Kuala Lumpur: Defending champions Air Force Club from Iraq and Syria’s Al Jaish, inaugural winners in 2004, are among the 12 sides from the Asian Football Confederation’s West Zone who will begin their AFC Cup 2017 Group Stage campaigns on Monday and Tuesday.
There is now a new format for AFC Cup which will be played across the Asian Football Confederation’s five zones. The West Zone, which has dominated the competition in recent years, will remain mainly unchanged, although there will be a West Zone final which will provide the region’s representative for the AFC Cup final. There will also be an Inter-Zone Play-off between the winners of the ASEAN, Central, South and East Zones. The winners of the Inter-Zone Play-off will then play the West Zone winners in the final.
The Group Stage in ASEAN is set to start on Tuesday, while the Central, South and East Zones Group Stage action will begin on March 14.
Group A
The West Zone action begins on Monday when 2004 champions Al Jaish from Syria will be hoping to begin their latest bid for continental glory with a win against Jordan’s Al Ahli in Doha.
Al Jaish reached the quarter-finals of the AFC Cup for the second season in a row last year before losing out to eventual champions Air Force Club of Iraq, while Al Ahli - 2015/16 Jordan FA Cup winners - are making their first appearance in the competition.
The second Group A fixture of the day sees reigning Iraqi Premier League champions Al Zawraa taking on Al Suwaiq after the side from Oman secured their place in the Group Stage thanks to a 4-3 aggregate defeat of Shabab Al Khalil in the Play-offs.
Al Jaish (SYR) v Al Ahli (JOR)
Venue: Al Khor SC Stadium, Doha
Kick-off: February 20, 16.00 UTC+3
Al Zawraa (IRQ) v Al Suwaiq (OMA)
Venue: Grand Hamad Stadium, Doha
Kick-off: February 20, 18.00 UTC+3
Group B
Also on Monday, Lebanon’s Safa mark their first AFC Cup appearance since 2014 with a fixture at home to reigning champions and Iraqi giants Air Force Club.
Safa were runners-up to Al Muharraq in 2008 and their hosting of Air Force Club, who defeated JSW Bengaluru FC last year to win the club’s inaugural continental title, could well set the tone in a decidedly competitive Group B.
Elsewhere, Bahrain Premier League champions Al Hidd will play Syria’s Al Wahda looking to improve on their 2016 AFC Cup campaign which saw them knocked out at the Group Stage. Al Wahda reached the Round of 16 last year, but were duly eliminated by Lebanon’s Al Ahed.
Safa (LIB) v Air Force Club (IRQ)
Venue: Saida Municipal Stadium, Saida
Kick-off: February 20, 14.30 UTC+2
Al Hidd (BHR) v Al Wahda (SYR)
Venue: Bahrain National Stadium, Manama
Kick-off: February 20, 18.15 UTC+3
Group C
On Tuesday, Saham from Oman get things underway in Group C when they take on the might of Al Muharraq in Muscat.
The Omani side qualified for this year’s AFC Cup after winning the Sultan Qaboos Cup, but are making only their second outing in the competition after failing to progress beyond the Group Stage in 2010. By way of contrast their opponents from Bahrain are seasoned AFC Cup campaigners after finishing as runners-up in 2006 and winning the title in 2008. They reached the quarter-finals last year.
Meanwhile, Lebanese FA Cup winners and two-time AFC Cup semi-finalists Nejmeh travel to play Al Wehdat who find themselves in the AFC Cup after losing their AFC Champions League Play-off tie with Al Wahda. The Jordanians are no strangers to the competition however, having appeared on nine previous occasions.
Saham (OMA) v Al Muharraq (BHR)
Venue: Seeb Sports Complex, Muscat
Kick-off: February 21, 19.00 UTC+4
Al Wehdat (JOR) v Nejmeh (LIB)
Venue: King Abdullah II International Stadium, Amman
Kick-off: February 21, 18.00 UTC+2
Photos: Lagardère Sports
Source: the-afc.com