September 30-Three centralised groups of four clubs each will launch the group round of the first AFC Women’s Champions League, which is set to begin this week and qualify eight teams for the knockout stages.
The defending Chinese league winners, Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC will play Abu Dhabi Country Club in the opening Group A match in Wuhan, China.
On track to win a fifth straight domestic championship, Wuhan Jiangda will want to get off to a fast start at home. After an outstanding undefeated run in the preliminary stage, Abu Dhabi Country Club, the most dominant women’s team in the United Arab Emirates with ten league titles, arrives.
Malaysia’s Sabah FA will play Korea Republic’s Hyundai Steel Red Angels later in Group A. Sabah, the first Malaysian league champions and current runners-up in their domestic competition, will have a formidable opponent in Hyundai Steel, the 11-time league champions and finalists in the 2023 AFC Women’s Club Championship.
The action in Group C will start at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s Thong Nhat Stadium. Odisha FC, the victors of the Indian league, will take on Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies, the defending AFC Women’s Club Championship winners from Japan. Urawa hopes to win two consecutive continental titles, while Odisha hopes to continue their strong start after winning their first local championship the previous season.
After winning the 2024 domestic league title with an outstanding sixth straight victory, Ho Chi Minh City Women’s FC will go on Taichung Blue Whale of Chinese Taipei. With 13 league titles under their belt, the Vietnamese team will look to get off to a fast start against the visitors, who have five local league crowns and experience in the AFC Women’s Club Championship.
At Pathum Thani Stadium in Thailand, Group B action gets underway as Melbourne City FC of Australia—the A-League Women Premiers in 2023–2024—takes on Bam Khatoon FC of Iran. This marks City’s debut in the competition, while Bam Khatoon, the oldest club in the tournament with three successive league titles, returns for their third AFC season.
The last match of the inaugural day will pit the College of Asian Scholars of Thailand against Kaya FC-Iloilo of the Philippines. Kaya FC just created history as the first club-based team to win the Philippine League, while its Thai opponents are the dominant power in their local league, with six titles and an AFC Women’s Club Championship East crown.
The top two teams from each group and the top two teams from the third round will move on to the quarterfinals, which are scheduled for March 2025, after the Group Stage. With a prize pool of at least $1.3 million at stake, the knockout stage will culminate in the semi-finals and final in May 2025, where the inaugural AFC Women’s Champions League winners will be crowned.
The greatest clubs in Asia are competing for the title of best in the continent, making this competition a significant milestone for women’s football in the area.
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