) 1 Al Najaf (IRQ) 0 Neftchi (UZB) 1 Neftchi (UZB) 2 Al Karama (SYR) 1 Al Sadd (QAT) 1 Al Najaf (IRQ) 4 Al Sadd (QAT) 2 Neftchi (IRQ) 0 Al Karama (SYR) 1 Al Najaf (IRQ) 1 Neftchi (UZB) 2 Al Sadd (QAT) 1 Al Najaf (IRQ) 2 Al Karama (SYR) 4 Neftchi (UZB) 1 Al Najaf (IRQ) 1 Al Sadd (QAT) 1 Al Karama (SYR) 1 Al Najaf (IRQ) 1 Al Sadd (QAT) 0 Al Karama (SYR) 2 Neftchi (UZB) 0
Sepahan (IRN) 2 Al Ittihad (SYR) 1 Al Ain (UAE) 0 Al Shabab (KSA) 2 Al Ittihad (SYR) 0 Al Ain (UAE) 0 Al Shabab (KSA) 0 Sepahan (IRN) 1 Al Ain (UAE) 3 Sepahan (IRN) 2 Al Shabab (KSA) 4 Al Ittihad (SYR) 0 Sepahan (IRN) 1 Al Ain (UAE) 1 Al Ittihad (SYR) 1 Al Shabab (KSA) 1 Al Ittihad (SYR) 0 Sepahan (IRN) 5 Al Shabab (KSA) 2 Al Ain (UAE) 0 Sepahan (IRN) 1 Al Shabab (KSA) 0 Al Ain (UAE) 1 Al Ittihad (SYR) 1
7/3/07 Seongnam Chunma (KOR) 4 Dong Tam Long An (VIE) 1 HT: 1-0 Adelaide United (AUS) 0 Shandong Luneng (CHN) 1 HT: 0-0 21/3/07 Dong Tam Long An (VIE) 0 Adelaide United (AUS) 2 Shandong Luneng (CHN) 2 Seongnam Chunma (KOR) 1 HT: 0-2 HT: 0-0
11/4/07 Shandong Luneng (CHN) 4 Dong Tam Long An (VIE) 0 HT: 1-0 Adelaide United (AUS) 2 Seongnam Chunma (KOR) 2 HT: 0-0
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ACL 2006
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TOP: A birds eyeview of the 2002 Saitama World Cup Stadium before the 2007 ACL Final second leg match between Urawa Reds and Sepahan ABOVE: Urawas Washington exults after the nal whistle
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Jeonbuk in dramatic win
Jeonbuk players on the victory podium in Damascus after winning the 2006 edition of the ACL
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors let a two-goal advantage slip, but a dramatic late header by Brazilian striker Ze Carlo saw the Korean side become the rst east Asian team to lift the AFC Champions League with a 3-2 aggregate win against Al Karama of Syria in the 2006 nal. Second-half goals in Homs by Iyad Mando and Mohanad Ibrahim had wiped out Jeonbuks 2-0 lead from the rst leg. But with only two minutes remaining in regulation time, Chung Jung-kwans cross from the right ank found Ze Carlo completely unmarked in the Al Karama box. The Brazilian buried the ball into the Al Karama net to complete Jeonbuks unlikely championship 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 continental stage, eliminating J.League champions Gamba Osaka and China Super League champions Dalian Shide during the group stage, ChiYeom Ki-hoon (left) and Kim Hyung-beom pose for photographers after Jeonbuks ACL triumph
nese giants Shanghai Shenhua in the quarternals, and K-League champions Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i in the semi-nals. Al Karama also had a fairytale run as they became the rst team from Syria to reach the AFC Champions League nal. The team from Homs ousted United Arab Emirates League winners Al Wahda, Qatar League champions Al Gharafa and Iranian Haz Cup holders Saba Battery during the group stage, stunned two-time AFC Champions League winners Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia in the quarter-nals, and edged out Kuwait League champions Al Qadisiya in the last four. The Koreans grabbed the advantage in the rst 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 sustained 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
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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 rst half of the return match at Khaled Bin Al Waleed Stadium, with Fabio Santos, Iyad Mando,Mohamad Al Hamwi and Mohanad Ibrahim all going close. As half-time approached, Jeonbuk nearly extended their lead, but Chung Jung-kwan failed to make a solid enough connection with Lim You-Hwans 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.
Six minutes later Al Karama levelled the aggregate score when Bilal Abduldaim made his way down the right ank before nding 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 Mando 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.

Final
01/11/06 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (KOR) 2 Al Karama (SYR)0 08/11/06 Al Karama (SYR) 2 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (KOR)1 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors win 3-2 on aggregate HT: 0-0 HT: 0-0
Semi-nals
27/09/06 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (KOR) 2 Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i (KOR) 3 18/10/06 Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i (KOR) 1 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (KOR) 4 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors win 6-4 on aggregate 27/09/06 Al Karama (SYR) 0 Al Qadsiya (KUW)0 18/10/06 Al Qadsiya (KUW) 0 Al Karama (SYR)1 Al Karama win 1-0 on aggregate HT: 1-2 HT: 0-2
HT: 0-0 HT: 0-1
2006 Final
First leg 01/11/06 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors ...................... 2
(Yeom Ki-hun 59, Botti 90+1)
Quarter-nals
13/09/06 Al Ittihad (KSA) 2 Al Karama (SYR)0 20/09/06 Al Karama (SYR) 4 Al Ittihad (KSA) 0 aet FT: 2-0 Al Karama win 4-2 on aggregate 13/09/06 Shanghai Shenhua (CHN) 1 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (KOR) 0 20/09/06 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (KOR) 4 Shanghai Shenhua (CHN) 2 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors win 4-3 on aggregate 13/09/06 Al Qadsiya (KUW) 2 Al Ain (UAE)2 20/09/06 Al Ain (UAE) 0 Al Qadsiya (KUW)3 Al Qadsiya win 5-2 on aggregate 13/09/06 Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i (KOR) 6 Al Shabab (KSA)0 20/09/06 Al Shabab (KSA) 0 Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i (KOR)1 Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i win 7-0 on aggregate Al Ittihad received a bye into the Knockout Stage as defending champions HT: 1-0 HT: 1-0
Al Karama ............................................. 0
Jeonju World Cup Stadium, Jeonju
Second leg 08/11/06 Al Karama ............................................. 2

(Iyad Mando 54, Mohanad Ibrahim 60) (Ze Carlo 88) Khaled bin Al Walid Stadium, Homs
HT: 1-0 HT: 1-1
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors .......................1
HT: 1-1 HT: 0-1
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors win 3-2 on aggregate
HT: 3-0 HT: 0-0
Ze Carlo and Chung Jung-kwan celebrate on their way to the dressing room
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Group A
P Al Qadsiya Pakhtakor Al Ittihad Foolad 08/03/06 22/03/03 12/04/03 26/04/03 03/05/03 17/05/03 6 6 6 6 W 3 3 2 1 D 2 1 2 1 L 1 2 2 4 F 9 11 6 8 A 11 7 7 9 Pts 11 10 7 4 Al Ain Al Hilal Mashal Al Minaa 08/03/06 22/03/03 12/04/03 26/04/03 03/05/03 17/05/03
Group B
P 6 6 6 6 W 4 3 2 0 D 1 1 2 2 L 1 2 2 4 F 10 12 7 6 A 6 7 11 11 Pts 13 10 8 2
Group E
P Jeonbuk Motors Dalian Shide Gamba Osaka Da Nang 6 6 6 6 W 4 4 3 0 D 1 0 1 0 L 1 2 2 6 F 11 7 26 1 A 5 6 7 27 Pts 13 12 10 0
Group F
P Ulsan Horang-i Tokyo Verdy 1969 08/03/06 03/05/03 2 2 W 2 0 D 0 0 L 0 2 F 3 0 A 0 3 Pts 6 0
Tokyo Verdy 0 Ulsan Horang-i 2 Ulsan Horang-i 1 Tokyo Verdy0
HT: 0-0 HT: 1-0
Pakhtakor (UZB) 2 Al Ittihad (SYR) 0 Foolad (IRN) 6 Al Qadsiya (KUW) 0
HT: 1-0 HT: 3-0
Al Ain (UAE) 2 Al Hilal (KSA) 0 Al Minaa (IRQ) 0 Mashal (UZB) 1 Al Hilal (KSA) 3 Al Minaa (IRQ) 1 Mashal (UZB) 1 Al Ain (UAE) 1 Al Hilal (KSA) 5 Mashal (UZB) 0 Al Ain (UAE) 2 Al Minaa (IRQ)1 Al Minaa (IRQ) 1 Al Ain (UAE) 2 Mashal (UZB) 2 Al Hilal (KSA)1 Al Hilal (KSA) 2 Al Ain (UAE) 1 Mashal (UZB) 2 Al Minaa (IRQ) 2 Al Ain (UAE) Mashal (UZB) 1 Al Minaa (IRQ) 1 Al Hilal (KSA)1
Al Ittihad (SYR) 0 Foolad (IRN) 0 HT: 0-0 Al Qadsiya (KUW) 2 Pakhtakor (UZB) 1 HT: 0-1 Al Ittihad (SYR) 2 Al Qadsiya (KUW) 2 Pakhtakor (UZB) 2 Foolad (IRN) 0 Foolad (IRN) 1 Pakhtakor (UZB)3 Al Qadsiya (KUW) 1 Al Ittihad (SYR) 0 Al Ittihad (SYR) 2 Pakhtakor (UZB) 1 Al Qadsiya (KUW) 2 Foolad (IRN) 0 HT: 1-1 HT: 2-0 HT: 1-0 HT: 0-0 HT: 2-1 HT: 1-0
08/03/06 Jeonbuk Motors (KOR) 3 Gamba Osaka (JPN) 2 Da Nang (VIE) 0 Dalian Shide (CHN) 2 HT: 0-1 22/03/03 Gamba Osaka (JPN) 15 Da Nang (VIE) 0 Dalian Shide (CHN) 1 Jeonbuk Motors (KOR) 0 12/04/03 Gamba Osaka (JPN) 3 Dalian Shide (CHN) 0 Jeonbuk Motors (KOR) 3 Da Nang (VIE) 0 26/04/03 Da Nang (VIE) 0 Jeonbuk Motors (KOR) 1 Dalian Shide (CHN) 2 Gamba Osaka (JPN) 0 03/05/03 Gamba Osaka (JPN) 1 Jeonbuk Motors (KOR) 1 Dalian Shide (CHN) 1 Da Nang (VIE) 0 HT: 1-0 17/05/03 Jeonbuk Motors (KOR) 3 Dalian Shide (CHN) 1 Da Nang (VIE) 1 Gamba Osaka (JPN) 5
HT: 1-1
Arema Malang (IDN) and Thai Tobacco Monopoly (THA) were disqualied for failing to comply with the competitions Player Registration rules
HT: 6-0 HT: 1-0 HT: 0-0 HT: 2-0 HT: 0-1 HT: 1-0 HT: 0-1
Group G
P Shanghai Shenhua Dong Tam Long An 08/03/06 03/05/03 2 2 W 2 0 D 0 0 L 0 2 F 7 3 A 3 7 Pts 6 0
Pakhtakor (UZB) 2 Al Qadsiya (KUW) 2 HT: 1-1 Foolad (IRN) 1 Al Ittihad (SYR) 2 HT: 0-1
Shenhua (CHN) 3 Dong Tam (VIE) 1 Dong Tam (VIE) 2 Shenhua (CHN) 4
HT: 2-0 HT: 1-1
Group C
P Al Karama Saba Battery Al Wahda Al Gharafa 08/03/06 22/03/03 12/04/03 26/04/03 03/05/03 17/05/03 6 6 6 6 W 4 3 2 2 D 0 1 1 0 L 2 2 3 4 F 10 13 14 11 A 11 8 15 14 Pts 12 10 7 6
Group D
P Al Shabab Al Sadd Al Quwa Al Jawiya Al Arabi 08/03/06 22/03/03 12/04/03 26/04/03 03/05/03 17/05/03 6 6 6 6 W 4 4 2 1 D 1 1 0 0 L 1 1 4 5 F 9 13 5 5 A 6 5 9 12 Pts 13 13 6 3
HT: 0-0 HT: 0-3
Persipura Jayapura (IDN) and Provincial Electricity Authority (THA) were disqualied for failing to comply with the competitions Player Registration rules
Al Gharafa (QAT) 0 Saba Battery (IRN) 2 HT: 0-0 Al Karama (SYR) 2 Al Wahda (UAE) 1 HT: 1-1 Saba Battery (IRN) 1 Al Karama (SYR) 2 HT: 1-0 Al Wahda (UAE) 2 Al Gharafa (QAT) 0 HT: 2-0 Saba Battery (IRN) 2 Al Wahda (UAE) 2 HT: 2-0 Al Gharafa (QAT) 4 Al Karama (SYR) 0 HT: 0-0 Al Karama (SYR) 3 Al Gharafa (QAT) 1 HT: 0-0 Al Wahda (UAE) 2 Saba Battery (IRN) 4 HT: 1-2 Saba Battery (IRN) 4 Al Gharafa (QAT) 1 HT: 0-0 Al Wahda (UAE) 4 Al Karama (SYR) 2 HT: 2-2 Al Gharafa (QAT) 5 Al Wahda (UAE) 3 HT: 2-1 Al Karama (SYR) 1 Saba Battery (IRN) 0 HT: 1-0
Al Arabi (KUW) 0 Al Quwa Al Jawiya (IRQ) 1 HT: 0-0 Al Shabab (KSA) 0 Al Sadd (QAT) 0 HT: 0-0 Al Quwa Al Jawiya (IRQ) 0 Al Shabab (KSA) 2 HT: 0-2 Al Sadd (QAT) 4 Al Arabi (KUW) 1 HT: 1-0 Al Quwa Al Jawiya (IRQ) 0 Al Sadd (QAT) 2 HT: 0-0 Al Arabi (KUW) 3 Al Shabab (KSA) 0 HT: 1-0 Al Shabab (KSA) 2 Al Arabi (KUW) 0 HT: 2-0 Al Sadd (QAT) 3 Al Quwa Al Jawiya 0 (IRQ) HT: 1-0 Al Quwa Al Jawiya (IRQ) 3 Al Arabi (KUW) 0 HT: 2-0 Al Sadd (QAT) 2 Al Shabab (KSA) 3 HT: 0-2 Al Arabi (KUW) 1 Al Sadd (QAT) 2 HT: 1-0 Al Shabab (KSA) 2 Al Quwa Al Jawiya (IRQ) 1 HT: 1-1
Action from the Al Ittihad-Al Karama quarter-nal rst leg match
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ACL 2005
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TOP: Jeonbuk celebrate as reworks go off at the Khaled Bin Waleed Stadium in Homs, Syria ABOVE: Jeonbuk coach Choi Kang-hee with the ACL trophy
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Al Ittihad win it again
Jubilant scenes from the victory podium after Al Ittihads successful defence of the ACL
Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia conrmed their status as Asias 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 rst leg in Al Ain 1-1, Al Ittihad 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 minutes left, before Luis Tejada pulled one back for the visitors in added time. The win meant a US$500,000 payday for Anghel Iordanescus side for winning the competiAl Ittihad players with the ACL trophy after winning it for the second time in 2005
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 quarternals, and Busan IPark in the semis, gave their fans reason to raise the roof when Kallon, formerly of Inter Milan and Monaco, placed a freekick over the Al Ain wall and past Abdulla Mutaz into the top left-hand corner of the net. Al Ains defence was at fault for Al Ittihads second goal, which came after 33 minutes. Tcheco, one of ve players in the Al Ittihad starting 11 who played in the 2004 AFC Champions League nal, oated 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 Mutazs 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 Shamsul Maidan pointed to the spot, and Shebab stepped up to send Mabrouk Zaid the wrong way and give Milan Macalas side hope with 35
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minutes left to play. Amazingly, though, their joy lasted only 60 seconds as Alberto Blanco and Ali Msarri both failed to make contact with Tchecos free-kick from the right and Job, on loan from English club Middlesbrough, was on hand at the near post to head his rst goal for the Saudis. After 68 minutes, any hopes the visitors had of nding a way back into the game was snuffed out when Dokhi, overlapping down the right, red the ball across Mutaz and into the far corner of the net. Tejadas late effort was no more than a consolation prize for the vanquished men in purple.

2005 Final
First leg 26/10/05 Al Ain ..................................................1
(Ali Msarri 50)
Final
05/11/05 26/10/05 Al Ain 1 Al Ittihad (KSA)1 Al Ittihad (KSA) 4 Al Ain2 Al Ittihad win 5-3 on aggregate HT: 0-0 HT: 2-0
Al Ittihad .............................................1
(Mohamed Kallon 85) Tahnon Bin Mohammed Stadium, Al Ain
Second leg 05/11/05 Al Ittihad ............................................ 4

(Mohamed Kallon 2, Mohammed Noor 33, Joseph-Desire Job 57, Ahmed Dokhi 69)
Semi-nals
12/10/04 28/09/04 Al Ain 6 Shenzhen Jianlibao (CHN)0 Shenzhen Jianlibao (CHN) 0 Al Ain0 Al Ain win 6-0 on aggregate Busan IPark (KOR) 0 Al Ittihad (KSA)5 Al Ittihad (KSA) 2 Busan IPark (KOR)0 Al Ittihad win 7-0 on aggregate HT: 4-0 HT: 0-0
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
12/10/04 28/09/04
HT: 0-0 HT: 1-0
Quarter-nals
14/09/05 21/09/04 Al Ahli (KSA) 2 Shenzhen Jianlibao (CHN)1 Shenzhen Jianlibao (CHN) 3 Al Ahli (KSA) 1 aet FT: 2-1 Shenzhen Jianlibao win 4-3 on aggregate Shandong Luneng (CHN) 1 Al Ittihad (KSA)1 Al Ittihad (KSA) 7 Shandong Luneng (CHN)2 Al Ittihad win 8-3 on aggregate Busan IPark (KOR) 3 Al Sadd (QAT)0 Al Sadd (QAT) 1 Busan IPark (KOR)2 Busan IPark win 5-1 on aggregate Al Ain (UAE) 1 Pas (IRN)1 Pas (IRN) 3 Al Ain (UAE)3 Al Ain win on away goals HT: 0-0 HT: 2-1
14/09/05 21/09/04
HT: 0-0 HT: 2-1
14/09/04 21/09/04
HT: 1-0 HT: 0-1
14/09/04 21/09/04
HT: 0-1 HT: 1-0
Al Ittihad received a bye into the Knockout Stage as defending champions
Al Ittihad in action during their 2005 ACL campaign
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Group A
P Pas Al Salmiya Al Rayyan Al Shorta 09/03/05 15/03/05 16/03/05 06/04/05 19/04/05 20/04/05 11/05/05 25/05/05 6 6 6 6 W 5 3 2 0 D 1 0 1 2 L 0 3 3 4 F 12 8 6 2 A 4 9 7 8 Pts 16 9 7 2 Al Ain Sepahan Al Shabab Al Wahda 09/03/05 16/03/05 06/04/05 20/04/05 11/05/05 25/05/05
Group B
P 6 6 6 6 W 4 3 3 0 D 1 2 1 0 L 1 1 2 6 F 13 10 7 5 A 6 6 7 16 Pts 13 11 10 0
Group E
P Shenzhen Jianlibao Suwon Bluewings Jubilo Iwata Hoang Anh Gia Lai 6 6 6 6 W 4 4 3 0 D 1 1 0 0 L 1 1 3 6 F 9 14 11 1 A 3 3 4 25 Pts 13 13 9 0
Group F
P Shandong Luneng Yokohama F.Marinos PSM Makassar BEC Tero Sasana 6 6 6 6 W 6 4 1 0 D 0 0 1 1 L 0 2 4 5 F 15 10 4 3 A 2 4 14 12 Pts 18 12 4 1
Pas (IRN) 2 Al Rayyan (QAT)1 Al Salmiya (KUW) 3 Al Shorta (IRQ) 1 Al Shorta (IRQ) 1 Pas (IRN)1
HT: 1-0 HT: 1-0 HT: 1-0
Al Ain (UAE) 3 Al Wahda (SYR) 0 Al Shabab (KSA) 1 Sepahan (IRN) 1 Sepahan (IRN) 1 Al Ain (UAE) 1 Al Wahda (SYR) 1 Al Shabab (KSA)2 Al Wahda (SYR) 1 Sepahan (IRN) 3 Al Ain (UAE) 3 Al Shabab (KSA)0 Sepahan (IRN) 2 Al Wahda (SYR) 0 Al Shabab (KSA) 1 Al Ain (UAE) 0 Al Wahda (SYR) 2 Al Ain (UAE) 3 Sepahan (IRN) 1 Al Shabab (KSA) 0 Al Ain (UAE) 3 Sepahan (IRN)2 Al Shabab (KSA) 3 Al Wahda (SYR) 1
09/03/05 Shenzhen (CHN) 1 Jubilo Iwata (JPN) 0 Hoang Anh (VIE) 1 Suwon Bluewings (KOR) 5 16/03/05 Jubilo Iwata (JPN) 6 Hoang Anh Gia Lai (VIE) 0 Suwon Bluewings 0 (KOR) Shenzhen (CHN) 0 06/04/05 Jubilo Iwata (JPN) 0 Suwon Bluewings (KOR) 1 Shenzhen Jianlibao (CHN) 5 Hoang Anh (VIE) 1 20/04/05 Suwon Bluewings (KOR) 2 Jubilo Iwata (JPN) 1 Hoang Anh Gia Lai (VIE) 0 Shenzhen (CHN) 2 11/05/05 Suwon Bluewings (KOR) 6 Hoang Anh 0 (VIE) Jubilo Iwata (JPN) 3 Shenzhen (CHN)0 25/05/05 Shenzhen (CHN) 1 Suwon Bluewings (KOR) 0 Hoang Anh Gia Lai (VIE) 0 Jubilo Iwata (JPN) 1
09/03/05 BEC Tero (THA) 0 Makassar (IDN) 1 Yokohama Marinos (JPN) 0 Shandong (CHN) 1 16/03/05 Makassar (IDN) 0 Yokohama Marinos (JPN) 2 Shandong Luneng (CHN) 1 BEC Tero (THA) 0 06/04/05 Makassar (IDN) 0 Shandong Luneng (CHN) 1 BEC Tero (THA) 1 Yokohama Marinos (JPN) 2 20/04/05 Yokohama Marinos (JPN) 2 BEC Tero (THA) 0 Shandong Luneng (CHN) 6 Makassar (IDN) 1 11/05/05 PSM Makassar (IDN) 2 BEC Tero (THA) 2 Shandong (CHN) 2 Yokohama Marinos (JPN) 1 25/05/05 BEC Tero (THA) 0 Shandong Luneng (CHN) 4 Yokohama Marinos (JPN) 3 Makassar (IDN) 0
Al Rayyan (QAT)2 Al Salmiya (KUW) 1 HT: 1-0 Al Rayyan (QAT) 2 Al Shorta (IRQ) 0 Pas (IRN) 5 Al Salmiya (KUW)1 Al Shorta (IRQ) 0 Al Rayyan (QAT) 0 Al Salmiya (KUW) 0 Pas (IRN) 1 Al Shorta (IRQ) 0 Al Salmiya (KUW) 1 Al Rayyan (QAT) 1 Pas (IRN) 2 HT: 0-0 HT: 0-1 HT: 0-0 HT: 0-0 HT: 0-1 HT: 1-0
Al Salmiya (KUW) 2 Al Rayyan (QAT) 0 HT: 2-0 Pas (IRN) 1 Al Shorta (IRQ) 0 HT: 0-0
Group C
P Al Sadd Neftchi Al Kuwait Al Ahli 09/03/05 16/03/05 06/04/05 20/04/05 11/05/05 25/05/05 6 6 6 6 W 4 3 2 2 D 0 0 1 1 L 2 3 3 3 F 8 8 5 8 A 6 7 6 10 Pts 12 9 7 7
Group D
P Al Ahli Pakhtakor Al Zawraa Al Jaish 08/03/05 09/03/05 16/03/05 05/04/05 06/04/05 20/04/05 11/05/05 24/05/05 25/05/05 6 6 6 6 W 4 4 2 0 D 1 1 2 0 L 1 1 2 6 F 14 15 10 5 A 4 10 8 18 Pts 13 13 8 0
Shenzhen Jianlibao nished ahead of Suwon Samsung Bluewings due tobetter record in head-to-head meetings between the two teams
Group G
P Busan IPark Krung Thai Bank Persebaya Surabaya Binh Dinh 6 6 6 6 W 6 4 1 0 D 0 0 1 1 L 0 2 4 5 F 25 10 4 3 A 0 4 14 12 Pts 18 12 4 1
Neftchi (UZB) 1 Al Kuwait (KUW)0 Al Sadd (QAT) 2 Al Ahli (UAE)0 Al Ahli (UAE) 3 Neftchi (UZB) 0 Al Kuwait (KUW) 0 Al Sadd (QAT)1 Al Kuwait (KUW) 1 Al Ahli (UAE)0 Neftchi (UZB) 2 Al Sadd (QAT) 0 Al Ahli (UAE) 3 Al Kuwait (KUW) 3 Al Sadd (QAT) 3 Neftchi (UZB) 2 Al Kuwait (KUW) 1 Neftchi (UZB) 0 Al Ahli (UAE) 2 Al Sadd (QAT)1 Al Sadd (QAT) 1 Al Kuwait (KUW)0 Neftchi (UZB) v Al Ahli (UAE) Void*
HT: 0-0 HT: 1-0 HT: 1-0 HT: 0-1 HT: 0-0 HT: 0-0 HT: 1-2 HT: 1-2 HT: 0-0 HT: 0-1 HT: 1-0
Al Zawraa (IRQ) 1 Al Ahli (KSA) 2 Al Jaish (SYR) 0 Pakhtakor (UZB) 2 Al Ahli (KSA) 3 Al Jaish (SYR) 1 Pakhtakor (UZB) 1 Al Zawraa (IRQ) 2 Al Zawraa (IRQ) 1 Al Jaish (SYR) 5 Al Ahli (KSA) 3 Pakhtakor (UZB)0 Pakhtakor (UZB) 2 Al Ahli (KSA) 1 Al Jaish (SYR) 0 Al Zawraa (IRQ) 0 Al Ahli (KSA) 5 Al Zawraa (IRQ)1 Pakhtakor (UZB) 4 Al Jaish (SYR) 1 Al Zawraa (IRQ) 1 Pakhtakor (UZB) 0 Al Jaish (SYR) 0 Al Ahli (KSA) 4
20/04/05 Krung Thai Bank (THA) 0 Binh Dinh (VIE) 1 Persebaya (IDN) 0 Busan IPark (KOR) 3 11/05/05 Binh Dinh (VIE) 0 Busan IPark (KOR) 4 Krung Thai Bank (THA) 1 Persebaya 0 (IDN) 25/05/05 Busan IPark (KOR) 4 Krung Thai Bank (THA) 0 Persebaya Surabaya (IDN) 1 Binh Dinh (VIE) 0
HT: 0-1 HT: 0-2 HT: 0-3 HT: 1-0 HT: 2-0 HT: 1-0
09/03/05 Busan IPark (KOR) 8 Binh Dinh (VIE) 0 Persebaya (IDN) 1 Krung Thai Bank (THA) 2 16/03/05 Binh Dinh (VIE) 0 Persebaya Surabaya (IDN) 0 Krung Thai Bank (THA) 0 Busan IPark (KOR) 2 06/04/05 Binh Dinh (VIE) 1 Krung Thai Bank (THA) 2 Busan IPark (KOR) 4 Persebaya (IDN)0
HT: 3-0 HT: 0-1 HT: 0-0 HT:0-1 HT: 1-1 HT: 0-0
Persebaya nished third due to better record in head-to-head meetingsagainst Binh Dinh
*Neftchi were awarded a 3-0 victory after Al Ahli refused to play in Uzbekistan, citing security concerns
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ACL 2004
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TOP: Al Ittihad won the ACL for the rst time in 2004 ABOVE: Al Ittihad defender Hamad Al Montashari was named MVP
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Al Ittihad in stunning comeback win
Al Ittihad staged a stunning comeback to win the 2004 ACL
Al Ittihad won the AFC Champions League 2004 in what must surely rank as one of the most remarkable comebacks in the history of Asian club football. Trailing 3-1 from the home leg in Jeddah, the Tigers scored ve unanswered goals in the second leg in front of a full house in Korea to win Asias most prestigious knockout tournament 63 on aggregate. Few, except perhaps the hundred or so Al Ittihad fans who travelled to Korea, would have predicted such an outcome for the six-time Saudi League champions after the rst leg in Jeddah, which the K-League champions won 3-1. Cha Kyung-boks side took the lead in the rst leg through Denis Laktionov after 27 minutes, but Tomaslav Ivics 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 Hakyoung effort in the last minute of the game, left the winners of the 1995 Asian Club Championship and 1996 Asian Super Cup very much in
Al Ittihad midelder Redha Tukar played a key role in the teams win
the driving seat ahead of the return game in Korea a week later. Al Ittihads chances of overturning the decit were further dented when Ivic was dismissed and replaced by inexperienced assistant Dragan Talajic, whose rst 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 Tchecos lofted free-kick fell to Hamzah Idris, who prodded the ball home from close range. The goal came at a crucial time for Talajics side and self-belief coursed through his side in the opening exchanges of the second half. Having absorbed Seongnams early pressure,
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Al Ittihad went ahead on aggregate for the rst time with a magnicent goal on the counter-attack in the 55th minute. Manaf Abushgeer was released down the left by Idris, and his low cross eluded a crowd of players before nding 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 ve minutes into added time as Abushgeer turned defender Kim Sung-il on the left of the Seongnam box before curling the ball past the hapless Seongnam keeper to round off a comeback few thought possible.

2004 Final
First leg 24/11/04 Al Ittihad ..............................................1
(Redha Tukar 28)
Final
24/11/04 01/12/04 Al Ittihad (KSA) 1 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (KOR)3 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (KOR) 0 Al Ittihad (KSA)5 Al Ittihad win 6-3 on aggregate HT: 1-1 HT: 0-2
Seongnam Chunma............................ 3
(Denis Laktionov 27, Kim Do-hoon 81, Jang Hak-young 90) Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah
Second Leg 01/12/04 Seongnam Chunma..............................0 Al Ittihad ...............................................5

78, Manaf Abushgeer 90) Seongnam Sports Complex, Seongnam
Semi-nals
20/10/04 27/10/04 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (KOR) 0 Pakhtakor (UZB)0 Pakhtakor (UZB) 0 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (KOR)2 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma win 2-0 on aggregate Al Ittihad (KSA) 2 Chonbuk Hyundai Motors (KOR)1 Chonbuk Hyundai Motors (KOR) 2 Al Ittihad (KSA)2 Al Ittihad win 4-3 on aggregate HT: 0-0 HT: 0-1
(Redha Tukar 27, Hamzah Idris 45, Mohammed Noor 55,
Al Ittihad win 6-3 on aggregate
20/10/04 27/10/04
HT: 1-0 HT: 2-0
Quarter-nals
14/09/04 21/09/04 Al Ain (UAE) 0 Chonbuk Hyundai Motors (KOR)1 Chonbuk Hyundai Motors (KOR) 4 Al Ain (UAE)1 Chonbuk Hyundai Motors win 5-1 on aggregate Dalian Shide (CHN) 1 Al Ittihad (KSA)1 Al Ittihad (KSA) 1 Dalian Shide (CHN)0 Al Ittihad win 2-1 on aggregate Al Wahda (UAE) 1 Pakhtakor (UZB)1 Pakhtakor (UZB) 4 Al Wahda (UAE)0 Pakhtakor win 5-1 on aggregate Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (KOR) 6 Sharjah (UAE)0 Sharjah (UAE) 2 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (KOR)5 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma win 11-2 on aggregate HT: 0-0 HT: 0-0
14/09/04 21/09/04
HT: 0-0 HT: 0-1
15/09/04 22/09/04
HT: 1-0 HT: 2-0
15/09/04 22/09/04
HT: 1-0 HT: 1-3
Al Ain received a bye into the Knockout Stage as defending champions
Al Ittihad players rejoice after scoring against Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma in the nal second leg
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Group A
P Pakhtakor Zob Ahan Qatar SC Riffa 11/02/04 25/02/04 06/04/04 21/04/04 05/05/04 19/05/04 4 4 4 0 W 2 1 0 0 D 1 2 3 0 L 1 1 1 0 F 3 4 3 0 A 1 5 4 0 Pts 7 5 3 0 Al Wahda Al Sadd Al Quwa Al Jawiya Al Qadsiya 11/02/04 25/02/04 06/04/04 20/04/04 05/05/04 18/05/04
Group B
P 4 4 4 0 W 1 1 1 0 D 3 2 1 0 L 0 1 2 0 F 3 1 1 0 A 0 1 4 0 Pts 6 5 4 0
Group E
P Chonbuk Motors Jubilo Iwata Shanghai Shenhua BEC Tero Sasana 6 6 6 6 W 4 4 3 1 D 0 0 0 0 L 2 2 3 5 F 14 14 7 6 A 5 11 9 16 Pts 12 12 9 3
Group F
P Dalian Shide Krung Thai Bank Hoang Anh Gia Lai PSM Makassar 6 6 6 6 W 5 2 2 2 D 0 1 1 0 L 1 3 3 4 F 11 8 10 9 A 15 11 10 12 Pts 15 7 7 6
Zob Ahan (IRN) 1 Pakhtakor (UZB)0 Pakhtakor (UZB) 1 Qatar SC (QAT) 0 Zob Ahan (IRN) 3 Qatar SC (QAT)3 Qatar SC (QAT) 0 Zob Ahan (IRN)0 Pakhtakor (UZB) 2 Zob Ahan (IRN)0 Qatar SC (QAT) 0 Al Pakhtakor (UZB) 0
HT: 0-0 HT: 0-0 HT: 1-0 HT: 0-0 HT: 1-0 HT: 0-0
Al Wahda (UAE) 0 Al Sadd (QAT)0 Al Sadd (QAT) 1 Al Quwa Al Jawiya (IRQ) 0 Al Wahda 3 Al Quwa Al Jawiya (IRQ) 0 Al Quwa Al Jawiya (IRQ) 0 Al Wahda 0 Al Sadd (QAT) 0 Al Wahda 0 Al Quwa Al Jawiya (IRQ) 1 Al Sadd (QAT) 0
HT: 0-0 HT: 0-0 HT: 2-0 HT: 0-0 HT: 0-0 HT: 0-0
Riffa withdrew from competition. All results for matches involving Riffa declared null and void
Al Qadisiya expelled from competition. All results for matches involving Al Qadsiya declared null and void
Group C
P Sharjah Al Hilal Al Shorta 10/02/04 25/02/04 06/04/04 21/04/04 04/05/04 18/05/04 4 4 4 W 3 2 0 D 1 1 0 L 0 1 4 F 10 6 3 A 4 6 9 Pts 10 7 0
Group D
P Al Ittihad Sepahan Al Arabi Neftchi 6 6 6 6 W 4 4 2 0 D 1 1 2 0 L 1 1 2 6 F 14 15 8 5 A 4 10 10 18 Pts 13 13 8 0
11/02/04 Chonbuk Motors (KOR) 1 Jubilo Iwata (JPN) 2 BEC Tero (THA) 4 Shanghai Shenhua (CHN) 1 25/02/04 Jubilo Iwata (JPN) 3 BEC Tero Sasana (THA) 0 Shanghai Shenhua (CHN) 0 Chonbuk (KOR) 1 06/04/04 Jubilo Iwata (JPN) 2 Shenhua (CHN) 1 07/04/04 Chonbuk Motors (KOR) 4 BEC Tero (THA) 0 20/04/04 BEC Tero (THA) 0 Chonbuk Motors (KOR) 4 22/04/04 Shenhua (CHN) 3 Jubilo Iwata (JPN)2 05/05/04 Shanghai Shenhua (CHN) 1 BEC Tero (THA) 0 12/05/04 Jubilo Iwata (JPN) 2 Chonbuk Motors (KOR) 4 19/05/04 Chonbuk Motors (KOR) 0 Shenhua (CHN) 1 BEC Tero Sasana (THA) 2 Jubilo Iwata (JPN) 3
Chonbuk Hyundai Motors nished ahead of Jubilo Iwata due to betterrecord in head-to-head meetings between the two teams
10/02/04 Krung Thai Bank (THA) 0 Dalian Shide (CHN) 2 11/02/04 Hoang Anh Gia Lai (VIE) 5 PSM Makassar (IDN) 1 24/02/04 Dalian Shide (CHN) 2 Hoang Anh Gia Lai (VIE) 0 25/02/04 PSM Makassar (IDN) 2 Krung Thai Bank (THA) 2 06/04/04 Hoang Anh (VIE) 0 Krung Thai Bank (THA) 1 07/04/04 PSM Makassar (IDN) 0 Dalian Shide (CHN)1 21/04/04 Krung Thai Bank (THA) 2 Hoang Anh (VIE)2 Dalian Shide (CHN) 2 PSM Makassar (IDN)1 04/05/04 Dalian Shide (CHN) 3 Krung Thai Bank (THA) 1 05/05/04 PSM Makassar (IDN) 3 Hoang Anh Gia Lai (VIE) 0 18/05/04 Krung Thai Bank (THA) 1 PSM Makassar (IDN) 2 Hoang Anh Gia Lai (VIE) 3 Dalian Shide (CHN) 1
Sharjah (UAE) 2 Al Shorta (IRQ) 0 Al Hilal (KSA) 0 Sharjah (UAE)0 Al Shorta (IRQ) 1 Al Hilal (KSA)2 Al Hilal (KSA) 2 Al Shorta (IRQ) 0 Al Shorta (IRQ) 2 Sharjah (UAE)3 Sharjah (UAE) 5 Al Hilal (KSA) 2
HT: 0-0 HT: 0-0 HT: 0-1 HT: 1-0 HT: 2-2 HT: 1-1
10/02/04 11/02/04 24/02/04 07/04/04 20/04/04 21/04/04 04/05/04 18/05/04 26/05/04
Al Ahli (BHR) withdrew from the competition without playing a game
Sepahan (IRN) 4 Neftchi (UZB) 0 Al Ittihad (KSA) 2 Al Arabi (KUW)0 Neftchi (UZB) Al Ittihad (KSA)2 Al Arabi (KUW) 2 Sepahan (IRN)2 Sepahan (IRN) 3 Al Ittihad (KSA) 2 Al Ittihad (KSA) 4 Sepahan (IRN) 0 Al Arabi (KUW) 3 Neftchi (UZB) 2 Neftchi (UZB) 1 Sepahan (IRN)3 Al Arabi (KUW) 0 Al Ittihad (KSA) 0 Sepahan (IRN) 3 Al Arabi (KUW) 1 Al Ittihad (KSA) 3 Neftchi (UZB) 0 Neftchi (UZB) 1 Al Arabi (KUW) 2
Group G
P Seongnam Chunma Yokohama F.Marinos Persik Kediri Binh Dinh 6 6 6 6 W 5 5 1 0 D 0 0 1 1 L 1 1 4 5 F 24 19 5 3 A 4 3 27 17 Pts 15 15 4 1
Al Ittihad nished ahead of Sepahan due to better record in head-to-head meetings between the two teams
10/02/04 Binh Dinh (VIE) 0 Yokohama F.Marinos (JPN) 3 11/02/04 Persik Kediri (IDN) 1 Seongnam (KOR)2 24/02/04 Yokohama.Marinos (JPN) 4 Persik (IDN) 0 25/02/04 Seongnam Chunma (KOR) 2 Binh Dinh (VIE) 0 07/04/04 Binh Dinh (VIE) 2 Persik Kediri (IDN) 2 Yokohama Marinos (JPN) 1 Seongnam (KOR) 2
21/04/04 Persik Kediri (IDN) 1 Binh Dinh (VIE) 0 Seongnam (KOR) 0 Yokohama Marinos (JPN) 1 05/05/04 Yokohama Marinos (JPN) 6 Binh Dinh (VIE) 0 11/05/04 Seongnam (KOR) 15 Persik Kediri (IDN)0 19/05/04 Persik (IDN) 1 Yokohama Marinos (JPN) 4 Binh Dinh (VIE) 1 Seongnam Chunma (KOR) 3
HT: 1-0 HT: 0-0 HT: 2-0 HT: 7-0 HT: 0-4 HT: 1-2
HT: 0-2 HT: 0-2 HT: 2-0 HT: 1-0 HT: 2-1 HT: 1-1
Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma nished ahead of Yokohama Marinos on goal difference
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ACL 2003
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TOP: The two captains line up before kickoff ABOVE: Al Ittihad won the second leg against Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma 5-0 for an aggregate 6-3 win
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Al Ain lift inaugural title
Inaugural ACL champions Al Ain acknowledge the crowd
Al Ain won the inaugural AFC Champions League, beating Thai side BEC Tero Sasana 21 on aggregate. Bruno Metsus side won the rst leg 2-0 thanks to a goal ve minutes before half-time from skipper Salem Jawhar, and a Mohammed Omar effort 15 minutes from full-time. Despite losing the second leg in Bangkok by a single goal, Al Ain held on to become the rst 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 Chaiman penalty in the 60th minute was not enough to wrench the trophy from Al Ains grasp. For the Thais, it was a case of so near yet so far as Attapol Puspakoms 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 rst chance of the secAl Ain supporters pack the stands for the nal against BEC Tero Sasana
ond leg, giant French defender Kadjo Afanou heading a icked-on corner against an upright after only ve minutes. The near-miss was Al Ains only real chance for the next 40 minutes, although the visitors nearly stole a rst-half lead they did not deserve when Faisal Ali found himself in space down the right. His rst touch took him into the box, but he shot straight at the legs of BEC Tero and Thai national keeper Phansa Meetsattham. In between, BEC Tero dominated large periods, with midelder Therdsak Chaiman, the Emirates MVP of the nal, at the heart of his sides best moves. It was always going to be difcult for the home side to maintain the prodigious workrate of the rst half and, as BEC Tero began to tire, so Al Ain began to exploit the wide open spaces of the Rajamangala playing surface. The rst chance of the second half fell to Faisal Ali after 50 minutes, but his left-foot scissors
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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 midelder 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 supporters, who raised the roof after 66 minutes when Pherartat Phoruandee rose to meet Therdsaks 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 hopeful 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.

2003 Final
First leg 03/10/03 Al Ain ..................................................2
(Salam Jawhar 40, Mohammed Omar 75) Tahnon bin Mohammed Stadium, Al Ain
Final
03/10/03 11/10/03 Al Ain (UAE) 2 BEC Tero Sesana (Tha)0 BEC Tero Sesana (Tha) 1 Al Ain (UAE)0 Al Ain win 2-1 on aggregate HT: 1-0 HT: 0-0
BEC Tero Sasana ................................0 Second Leg 11/10/03 BEC Tero Sasana ................................1
(Therdsak Chaiman 60 pen)
Semi-nals
09/04/03 30/08/03 09/04/03 22/04/03 Al Ain (UAE) 4 Dalian Shide (CHN)2 Dalian Shide (CHN) 4 Al Ain (UAE)3 Al Ain win 7-6 on aggregate BEC Tero Sesana (Tha) 3 Pakhtakor (UZB)1 Pakhtakor (UZB) 1 BEC Tero Sesana (Tha)0 BEC Tero Sasana win 3-2 on aggregate HT: 0-1 HT: 1-0 HT: 1-0 HT: 0-0
Al Ain ..................................................0
Supachalasai Stadium, Bangkok
Al Ain win 2-1 on aggregate

Group A
BEC Tero Sasana Taejon Citizen Shanghai Shenhua Kashima Antlers 10/03/03 12/03/03 P 3 3 3 3 W 2 2 1 0 D 1 0 0 1 L 0 1 2 2 F 6 3 6 5 A 3 3 7 7 Pts 7 6 3 1
Group B
Dalian Shide Seongnam Chunma Shimizu S-Pulse Osotspa 09/03/03 12/03/03
P 3 3 3 3
W 2 2 1 0
D 1 0 1 0
L 0 1 2 3
F 10 9 8 1
A 2 4 2 20
Pts 7 6 4 0
Shanghai (CHN) 1 Taejon (KOR)2 Kashima (JPN) 2 BEC Tero (THA) 2 Kashima (JPN) 3 Shanghai (CHN) 4 Taejon (KOR) 0 BEC Tero (THA) 2 14/03/03 BEC Tero (THA) 2 Shanghai (CHN) 1 Taejon (KOR) 1 Kashima (JPN)0 All games played in Bangkok,Thailand
HT: 0-2 HT: 1-0 HT: 1-3 HT: 0-1 HT: 1-0 HT: 0-0
Seongnam (KOR) 6 Osotspa (THA) 0 Shimizu (JPN) 0 Dalian (CHN) 0 Shimizu (JPN) 1 Seongnam (KOR) 2 Osotspa (THA) 1 Dalian (CHN) 7 15/03/03 Dalian (CHN) 3 Seongnam (KOR) 1 Osotspa (THA) 0 Shimizu (JPN) 7 All games played in Dalian, China
HT: 3-0 HT: 0-0 HT: 0-0 HT: 1-2 HT: 0-0 HT: 0-2
Group C
Al Ain Al Sadd Esteghlal Al Hilal 09/03/03
P 3 3 3 3
W 3 1 1 1
D 0 0 0 0
L 0 2 2 2
F 6 4 5 4
A 1 5 7 6
Pts 9 3 3 3
Group D
Pakhtakor Pirouzi Al Talaba Nisa 09/03/03
P 3 3 3 3
W 3 2 1 0
D 0 0 0 0
L 0 1 2 3
F 7 5 3 1
A 0 2 4 10
Pts 9 6 3 0
Action from the Al Ain-BEC Tero Sasana nal
Al Sadd (QAT) 1 Esteghlal (IRN)2 Al Ain (UAE) 1 Al Hilal (KSA) 0 12/03/03 Al Ain (UAE) 2 Al Sadd (QAT) 0 Esteghlal (IRN) 2 Al Hilal (KSA) 3 15/03/03 Al Hilal (KSA) 1 Al Sadd (QAT)3 Esteghlal (IRN) 1 Al Ain (UAE) 3 All games played in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
HT: 0-1 HT: 1-0 HT: 1-0 HT: 2-1 HT: 0-1 HT: 0-0
Nisa (TKM) 0 Pakhtakor (UZB) 3 Al Talaba (IRQ) 0 Pirouzi (IRN)1 12/03/03 Al Talaba (IRQ) 3 Nisa (TKM)0 Pakhtakor (UZB) 1 Pirouzi (IRN) 0 15/03/03 Nisa (TKM) 1 Pirouzi (IRN)4 Al Talaba (IRQ) 0 Pakhtakor (UZB) 3 All games played in Tashkent, Uzbekistan
HT: 0-1 HT: 0-0 HT: 2-0 HT: 1-0 HT: 0-1 HT: 0-2
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2002 Preliminary Round West Asia
2002 Preliminary Round East Asia
Fourth Qualifying Round

12/11/02 27/11/02 13/11/02 27/11/02 13/11/02 26/11/02 Al Jaish (SYR) 1 Al Sadd (QAT)1 HT: 0-1 Al Sadd (QAT) 1 Al Jaish (SYR) 1 aet FT: 1-1 HT: 1-1 Al Sadd win 4-1 on penalties Pakhtakor (UZB) 3 Al Ahli (UAE) 2 Al Ahli (UAE) 0 Pakhtakor (UZB) 1 Pakthakor win 4-2 on aggregate Esteghlal (IRN) 1 Neftchi (UZB) 0 Neftchi (UZB) 2 Esteghlal (IRN) 1 Esteghlal win on away goals Al Arabi (KUW) v Nisa (TKM) Nisa (TKM) v Al Arabi (KUW) Al Arabi withdrew. Nisa advance HT: 1-1 HT: 0-0 HT: 0-0 HT: 0-1
Second Qualifying Round

10/09/02 25/09/02 11/09/02 24/09/02 11/09/02 25/09/02 11/09/02 27/09/02 Al Ansar (LIB) 1 Al Faisaly (JOR)0 Al Faisaly (JOR) 3 Al Ansar (LIB)0 Al Faisaly win 3-1 on aggregate Al Ahli (UAE) 2 Al Kuwait (KUW)0 Al Kuwait (KUW) 3 Al Ahli (UAE)1 Al Ahli (UAE) win on away goals HT: 0-0 HT: 3-0 HT: 0-0 HT: 0-0
Third Qualifying Round

12/11/02 Churchill Brothers (IND) 1 Osotspa (THA) 1 26/11/02 Osotspa (THA) 6 Churchill Brothers (IND) 3 Osotspa win 7-4 on aggregate 12/11/02 South China (HKG) 0 Shimizu S-Pulse (JPN) 5 27/11/02 Shimizu S-Pulse (JPN) 3 South China (HKG) 1 Shimizu S-Pulse win 8-1 on aggregate 13/11/02 Taejon Citizen (KOR) 6 Mohun Bagan (IND) 0 26/11/02 Mohun Bagan (IND) 2 Taejon Citizen (KOR) 1 Taejon Citizen win 8-1 on aggregate 13/11/02 Shanghai Shenhua (CHN) 3 Geylang Utd (SIN) 0 27/11/02 Geylang Utd (SIN) 1 Shanghai Shenhua (CHN) 2 Shanghai Shenhua win 5-1 on aggregate HT: 0-0 HT: 2-1
09/10/02 Mohun Bagan (IND) 2 Valencia (MDV)2 22/10/02 Valencia (MDV) 0 Mohun Bagan (IND)3 Mohun Bagan win 5-2 on aggregate 09/10/02 Shimizu S-Pulse (JPN) 7 New Radiant (MDV) 0 23/10/02 New Radiant (MDV) 0 Shimizu S-Pulse (JPN) 0 Shimizu S-Pulse win 7-0 on aggregate 09/10/02 Monte Carlo (MAC) 1Taejon Citizen (KOR) 5 23/10/02 Taejon Citizen (KOR)3 Monte Carlo (MAC) 0 Taejon Citizen win 8-1 on aggregate 11/10/02 Churchill Bros (IND) 2 Saigon Port (MDV) 0 25/10/02 Saigon Port (MDV) 1 Churchill Bros (IND)0 Churchill Brothers win 2-1 on aggregate
HT: 1-0 HT: 2-2
HT: 1-0 HT: 0-0
Jashtyk-Ak-Atlyn (KGZ) 0 Al Ahli Sanaa (YEM) 2 HT: 0-1 Al Ahli Sanaa (YEM) 2 Jashtyk-Ak-Atlyn (KGZ) 0 HT: 2-0 Al Ahli Sanaa win 4-0 on aggregate Pakhtakor (UZB) 3 Al Wihdat (JOR)0 Al Wihdat (JOR) 3 Pakhtakor (UZB)1 Pakthakor win 4-3 on aggregate Al Sadd (QAT) v Kopetdag (TKM) Kopetdag (TKM) v Al Sadd (QAT) Kopetdag withdrew. Al Sadd advance HT: 1-0 HT: 0-0
HT: 0-2 HT: 0-0
HT: 1-4 HT: 1-0
HT: 4-0 HT: 0-1
Third Qualifying Round

08/10/02 23/10/02 08/10/02 23/10/02 09/10/02 23/10/02 09/10/02 24/10/02 09/10/02 25/10/02 10/10/02 25/10/02 Al Ittihad (SYR) 1 Al Arabi 1 (KUW) Al Arabi 1 (KUW) 4 Al Ittihad (SYR)0 Al Arabi win 5-1 on aggregate HT: 1-1 HT: 2-0
HT: 0-0 HT: 0-0
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
HT: 0-0 HT: 0-2
Al Ahli Sanaa (YEM) 1 Neftchi (UZB)2 HT: 0-2 Neftchi (UZB) 6 Al Ahli Sanaa (YEM)0 HT: 2-0 Neftchi win 8-1 on aggregate Al Ahli (UAE) 3 Al Ahli (KSA)2 Al Ahli (KSA) 2 Al Ahli (UAE)2 Al Ahli (UAE) win 5-4 on aggregate Esteghlal (IRN) 2 Al Faisaly (JOR)0 Al Faisaly (JOR) 0 Esteghlal (IRN) 1 Esteghlal win 3-0 on aggregate HT: 2-1 HT: 2-0 HT: 0-0 HT: 0-1
First Qualifying Round Second Qualifying Round

10/09/02 Air Force (SRI) 1 New Radiant (MDV)1 22/09/02 New Radiant (MDV) 2 Air Force (SRI) 1aet FT: 1-1 New Radiant win 3-2 on aggregate 11/09/02 Saunders SC (SRI) 0 Mohun Bagan (IND)2 22/09/02 Mohun Bagan (IND) 5 Saunders SC (SRI)1 Al Ahli (UAE) win on away goals HT: 1-0 HT: 0-0
First Qualifying Round

13/08/02 28/08/02 Al Wihdat (JOR) 3 Al Nejmeh (LIB)2 Al Nejmeh (LIB) 0 Al Wihdat (JOR)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 HT: 1-1 HT: 0-0
06/10/02 Geylang United (SIN) 3 DPMM 0 (BRU) 0 23/10/02 DPMM (KUW) 0 Geylang United (SIN) 4 Geylang United win 7-0 on aggregate 08/10/02 South China (HKG) 2 Home United (SIN)1 23/10/02 Home United (SIN) 1 South China (HKG)1 South China win 3-2 on aggregate 08/10/02 Petrokimia Putra (IDN) 3 Shenhua (CHN)1 23/10/02 Shenhua (CHN) 5 Petrokimia Putra (IDN) 1 Shanghai Shenhua win 6-4 on aggregate 09/10/02 Persita Tangerang (IDN) 0 Osotspa (THA)1 22/10/02 Osotspa (THA) 0 Persita Tangerang (IDN)0 Osotspa win 1-0 on aggregate
HT: 1-0 HT: 0-1
HT: 0-1 HT: 4-1
Al Sadd (QAT) 1 Al Zawraa (IRQ)1 HT: 1-1 Al Zawraa (IRQ) 1 Al Sadd (QAT) 2 aet FT: 1-1 HT: 1-1 Al Sadd win 3-2 on aggregate Al Etehad (QAT) 4 Pakhtakor (UZB)3 Pakhtakor (UZB) 3 Al Etehad (QAT)0 Pakthakor win 6-4 on aggregate Al Jaish (SYR) v Regar-Tadaz (TJK) Regar-Tadaz (TJK) v Al Jaish (SYR) HT: 2-1 HT: 0-0
HT: 2-0 HT: 1-0
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
HT: 0-0 HT: 3-1
Regar-Tadaz suspended by AFC. Al Jaish advance Nisa (TKM) received a bye into Fourth Qualifying Round
HT: 0-0 HT: 0-0
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ROLL OF HONOUR
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TOP: Al Ain fans cheering their team during the inaugural ACL nal ABOVE: Al Ain players celebrating after their win over BEC Tero Sasana
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Roll of Honour
AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Year
2007 2006 2005 2004 2002/03
Winners
Urawa Red Diamonds (JPN) Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (KOR) Al Ittihad (KSA) Al Ittihad (KSA) Al Ain (UAE)
Sepahan (IRN) Al Karama (SYR) Al Ain (UAE) Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (KOR) BEC Tero Sasana (THA)
Runners-up
AFC Cup
Year
2007 2006 2005 2004
Winners
Shabab Al Ordun (JOR) Al Faisaly (JOR) Al Faisaly (JOR) Al Jaish (SYR)
Al Faisaly (JOR) Muharraq (BHR) Al Nejmeh (LIB) Al Wahda (SYR)
Runners-up
ASIAN SUPER CUP
Year
2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995
Winners
Suwon Samsung Bluewings (KOR) Suwon Samsung Bluewings (KOR) Al Hilal (KSA) Jubilo Iwata (JPN) Al Nassr (KSA) Al Hilal (KSA) Ilhwa Chunma (KOR) Yokohama Flugels (JPN)
Al Hilal (KSA) Al Shabab (KSA) Shimizu S-Pulse (JPN) Al Ittihad (KSA) Pohang Steelers (KOR) Pohang Steelers (KOR) Bellmare Hiratsuka (JPN) Thai Farmers Bank (THA)
Runners-up
Al Faisaly of Jordan won the AFC Cup in 2005 and 2006

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Roll of Honour
ASIAN CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP
Year
2001/02 2000/01 1999/00 1998/99 1997/98 1996/97 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1972-84 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967
Winners
Suwon Samsung Bluewings (KOR) Suwon Samsung Bluewings (KOR) Al Hilal (KSA) Jubilo Iwata (JPN) Pohang Steelers (KOR) Pohang Steelers (KOR) Ilhwa Chunma (KOR) Thai Farmers Bank (THA) Thai Farmers Bank (THA) Pas (IRN) Al Hilal (KSA) Esteghlal (IRN) Liaoning (CHN) Al Saad (QAT) Yomiuri (JPN) Furukawa (JPN) Daewoo Royals (KOR) No competition Maccabi Tel Aviv (ISR) Taj Club (IRN) Maccabi Tel Aviv (ISR) No competition Hapoel Tel Aviv (ISR)
Runners-up
Anyang LG Cheetahs (KOR) Jubilo Iwata (JPN) Jubilo Iwata (JPN) Esteghlal (IRN) Dalian Wanda (CHN) Ilhwa Chunma (KOR) Al Nasr (KSA) Al Arabi (QAT) Oman Club (OMN) Al Shabab (KSA) Esteghlal (IRN) Liaoning (CHN) Nissan (JPN) Al Rasheed (IRQ) Al Hilal (KSA) Al Hilal (KSA) Al Ahli (KSA) Al Shorta (IRQ) Hapoel Tel Aviv (ISR) Yangzee (KOR) Selangor (MAS)
ASIAN CUP WINNERS CUP
Year
2001/02 2000/01 1999/00 1998/99 1997/98 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990
Winners
Al Hilal (KSA) Al Shabab (KSA) Shimizu S-Pulse (JPN) Al Ittihad (KSA) Al Nassr (KSA) Al Hilal (KSA) Bellmare Hiratsuka (JPN) Yokohama Flugels (JPN) Al Qadisiya (KSA) Yokohama Marinos (JPN) Nissan (JPN) Pirouzi (IRN)
Runners-up
Chonbuk Hyundai Motors (KOR) Dalian Shide (CHN) Al Zawraa (IRQ) Chunnam Dragons (KOR) Suwon Samsung Bluewings (KOR) Nagoya Grampus Eight (JPN) Al Talaba (IRQ) Al Shaab (UAE) South China (HKG) Pirouzi (IRN) Al Nasr (KSA) Al Muharraq (BHR)
USEFUL CONTACTS
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Useful contacts
ASIAN FOOTBALL CONFEDERATION
AFC House, Jalan 1/155B Bukit Jalil, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tel: +60 3 8994 3388 (Hunting Line) Fax - +603-8994-4970 E-mail: media@the-afc.com Website: www.the-afc.com
Member Associations
AUSTRALIA Football Federation Australia (FFA) Level 7, 26 College Street, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia Tel: +61 2 8354 5555 Fax: +61 2 8354 5590 E-mail: info@footballaustralia.com.au Website: www.footballaustralia.com.au
JAPAN Japan Football Association (JFA) JFA House, Football Ave, Bunkyo-ku,Tokyo 113-8311, Japan Tel: +81 3 3830 2004 Fax: +81 3 3830 2005 Website: www.jfa.or.jp
CHINA Football Association of the Peoples Republic of China (CFA) Building A, Dongjiudasha, Xizhaosi Street, Chongwen District, Beijing 100061, China PR Tel: +86 10 5929 1031 Fax: +86 10 5929 0309 E-mail: leechen3000@yahoo.com.cn Website: www.fa.org.cn (Chinese only)
KOREA REPUBLIC Korea Football Association (KFA) 1-131 Sinmunno, 2-ga, Jongno-Gu, Seoul 110-062, Korea Republic Tel: +82 2 733 6764 Fax: +82 2 735 2755 E-mail: kfainfo@kfa.or.kr Website: www.kfa.or.kr
IRAN IR Iran Football Federation (IRIFF) No. 2/2 Third St, Seoul Ave,Tehran 19958-73591, Iran Tel: +98 21 8821 3308 Fax: +98 21 8821 3302 E-mail: info@iriff.ir Website: www.iriff.ir
KUWAIT Kuwait Football Association (KFA) Udailiya, Block 4, Al Ittihad Street, P.O. Box 2029, Safat 13021, Kuwait Tel: +965 255 5851 Fax: +965 254 9955 E-mail: info@kfa.org.kw Website: www.kfa.org.kw
IRAQ Iraqi Football Association (IFA) Al Shaab Stadium, P.O. Box 484, Baghdad, Iraq E-mail: irass1948@yahoo.com Website: www.iraqfootball.org
QATAR Qatar Football Association (QFA) 7th Floor, QNOC Building,West Bay, PO Box 5333, Doha, Qatar Tel: +974 494 4411 Fax: +974 494 4414 E-mail: info@qfa.com.qa Website: www.qfa.com.qa
Sepahan fans in Saitama during the ACL 2007 nal second leg between Urawa and Sepahan
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Member Associations
SAUDI ARABIA Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) Al Mather Quarter, Prince Faisal Bin Fahad Street, PO Box 5844, Riyadh 11432, Saudi Arabia Tel: +966 1 482 2240 Fax: +966 1 482 1215
UAE United Arab Emirates Football Association (UAEFA) P.O. Box 916, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Tel: +971 2 444 5600 Fax: +971 2 444 8558 E-mail: uaefa@uae-football.org.ae Website: www.uaefootball.org
SYRIA Syrian Football Association (SFA) Maysaloon Street, PO Box 22296, Damascus, Syria Tel: +963 11 333 5866 Fax: +963 11 333 1511 E-mail: touksarhan@hotmail.com Website: www.syrian-soccer.com
UZBEKISTAN Uzbekistan Football Federation (UFF) Massiv Almazar, Furkat Street 15/1, Tashkent 700 003, Uzbekistan Tel: +998 71 144 1684 Fax: +998 71 144 1683 E-mail: info@uzfootball.com Website: www.uzfootball.com
THAILAND Football Association of Thailand (FAT) National Stadium, Gate 3, Rama 1 Road, Patumwan, Bangkok 10330,Thailand Tel: +66 2 216 4691 Fax: +66 2 215 4494 Website: www.fat.or.th
VIETNAM Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) 18 Ly van Phuc, Dong Da District, Hanoi 844,Vietnam SR Tel: +84 4 845 2480 Fax: +84 4 823 3119 E-mail : vff@hn.vnn.vn Website: www.vff.org.vn
For more information relating to the commercial and broadcast rights of the AFC Champions League, please contact any of the ofces below. Marketing enquiries to Simon Thompson s.thompson@worldsportgroup.com.hk Tel: +852 23308292 Broadcast enquiries to Mayank Atreya m.atreya@worldsportgroup.com.sg Tel: +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 Ashraeh, Lebanon Tel: +961 1 210 100 Fax: +961 1 210 200
Editorial Team Ali Al Hamdani, Chetan Kulkarni, Etsuko Miyazaki, Jian Zhou, R. Ravi Kumar, Steve Tae Kim, Shahin Rahmani, Tan Boon Piaw, Nicholas McCormack and Pavel Luzanov. Photos Galvin Tan Design and page layout Henry Khor
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OFFICIAL GUIDE

Adelaide United (Australia)

Al Ahli (Saudi Arabia)

Al Ittihad (Saudi Arabia)

Al Quwa Al Jawiya (Iraq)

Binh Duong (Vietnam)

Beijing Guoan (China)

Changchun Yatai (China)

Chunnam Dragons (Korea Republic)

Gamba Osaka (Japan)

Kashima Antlers (Japan)

Krung Thai Bank (Thailand)

Melbourne Victory (Australia)

Nam Dinh (Vietnam)

Pohang Steelers (Korea Republic)

AFC Champions League Ofcial Guide 2008

Mohamed Bin Hammam President, Asian Football Confederation

AFC Champions League Ofcial Guide 2008

Group Stage Schedule

AFC Champions League Ofcial Guide 2008

Rules & Regulations (Summary)

AFC Champions League Ofcial Guide 2008

Haz Cup winners

Uzbekistan League runners-up

Al Ittihad (Saudi Arabia)

Syrian League runners-up

AFC Champions League Ofcial Guide 2008

Home Facts & Stats

Cup Winners Beat Esteghlal 5-2 on aggregate in nal

Cup 1st Rd Lost 4-1 to Pas

Cup Winners Beat Saba Battery 4-0 on aggregate in nal

2005 Group Stage A GS GS GS Al Shabab Al Ain Al Wahda H

2006 Did not qualify A GS GS GS

Al Shabab Al Ain Al Ittihad

W 2-0 W 1-0 D 1-1 L 2-3 W 2-1 W 5-0

ACC ACWC ACL

AFC Champions League Ofcial Guide 2008

8/23/75 6/30/90 2/13/85 5/1/83

187 190 198 184

I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran I.R. Iran

AFC Champions League Ofcial Guide 2008

Home Facts & Stats

Away ACL Record

Cup - Runners-up Lost to Pakhtakor 6-7 on penalties in nal (aet 0-0)

2007 Did not qualify

ACC ACWC ACL

AFC Champions League Ofcial Guide 2008

2/1/72 2/23/83 8/21/74

188 189 186

Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan

AFC Champions League Ofcial Guide 2008

Al Ittihad (Saudi Arabia)

Home Facts & Stats

Cup Winners Defeated Al Ahli 1-0

Cup Semi-nals Lost 1-2 on aggregate to Al Hilal

Cup Quarter-nals Lost to Al Ahli 2-4 on penalties (aet 1-1)

Cup Runners-up Lost to Al Ahli 2-1 in nal

2006 Quarter-nals Al Karama 1st

2007 Did not qualify 2nd

W 3-0 W 3-1 W 2-0 D 0-0 W 4-0 L 2-3

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

ACC ACWC ACL

AFC Champions League Ofcial Guide 2008