2023/24 AFC club competitions (AFC Champions League, AFC Cup)

[amenina]

Quarter-finals: 5 things to look out for

https://www.the-afc.com/en/club/afc_cha ... t_for.html

Kuala Lumpur: The AFC Champions League™ 2023/24 quarter-finals are drawing ever nearer as the eight remaining sides in the continental competition get set to take to the field once more in the coming week.

With three clubs still vying for the title, Saudi Arabia has more representatives than any other nation, while teams from Korea Republic (2), China PR, Japan and the United Arab Emirates also remain in the hunt.

Ahead of the matches between March 4 and 6, the-AFC.com has selected five things to look out for.

(Part of the article not included)

A star-studded cast aim for glory

Five of the eight sides competing in the quarter-finals have won Asia’s biggest club competition previously, with Al Hilal out in front on four titles. Behind them, Al Ittihad, Jeonbuk and Ulsan have all lifted the trophy twice, while Al Ain were the first team to win the competition after it was rebranded as the AFC Champions League.

In total, nine of the 20 editions of the AFC Champions League have been won by sides still in the current edition, with only Al Nassr and Yokohama – both of whom have won the now defunct Asian Cup Winners’ Cup – and Shandong yet to taste glory in the competition.

On an individual level, some big names are looking to add an AFC Champions League medal to the UEFA Champions League titles they won previously. Saudi-based stars Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, Aymeric Laporte, Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante and Fabinho (as well as the injured Neymar) have all been crowned European champions and now have their sights set on an Asian title.

It is a feat no player has achieved before, with the likes of Xavi – a semi-finalist with Al Sadd in 2018 – and Andres Iniesta – who also reached the final four with Vissel Kobe in 2020 – among those who have gone close but fallen just short. Ahead of a mouthwatering set of quarter-finals, history is there to be written for those involved.

[amenina]

AFC Champions League, quarter-finals first leg fixtures, West Region

4 March: Al Ain FC (UAE) v Al Nassr (KSA)

5 March: Al Hilal SFC (KSA) v Al Ittihad FC (KSA)

[amenina]

AFC Champions League, quarter-finals first leg result, West Region

4 March: Al Ain FC (UAE) 1-0 Al Nassr (KSA): https://www.the-afc.com/en/club/afc_cha ... nassr.html

[amenina]

AFC Champions League, quarter-finals first leg fixtures, East Region

5 March: Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC (KOR) v Ulsan Hyundai FC (KOR)

6 March: Shandong Taishan FC (CHN) v Yokohama F. Marinos (JPN)

[amenina]

AFC Champions League, quarter-finals first leg result, East Region

5 March: Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC (KOR) 1-1 Ulsan Hyundai FC (KOR): https://www.the-afc.com/en/club/afc_cha ... or__2.html

[amenina]

AFC Champions League, quarter-finals first leg result, West Region

5 March: Al Hilal SFC (KSA) 2-0 Al Ittihad FC (KSA): https://www.the-afc.com/en/club/afc_cha ... ntrol.html

[amenina]

AFC Cup, Inter-Zone semi-final first leg fixtures

6 March: FK Abdysh-Ata Kant (KGZ) v Taichung Futuro FC (TPE)

7 March: Central Coast Mariners FC (AUS) v Odisha FC (IND)

[amenina]

AFC Champions League, quarter-finals first leg result, East Region

6 March: Shandong Taishan FC (CHN) 1-2 Yokohama F. Marinos (JPN): https://www.the-afc.com/en/club/afc_cha ... pn__2.html

[amenina]

AFC Cup, Inter-Zone semi-final first leg result

6 March: FK Abdysh-Ata Kant (KGZ) 5-0 Taichung Futuro FC (TPE): https://www.the-afc.com/en/club/afc_cup ... uturo.html

[amenina]

AFC Cup, Inter-Zone semi-final first leg result

7 March: Central Coast Mariners FC (AUS) 4-0 Odisha FC (IND): https://www.the-afc.com/en/club/afc_cup ... disha.html

[amenina]

https://twitter.com/FootyRankings/statu ... 5649508464

After Al Ain's victory against Al Nassr last night, UAE now has overtaken Iran in the rankings.

This means UAE will have 2+1 slots in ACL Elite season 2025-26, while Iran will only have 1+1

AFC Club Competitions Ranking 2024: https://footyrankings.com/crank2024/

[amenina]

AFC Champions League, quarter-finals second leg fixtures, West Region

11 March: Al Nassr (KSA) v Al Ain FC (UAE)

12 March: Al Ittihad FC (KSA) v Al Hilal SFC (KSA)

[MercedesBenz240]

Penaldo

[amenina]

Penaldo

Al Nassr pulled out back in first half injury time, but still need two more goals in the second half to level the tie.

[MercedesBenz240]

Penaldo

Al Nassr pulled out back in first half injury time, but still need two more goals in the second half to level the tie.

Let's see if I jinxed it