Team Herald
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PANJIM: After successfully hosting the Indian Super League, Goa will host the AFC Champions League Group E games, the Asian Football Confederation announced on Thursday.
This decision meant, FC Goa will play all their Group league matches in Goa.
The Asian Football Confederation on Thursday confirmed the venues for the ACL 2021 group stage matches after an extensive feedback exercise with its participating member associations, commercial partners and all relevant stakeholders.
FC Goa has been clubbed with the last edition’s runners-up Persepolis FC of Iran, Qatari heavyweights Al Rayyan SC and one yet-to-qualify side in Group E.
The group stage draw of the continent’s top-tier league involving 40 teams was held online here.
This season’s AFC Champions League is the biggest ever in history as it was a 32-team affair last time around.
The Gaurs created history in 2020 when they became the first-ever Indian side to qualify for group stages of the AFC Champions League after clinching the top spot in the Hero Indian Super League last season.
The Gaurs’ historic campaign in the 2021 AFC Champions League is all set to take off on April 14, 2021, against Al Rayyan. The former ISL Shield winners will then take on the winners of play-off west 4 (between UAE’s Al-Wahda and Iraq’s Al-Zawraa) on April 17 before squaring off against the reigning champions of the West Region – Persepolis from Iran on April 20.
Juan Ferrando’s men will again square off against Persepolis three days later on April 23 before finishing off the group stages with games on April 26 and April 29 against Al Rayyan and Winners of Play-off West 4 respectively.
And according to an ISL source, Goa has been selected as a centralised venue for Group E matches.
The winner side of each of the 10 groups and three best runners-up from each region — west and east — advance to the round of 16 of the knockout stage.
According to statement issued by AFC, the western region matches which are scheduled between April 14-30, will have Saudi Arabia hosting Groups A and D games in Riyadh as well as Group C in Jeddah. The matches in Group B are set to be staged in the United Arab Emirates city of Sharjah.
The league kicks off with the preliminary stage on April 7. The knockout matches in the Round of 16 are scheduled for September 13-15 and the quarter-finals on September 27-29.
Both rounds will be played as single matches.
