The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has conducted the AFC Cup & AFC Champions League 2021 group stage draw which everyone has been waiting anxiously for on Wednesday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Unlike previous edition, all group stages in the 2021 season will be played at a centralised venue. The AFC Champions League will be held in the West and East Regions while the AFC Cup will be staged across the five AFC Zones, inclusive of a newly introduced group for Central Zone.
Let us zoom into the AFC Cup 2021, ASEAN Zone.
Vietnam’s Hanoi did not have an outstanding pre-season when it participated in the inaugural Selangor Asia Challenge hosted by Selangor FA last January just before the pandemic hits. We obviously did not see what they have achieved and deserved right now. All we can say, the team recovered well in style, finished second in the V-League and eventually making the AFC Cup. It certainly showed characters and the Vietnamese could make their presence felt in Group-G.
The match up between Malaysia’s Kedah Darul Aman and Singapore’s Lion City Sailors could be the most interesting match in this ASEAN zone. Coach Aidil Sharin who once led Lion City Sailors (formerly known as Home United) to the AFC Cup ASEAN Zone title in 2018, will be leading Kedah to play against his former club. Interestingly, Kedah’s newly signed Singaporean midfielder M.Anumathan will get to meet his former team mates too.
“It’s an exciting group that we’re drawn in. We are happy with the draw and looking forward not just exclusively playing against Lion City Sailors but to the other teams as well. As for how well I think we will fare, I think it’s too early to comment now. We will take 1 game at a time and relish our chances as they come. But most importantly, I would like to focus on our group, work hard, get the results and aim to progress to the next round,” commented Anumathan.
Another Vietnamese team Saigon FC is not a team to be written off. The team which will be starting a football academy partnership with FC Tokyo has just signed former Japan International Daisuke Matsui from Yokohama FC to beef up their AFC campaign.
Singapore’s Geylang International is finally back playing continental football after a long decade wait. However, the Eagles are drawn in a group where all the “veterans” of the AFC Cup such as Philippines’ Kaya FC-Iloilo and Myanmar’s Shan United/Ayeyawady United are waiting to battle off. A game against Trengganu FA is not an easy walk in the park as well.
Staying put in East Asia, let’s take a look at the AFC Champions League (ACL) 2021 groups.
Despite an unknown 4th team in Group-F, the defending ACL champions Ulsan Hyundai from Korea should have a relatively easy group as compared to the rest. Hope that the newly appointed head coach, South Korean legend Hong Myung-bo will live up to the expectation and deliver the result.
Talking about delivering the results, do Thai League teams BG Pathum United and Port FC stand a realistic chance of progressing? Thai League Deputy CEO, Benjamin Tan shared exclusively with Junpiter Futbol.
“If you ask me, both BG Pathum United and Port FC stand a realistic chance. In the group of BG Pathum United, which is an interesting group, facing defending champions Ulsan Hyundai and possibly facing Chinese Super League team Beijing FC from the play-off. Also not to write off V.League champions Viettel, playing their first ACL in the group, who may be the surprise team in the group.
An advantage for BG Pathum United is that they can focus on their ACL campaign as they will finish the current Thai League season unlike the other teams in the same group. With a squad they built this season, they should have a decent debut in ACL.
In Port FC’s group, China’s Shandong Luneng will never be easy to beat traditionally. Hong Kong champions Kitchee SC will not be a pushover. And possibly from the play-off, Port FC will face Japanese club Cerezo Osaka or Melbourne City of Australia. But I’m optimistic to see Port FC advancing past the group stage.”
Malaysia’s Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) is grouped in Group-G along with China’s JiangSu, Japan’s Nagoya Grampus and a fourth team from either Korea/Thailand. JDT has always been one of the brightest stars in Southeast Asia. And how will they fare?
“I do not really know all the teams very well in JDT’s group but the JDT that I know, always fight and play strongly in the group regardless who their opponents are. I have confidence in them to do well,” AFC Cup 2015 winning coach Mario Gomez sharing his thoughts with Junpiter Futbol.
And as I used to coach in Hong Kong, I hope to see a Hong Kong team like Kitchee doing well at the continental level. Not only that, I also hope to see Indonesia’s Bali United matching up with the rest too,” added Coach Mario Gomez.
For Singapore’s Tampines Rovers, it will be a tough yet interesting experience for them as they face off with Australian champions Sydney FC, Korean champions Jeonbuk Hyundai and J.League runner-ups Gamba Osaka.
“I know we are obviously the underdogs in this group but as a professional footballer, I go all out and do my best. All games start with 0-0 (no team leads first), isn’t it. Let’s look at the bright side of playing against all these big teams. There are so much to gain especially for the younger players. In fact, I have been telling them how fortunate they are to be able to play against the best in Asia at their age. The experience that they gained from playing in such matches will definitely improve their game! So I told the younger boys, let’s all go out do our best and enjoy the moments,” commented Tampines Rovers’ defender Baihakki Khaizan.
Another Tampines’ player who echoed Baihakki’s positive thought is Kyoga Nakamura. The former Japan National Youth also shared with Junpiter Futbol, “I was actually quite excited when I got to know who our opponent would be in the group. We don’t usually get such opportunity of playing against Asian best hence I am looking forward to that.
So we must work hard to get the result collectively as a team. Most importantly, we must all believe in ourselves. For myself, as a Japanese going to play against a top J.League club like Gamba Osaka, I will not hold back. I will not change the style that I play and I will fight for my team till the end.”
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