Global FC at AFC Cup

2013 AFC President`s Cup participants Global FC will play now at a higher level this time and they wants to put all their previous and only Asian experience in practice this year when they play against Hong Kong powerthouse South China, 2010 AFC President`s Cup champions Yadanarbon from Myanmar and Malaysian giants Pahang FA.

Thery open their campaign at home vs South China.

Philippines clubs previous participations at AFC club competitions:

1995 Asian Club Championship 1st Round: Pasay City vs Tumon Taivon(Guam) 7-0, 10-2 – 17-2 on Aggregate

LAO FC at AFC Cup

 

Lao Toyota FC is a young club formed just 2 years ago but it will be the 1st time that a team from Laos will play the AFC Cup, this is an historic moment that all Laos football fans will remember, a great milestone for Laos football too.

This is an historic moment for them as they will participate for the 1st time in an AFC Club competition, they will make their debut at home vs Ayayawady United from Myanmar who already have previous experience of participating in the competition.

Clubs from Laos didnt featured before at AFC Cup, this will be the 1st time in AFC Cup history that will see a club from the southeast asian nation perform at the competition.

The last time that a club from Laos played in AFC competition was more thn a decade ago, in 1996-97 Asia Cup Winners Cup 1st Round Electricity of Lao lose 12-1 on aggregate vs Mohammedan Sporting Club Limited Dhaka from Bangladesh. That is the only appearance from a Laotian club at any AFC club competition, now with Lao FC participation it will be the 2nd participation of a Laotian club at an AFC club competition.

Lao FC have been pooled in Group H along the current Indonesian Super League champions Persib Bandung, the current Maldivian champions New Radiant and last year Myanmar MFF Cup Champions Ayeyawady United

 

 

ACL15 Nasaf Qarshi(UZB) vs Tractorsazi Tabriz(Iran)

Nasaf vs Tractorsazi
Nasaf returns to the ACL making this their 2nd appearance in the competition
After finishing in the top 3 at Uzbek League last year they`re focused on making a much better campaign than the previous one in 2012 at ACL, they want to progress beyond the group stage this time

Their best performance at an Asian competition was in the final edition of the Asian Club Championship(2001-02) where they reached the semifinals but losing in that stage against the eventual winners Suwon Bluewings of Korea.

ACL15 Al Nassr vs Bunyodkor

AFC Champions League Group Stage Matchday 1

Al Nassr vs Bunyodkor
Before playing vs vs Al Jazira, Bunyodkor last opponent was another Saudi club Al Hilal which they won that round of 16 encounter against the Uzbek and then to become the eventual finalists of the tournament

Bunyodkor will make their again their debut in the ACL vs a Saudi club
its the 2nd year in a row that they open their ACL campaign playing away against a Saudi club, last year it was vs Al Fateh, this time it will be Al Hilal

Bunyodkor record of playing away vs Saudi clubs is not so good, losing almost all their matches

Al Nassr previous participation at ACL group stage was in 2011, in that year they played against another Uzbek club, Pakhtakor Tashkent.

ACL record

2014 Round of 16
2013 Round of 16
2012 Semifinals
2011 Round of 16
2010 Round of 16
2009 Quarterfinals
2008 Semifinals

FK Istiklol Dushanbe at AFC Cup

2012 AFC Presidents Cup champions FK Istiklol are back in the Asian scene but now this time at AFC Cup group stage and will be the 3rd Tajik club that will be represented at the competition after Regar TadAZ and Ravshan played the competitions in the previous editions, both Regar TadAZ and Ravshan were the first Tajik representants in 2013 and and year after Ravshan were the only team who flew the Tajik flag in the competition, this year 2 entrants from TJK were given, besides Istiklol, FK Khayr who finished 2nd in the Tajik League last year were the other representative but they lose in the qualifying playoff vs Salam Zgharta.

Istiklol are located in Group C with last year defending champions Qadsia from Kuwait, last year runners-up Arbil from Iraq and debutants Ahal from Turkmenistan.

2014 Tajik League and also Tajik Cup champions Istiklol makes their maiden debut on February 25 vs Iraqi champions and last year tournament runners-up Arbil at the Central Republican stadium in Dushanbe.

Ahal in AFC Cup

History was made and Turkmenistan will be present once again at the AFC Cup group stage with Ahal winning the qualifying playoff vs Omanian champions Fanja, last time that Turkmenistan had a representation at AFC Cup was in 2007

Ahal started the road to qualifying for the group stage with an encounter at home soil against Kyrgyz champions Dordoi, the Turkmens won 1-0 and surprised everyone because Dordoi was the favorite of everyone to advance from that leg.

1 week later Ahal played vs Fanja in Oman and it was the Turkmen team who scored early in the match to went 1-0 and minutes before the halftime they added another goal, in the 2nd half Fanja pulled back and scored but thwn Ahal scored again and put the score 3-1, Fanja battled from all fronts and they scored another goal from long range with 10 minutes before the match ends and putting more pressure to the Turkmen team but Ahal kept the Oman champions at bay with great saves from Turkmenistan international goalkeeper Nikita Gorbunov. When the referee blow for the end of the match scenes of jubilee was seen among the Turkmenistan players and coach because the dream was realized and for the 1st time in their history Ahal will play in the group stage.

AFC Champions League 2015 Uzbek Teams

Its the 1st time that Uzbekistan have 4 clubs represented at AFC Champions League since its played in their current format from 2002-03

Before this in 2012 were the only time that Uzbekistan had the most amount of representatives in the competition with 3 teams(Pakhtakor, Bunyodkor and Nasaf) now this year this number has increased to 4 thanks to Bunyodkor who won their qualiying playoff vs Al Jazira from UAE.

Teamfacts

Pakhtakor returns to the competition since the last time they played that was in 2013.

Bunyodkor will play the competition for the 7th consecutive time.

Nasaf Qarshi returns to the competition since the last time they played that was in 2012.

Lokomotiv Tashkent are making their debut in the Group Stage, last year they played the playoff round but lose it vs Kuwait SC.

on Matchday 1 Pakhtakor and Nasaf will play against Iranian teams at home and the other 2 ones Bunyodkor and Lokomotiv Tashkent will play away vs Saudi teams Al Nassr and Al Hilal respectively at King Fahd stadium in Riyadh.

Pakhtakor vs Naft Tehran(Iran) (Feb 24)

Nasaf Qarshi vs Tractorsazi Tabriz(Iran) (Feb 25)

Al Nassr(KSA) vs Bunyodkor (Feb 24)

Al Hilal(KSA) vs Lokomotiv Tashkent (Feb 25)

 

ACL15 Pakhtakor vs Naft Tehran

Its the 1st time that both teams will play each other.

Pakhtakor returns to the AFC Champions League since their last participation in 2013

Naft Tehran are making their debut in the competition.

Pakhtakor home record vs Iran teams at ACL is the best one: 6 wins, 0 draws, 0 loses

Pakhtakor have won everytime since 2005 at an ACL opening match except in 2004 they lose at home vs Zob Ahan but they reached the semifinals of the competition and in 2008 they lost at home vs Qadsia from Kuwait, in 2012 they lost its away game vs Al Ittihad Jeddah.

The Tashkent giants (Uzbek powerhouse) have been Uzbekistan`s most successful club since the country`s independence in 1991
They hold the record of most appearances in the tournament 12 in total.

ACL record
2013 Group Stage
2012 Group Stage
2011 Group Stage
2010 Round of 16
2009 Quarterfinals
2008 Group Stage
2007 Group Stage
2006 Group Stage
2005 Group Stage
2004 Semifinals
2003 Semifinals

ACL2015 Group Stage Matchday 1 Suwon Bluewings vs Urawa Red Diamonds

AFC Champions League 2015 Group Stage Matchday 1

Suwon Bluewings vs Urawa Red Diamonds

Urawa wants to erase their experience from 2013 where they got a difficult group and played vs the team that was later eventual champions Guangzhou Evergrande, Korean heavyweights Jeonbuk Motors and Thailand club Muangthong United, Urawa did an acceptable campaign in the group stage keeping their possibilities of progressing to the Round of 16 that year but missing that chance narrowly after getting an away draw 2-2 vs Muangthong United leveled on points with Jeonbuk but the Korean club advancing because of having better goal difference.
Wednesday Group F game will see 2007 champions Urawa Reds travel to Korea to face a Suwon team that wants to repeat the good campaign they had in 2011 where they reached the semifinals only to lose vs eventual champions Al Sadd.

Matchfacts
Suwon Bluewings
Its the 1st time that both teams face each other, a clash of former Asian champions, Suwon and Urawa last appearance at ACL was in 2013, Suwon last title was in 2002 while the last time Urawa won the title was in 2007.
Suwon made a bad campaign ending last in their group with only 3 points because of 3 the draws they got.
Suwon are making their 6th appareance in the competition while Urawa are taking part for the 4th time.

Winners of the last two editions of both the Asian Club Championship and the Asian Supercup in 2001 and 2002 Korean side Suwon Bluewings aim to have that same success in the AFC Champions League winning the title this year.

Formed in 1995 this is the year of their anniversary, they celebrate 20 years old and they have enjoyed much success winning 4 K-League titles and 3 Korean FA Cups plus their continental titles.
Their best campaign so far was in 2011 where they reached the semifinals stage.

AFC Champions League record
2013 – Group Stage
2011 – Semifinals
2010 – Quarterfinals
2009 – Round of 16
2005 – Group Stage

Urawa Red Diamonds
Urawa Reds made a successful debut on the continental stage in 2007 when they won the AFC Champions League with an aggregate victory 3-1 vs Sepahan in the final. With their victory they became the 1st and only J-League club to win the AFC Champions Lague since its played in their current format from 2002-03
They reached the ACL semifinals in 2008 but lost to eventual champions Gamba Osaka.
Last time that Urawa played vs a Korean club was in 2013 vs Jeonbuk Motors losing 3-1 at home and drawing 2-2 in Korea.

AFC Champions League record

2013 – Group Stage
2008 – Semifnals
2007 – Champions

Central Coast Mariners vs Guangzhou R&F

Its the 1st time that both clubs face each other but the Mariners have already experienced past encounters against theother Guangzhou team, the 2013 ACL champions Guangzhou Evergrande, in that time both clubs played each other at Round of16 with Guangzhou winning the leg and becoming
Guangzhou came from winning 3-0 vs Warriors in the previous round of this edition ACL playoffs.