Saudi Pro League champions Al-Hilal as well as Al-Ahli and Al-Nassr confirmed their berths in the knockout rounds in West Asia late last year, and the big-spending trio have since been joined by Qatar's Al-Sadd and Al Wasl of the UAE.
Al-Nassr are one of 40 clubs from 20 leagues across the confederation drawn in 10 groups to face one another from Monday, with only the winners guaranteed to advance to the knockout rounds in the quest for the top prize of US$4 million.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Friday
On the verge of scripting history, Bengaluru FC will seek to become the first Indian club to enter the final of AFC Cup when they lock horns with defending champions Johor Darul Takzim in the semi-final of the premier event in Bengaluru, on Wednesday.
But they missed a flurry of chances with the striking line-up of Manvir Singh, Ashique Kuruniyan and Liston Colaco showing little coordination upfront, underlining the lack of firepower in the absence of Roy Krishna and David Williams.
India captain Sunil Chhetri led Bengaluru FC to a historic AFC Cup final by scripting an inspiring 3-1 win over defending champions Johor Darul Ta'zim with his stunning double strike in Bengaluru on Wednesday. Bengaluru made it to the final by virtue of superior aggregate goal difference of 4-2. The first leg in Malaysia ended in a 1-1 draw. It is a historic day for Indian football as no club from the country has ever made it to the summit clash of the prestigious second-tier continental tournament.
Malaysian champions Johor Darul Ta'zim have sacked goalkeeper Mohd Anis Faron Ahmad for swearing at a policeman.
Indian football team captain Sunil Chhetri on Monday urged the entire nation to root for his club Bengaluru FC as they chase a historic final berth in the AFC Cup in Bengaluru on Wednesday. Bengaluru FC, the I-League football champions will host Malaysia's Johor Darul Ta'zim FC -- in a crucial Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup second-leg semi-final. The first-leg semifinal ended in a 1-1 draw.
A stunning left-footed strike by Eugeneson Lyngdoh earned Bengaluru FC a 1-1 draw and a crucial away goal in their AFC Cup first leg semi-final match against defending champions Johor Darul Ta'zim, in Johor Bahru, on Wednesday.
Mohun Bagan notched up their second consecutive victory with a 4-0 thrashing of a 10-man South China of Hong Kong in an away match of the AFC Cup football tournament in Hong Kong on Wednesday.
East Bengal will take on Mumbai FC in the I-League behind closed doors at the gigantic Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Kriragan in Kolkata as police deployment is not possible because of municipal elections in the Kolkata.
History beckons trailblazers Bengaluru FC as they lock horns with Air Force Club of Iraq in the summit clash of AFC Cup in Doha on Saturday, aiming to become the first Indian football club to clinch a continental title. Bengaluru FC have already created history by becoming the first Indian club to qualify for the final of a continental tournament after they defeated defending champions Johor Darul Ta'zim in the semifinals on 4-2 aggregate last month. Before this, the farthest an Indian club had advanced in a continental tournament was the two AFC Cup semifinal appearances by Dempo in 2008 and East Bengal in 2013.
Bengaluru FC captain Sunil Chhetri feels that his club making it to the summit clash of the AFC Cup heralds a beginning in the revival of Indian football. Bengaluru take on Iraq's Al Quwa Al Jawiya in Saturday's final at the Qatar SC Stadium in Doha. "Bengaluru reaching the AFC Cup final in the host country of the 2022 World Cup, and hopefully winning it, has signaled the beginning of the revival of Indian football as an Asian power," said Chhetri who is also the India captain.
India's Bengaluru FC lost an opportunity to make history after being grounded by Iraqi club Air Force Club by a 1-0 margin in the AFC Cup final in Doha on Saturday.
Important to have a good, fit squad: Mumbai City's Forlan
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
An Olympic campaign saved by the fortitude of three women, a cricket team that rediscovered itself under a bold and zealous Virat Kohli -- Indian sports in 2016 was a dramatic mix of highs and lows wherein athletes mostly raised the bar but administrators found new ways to embarrass the country.
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