Al Ain in Group B of AFC Champions League

Abu Dhabi — Inaugural champions Al Ain have been placed in Group B, while defending Arabian Gulf League champions Al Ahli are in Group D in the Western region, after the draw for the AFC Champions League was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Thursday.

Al Ain, who won the title back in 2003 and were semifinalists last year, find themselves in the company of Saudi Arabia’s Al Shabab, Uzbekistan’s League champions Pakhtakor and a play-off winner. Al Ain had gone down to Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal in last year’s semifinal. Meanwhile, Al Ahli will be aiming for an improved performance on the Asian stage after being placed in Group D, along with Iran’s Tractorsazi Tabriz, Uzbekistan’s Nasaf Qarshi and a play-off winner. Nasaf Qarshi had reached the semifinal of the Asian Club Championship back in the 2001-2002 season.

Al Wahda are in the play-off stage and await the winner of the Preliminary Round 2 game between Qatar’s Al Sadd and Riffa of Bahrain. Al Jazira are in the Preliminary Round 2. Last year’s finalists Al Hilal will look to go one better starting with a Group C that includes Foolad Khouzestan from Iran as well as Uzbekistan’s Lokomotiv Tashkent and one of four play-off winners from the West.

Meanwhile, defending champions Western Sydney Wanderers will face continental rivals Guangzhou Evergrande in the Eastern region after both were placed in Group H. The Western Sydney Wanderers had become the first Australian club to be crowned Asian champions after they edged out Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal with a 1-0 aggregate victory. And it also came about in their maiden appearance on the continental stage.

The A-League team from Down Under had defeated 2013 champions Evergrande on away goals in the quarterfinal last year.

They await either 2007 champions Urawa Red Diamonds or Kashima Antlers, depending on who wins the Japan’s Emperor’s Cup. Australai’s Brisbane Roar, who had defeated Western Sydney in the 2014 A-League Grand Final, will face Montedio Yamagata or Urawa as well as K-League Classic side Suwon Bluewings and a play-off winner in Group G. K-League champions and 2006 winners Jeonbuk Hyundai will meet Chinese FA Cup holders Shandong Luneng and Vietnamese champions Becamex Binh Duong in Group E in addition to a team from the play-offs.