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2022 AFC Cup Group Stage Draw: Gokulam Kerala FC in Group D

AFC Cup 2022 Group Stage Draw Results (Image courtesy: AFC)
AFC Cup 2022 Group Stage Draw Results (Image courtesy: AFC)

Three-time winners Kuwait SC will take on Lebanon’s Al Ansar as well as Al Seeb Club from Oman and Jableh of Syria in Group A after the draw for the 2022 AFC Cup was conducted in Kuala Lumpur on Monday.

Kuwait SC, who share the record for the most wins in the competition with Iraq’s Air Force Club, will look to add to the trophies claimed in 2009, 2012 and 2013 when they kick off their latest title challenge in May.

Group B will feature Al Riffa from Bahrain, Palestine’s Shabab Al Khalil, Dhofar Club of Oman and Kuwaiti side Arabi SC while Group C contains Syrians Tishreen, Nejmeh from Lebanon, East Riffa of Bahrain and Palestine’s Hilal Al Quds.

Only the winners from the three groups in the west are guaranteed to advance to the Zonal Semi-finals alongside the team with the best runners-up record.

India’s Gokulam Kerala, Bashundhara Kings from Bangladesh and Maziya Sports and Recreation of the Maldives will be joined in Group D with the winner of a six-team South Asia playoff.

In Central Asia, Turkmenistan’s Altyn Asyr and Kyrgyzstan’s PFC NEftchi will be joined by tournament debutants FC CSKA from Tajikistan and either FC Nasaf or PFC Sogdiana from Uzbekistan in Group E.

Group F, meanwhile, will feature FC Khujand of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan’s FC Dordio and Kopetdag from Turkmenistan, with only the winner of each group advancing to the next round.

In South East Asia, Indonesia’s Bali United take on Kedah Darul Aman FC from Malaysia and the Philippines’ Kaya FC-Iloilo in Group G alongside a playoff winner.

Group H will be contested by Malaysian side Kuala Lumpur City, Singaporeans Tampines Rovers, PSM Makassar of Indonesia and either Shan United or Ayeyawady United from Myanmar while Group I will contain Vietnam’s Viettel FC, Hougang United from Singapore, Phnom Penh Crown FC of Cambodia and Myanmar’s Hantharwady United FC.

The group winners will advance to the Zonal Semi-finals alongside the team with the best runners-up record.

In Group J, Hong Kong’s Eastern Long Lions, MUST CPK of Macau, Chinese Taipei side Tainan City and a playoff winner will go head-to-head for a single berth in the next round.

(AFC)