#ACL2022 - Round of 16 (West): The Coaches

Fri, 17 Feb, 2023

#ACL2022 - Round of 16 (West): The Coaches

Doha: With the AFC Champions League™ 2022 knockout stage (West) fast approaching, eight managers will be vying for the chance to contest the continental title against newly installed Urawa Red Diamonds boss Maciej Skorza.

The eight West Asian sides in action feature at the helm a diversity of tactical schools, with two Argentinians, a Chilean, a Spaniard, a Portuguese, a Greek and two local coaches from Islamic Republic of Iran and Uzbekistan in the hot seats in the Round of 16.

www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/2944651.html

www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/2944652.html

www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/2944654.html

www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/2944655.html

www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/2944662.html

www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/2944670.html

www.the-afc.com/en/club/afc_champions_league/photo/acl_west_quiz_2022_-_image_banner_-_eng.html

www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/2944682.html

www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/2944698.html

Five impressive ACL West debutants

Thu, 16 Feb, 2023

Five impressive ACL West debutants

Dubai: Amongst the eight teams contesting the AFC Champions League™ 2022 round of 16 (West), Saudi Arabia’s Al Faisaly stand out in more than one way. The only second division club amongst them, they are also the only debutants remaining in the competition.

Over the past two decades of AFC Champions League history, no upset trumps Western Sydney Wanderers lifting the trophy in 2014 on their debut, while in the West, Al Ittihad won the 2004 edition on their debut, albeit so early in the competition’s history that most teams were making their first appearance.
 
Later in the competition's history, it needed something special for a team from outside the established elite to make a deep run on their debut. In celebration of Al Faisaly’s unlikely success this term, the-AFC.com remembers five impressive debutants.

Five memorable Al Hilal vs Shabab Al Ahli clashes

Wed, 15 Feb, 2023

Five memorable Al Hilal vs Shabab Al Ahli clashes

Dubai: Two AFC Champions League™ perennials in Al Hilal SFC and Shabab Al Ahli Dubai face-off in the Round of 16 of the 2022 edition, bringing to memory a history of classics over the years.

Ahead of their upcoming encounter in Qatar, the-AFC.com relives five of the most memorable matches between the two powerhouses who have faced each other as many as 10 times since 2009.

Three All-Qatari Round of 16 clashes

Tue, 14 Feb, 2023

Three All-Qatari Round of 16 clashes

Doha: The AFC Champions League™ 2022 Round of 16 brings along an all-Qatari encounter as Al Duhail SC take on Al Rayyan at Al Thumama Stadium on Sunday.

Ahead of the heavyweight clash, the-AFC.com recounts three previous encounters between Qatar Stars League rivals in the AFC Champions League.

ACL 2022 (West) Round of 16: East Asian Players to Watch

Fri, 10 Feb, 2023

ACL 2022 (West) Round of 16: East Asian Players to Watch

Kuala Lumpur: The AFC Champions League™ 2022 Round of 16 (West) is almost upon us as eight teams from West Asia battle it out to decide who among them will face Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds for the coveted Asian crown.

While the focus has shifted to the West side of the draw, there is no shortage of East Asian representation in the last-16 ties with five of the remaining teams, including the holders Al Hilal SFC, featuring players from the opposite side of the continent. 
 
With the Round of 16 fixtures set to be played in Qatar on February 19 and 20, the-AFC.com profiles the stars from East Asia who could be crucial to their sides' chances in the West Asia leg of the continental showpiece.

FC Nasaf's continental journey through the years

Fri, 10 Feb, 2023

FC Nasaf's continental journey through the years

Kuala Lumpur: When FC Nasaf take to the pitch against Saudi Arabia’s Al Shabab in Al Wakrah in Qatar on February 19, they will become the fourth Uzbek side to appear in the AFC Champions League™ knockout rounds and first from outside of the capital, Tashkent. 

The knockout fixture at Al Janoub Stadium may mark the Qarshi-based side’s first appearance in the Round of 16, but Nasaf have no shortage of pedigree when it comes to Asian club competitions, having lifted the AFC Cup™ in 2011. 
 
And while the Tashkent trio of Pakhtakor, Bunyodkor and Lokomotiv have dominated domestically over the past two decades, Nasaf remain the only club from the Central Asian country who can lay claim to being a continental champion. 
 
As Ruziqul Berdiev’s team prepare for the last 16 tie against the Riyadh giants, the-AFC.com looks back at Nasaf’s performances on the continent over the last 20 years. 

#ACL2022 (West) R16 - How they got there

Sat, 11 Feb, 2023

#ACL2022 (West) R16 - How they got there

Kuala Lumpur: The AFC Champions League™ 2022 resumes with the West Zone set to decide its finalist in Doha in the coming days.

Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds, having booked their spot from the East Zone last August, await their final opponents with a quality cast set to do battle in the West Zone Round of 16 on February 19 and 20. 
 
Join the-AFC.com as we take a look at how the eight teams reached the West Zone’s last 16 stage.