Foolad and Persepolis handed tough groups

Tasnim – KUALA LUMPUR, Iran’s title holder Foolad Khuzestan and Persepolis football teams have been handed the tough groups in the 2015 AFC Champions League.

In a draw ceremony held in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, Foolad Khuzestan was pitted against last year’s AFC Champions League runner-up Al Hilal, and Locomotiv of Uzbekistan in Group C.

Iranian popular team Persepolis has been drawn alongside Saudi champion Nassr and Qatari Stars League winner Lekhwiya in Group A in another tough looking pool.

Another Iranian representative Tractor Sazi has been paired with Saudi Arabian Al Ahli and Uzbekistan’s Nasaf in Group D.

AFC Champions League winner Western Sydney Wanderers will face an early repeat of its bad-tempered quarter-final win over Chinese champion Guangzhou Evergrande in Group H.

Groups:

Group A: Nassr (KSA), Lekhwiya (QAT), Persepolis (IRI), Winner play-off 3 (West)

Group B: Pakhtakor (UZB), Al Shabab (KSA), Al Ain (UAE), Winner play-off 2 (West)

Group C: Foolad Khuzestan (IRI), Lokomotiv (UZB), Al Hilal (KSA), Winner play-off 4 (West)

Group D: Al Ahli (KSA), Tractor Sazi Tabriz (IRI), Nasaf (UZB), Winner play-off 1 (West)

Group E: Jeonbuk Hyundai (KOR), Shandong Luneng (CHN), Binh Duong (VIE), Winner play-off 2 (East)

Group F: Gamba Osaka (JPN), Seongnam FC (KOR), Buriram United (THA), Winner play-off 3 (East)

Group G: Brisbane Roar (AUS), Japan second club, Suwon Bluewings (KOR), Winner play-off 4 (East)

Group H: Guangzhou Evergrande (CHN), Western Sydney Wanderers (AUS), Japan third club, Winner play-off 1 (East)

The dates for the matches are yet to be released.

AFC Champions League 2015: Play-off schedule (West)

Preliminary Round 2

PR1 Qadsia SC (KUW) v Al Wehdat (JOR)

PR2 El Jaish (QAT) v Al Nahda (OMN)

PR3 Al Jazira (UAE) v Bye

PR4 Al Sadd v Riffa (BHR)

All matches to be played on February 10, 2015

Play-off Stage

PO1 Al Ahli (KSA) v Winner PR1

PO2 Naft Tehran (IRN) v Winner PR2

PO3 Bunyodkor (UZB) v Al Jazira (UAE)

PO4 Al Wahda (UAE) v PR4

All matches to be played on February 17, 2015