India did not figure in the final list of participating nations in the revamped AFC Champions League but they can still make the elite grade
SHANGHAI: India did not figure in the final list of participating nations in the revamped AFC Champions League but they can still make the elite grade if they manage to win their group in the play-offs to be held in February next year.
The AFC Pro League Ad-Hoc Committee, in their final meeting here yesterday, selected 10 nations for direct entry into next year's Champions League scheduled to kick off from March 10, pruning the list from 14 which had included India.
Japan, Korea Republic, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Australia, Uzbekistan, Qatar and Indonesia have been given direct entry while India, along with Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore lost out.
Japan, Korea Republic, China, Iran and Saudi Arabia will have four clubs each in the 32-team competition while United Arab Emirates will have three, Australia, Uzbekistan and Qatar two each and Indonesia one. UAE and Indonesia will also have one club each in the ACL play-offs.
India, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam will enter one club each in the play-offs and one in the AFC Cup. The winners and runners-up of the AFC Cup 2008 will also get a berth in the play-offs.
There will be two groups in play-offs -- West and East. The winners of each group will qualify for Champions League while the runners-up will take part in next season's AFC Cup.
India have been clubbed in the West Group along with a club from UAE and 2008 AFC Cup winners Al Muharraq of Bahrain while the East group will have a club each from Thailand and Singapore and 2008 AFC Cup runners-up Al Safa of Lebanon.
The group matches of the play-offs will be held on February 18 and 25 while the final will be held in Tokyo on November 6 or 7.
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