9 Dec 2004(Thu)

KUALA LUMPUR (December 7): The AFC Champions League still has a long, long way to go before it can be talked about in the same breath as the UEFA Champions League.

But Asian football officials are certainly trying.

At their impressive new headquarters on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, the Asian Football Confederation conducted the draw for the 2005 AFC Champions League on Tuesday evening.

Japanese clubs have not performed well in the previous two editions of the ACL, which is Asia's top club competition.

Before, it was known as the Asian Club Championship, in the same way the UEFA Champions League was known as the European Champions Cup, or simply the European Cup.

Looking back on this year's event, AFC general secretary Peter Velappan told the gathering: "This is going to be the flagship of Asia.

"We had 88 matches played in this year's Champions League and about 600,000 in attendance, and millions on TV."

A total of 264 goals were scored, he added, including nine in the two-leg final itself.

Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma won the first leg 3-1 against Saudi Arabia's Al Ittihad in the western port city of Jeddah, but the Saudis then won 5-0 in Korea to emerge victorious 6-3 on aggregate.

Velappan added: "We had this epic match which once again proves that football is totally like a woman...unpredictable!"

The AFC is trying hard to build up its major club competition, and I would urge all Japanese fans to attend games next season if possible.

I always find it interesting to watch players from other countries, check their levels of technique and fitness and also look at tactics and formation. It's amazing how many talented players you see out there but who will never get a break into big-time football because Asia is ranked behind South America and Africa as a supply line for Europe's rich leagues.

Jubilo Iwata will play Chinese champions Shenzhen Jianlibao, the as yet unknown Korean League champions, plus Hoang Anh of Vietnam in Group E. This is a tough group for the Emperor's Cup holders, meeting the champion teams of East Asian rivals China and Korea.

Japan's second representative, either Yokohama F Marinos or Urawa Reds, will be in Group F with BEC Tero Sasana of Thailand, plus the winners of the Chinese Cup and also of the Indonesian Cup.

This group is easily winnable for either Marinos or Reds, and with it a place in the quarter-finals.

Japan has won the last two Asian Cups, in 2000 in Lebanon and this year in China, but a team at the top of the AFC Champions League is long overdue.

Hopefully the Japanese clubs will really try and win it next year.

ends