File photo: China's Guangzhou Evergrande players celebrate after winning their final match of the AFC Champions' League against South Korea's FC Seoul at Tianhe stadium in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou November 9, 2013. (Photo: Reuters)
Champions Guangzhou Evergrande of China drew a familiar rival in 2006 winners Jeonbuk Motors of South Korea but were kept guessing about the other two opponents in their group for the 2014 AFC Champions League.
Big-spending Guangzhou, led by Italy's 2006 World Cup- winning coach Marcello Lippi, became the first winners of the continent's premier club competition last month after defeating FC Seoul in a two-legged final.
Lippi's men, who were also drawn with Jeonbuk in last year's edition, will have to wait for the final composition of Group G with the champions of Japan's Emperor's Cup, to be decided on Jan. 1, and a playoff winner slated to complete it.
J-League winners Sanfrecce Hiroshima got FC Seoul and Australian champions Central Coast Mariners in Group F after the format was revamped to keep East and West Asian rivals apart until the semi-finals.
The Western Sydney Wanderers will face Chinese FA Cup winners Guizhou Renhe, K-League runners-up Ulsan Hyundai and the J-League runners-up in Group H.
The 2011 winners Al Sadd of Qatar were pooled with United Arab Emirates' Al Ahli, Saudi outfit Al Hilal and Iran's Sepahan in Group D while twice champions Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia were drawn with Al Ain of UAE and Iran's Tractorsazi Tabriz.
West Asia draw:
Group A - Esteghlal (Iran), Al Rayyan (Qatar), Al Jazira (UAE), Al Shabab (Saudi Arabia)
Group B - Al Fateh (Saudi Arabia), Foolad Khouzestan (Iran), Playoff winners (West), Bunyondkor (Uzbekistan)
Group C - Al Ain (UAE), Al Ittihad (Saudi Arabia), Tractorsazi Tabriz (Iran), Playoff winners (West)
Group D - Al Sadd (Qatar), Al Ahli (UAE), Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia), Sepahan (Iran)
East Asia draw:
Group E - Pohang Steelers (South Korea), Buriram United (Thailand), Shandong Luneng Taishan (China), League third place (Japan)
Group F - Sanfrecce Hiroshima (Japan), Central Coast Mariners (Australia), FC Seoul (South Korea), Playoff winners (East)
Group G - Guangzhou Evergrande (China), Knock-Out champion(Japan), Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (South Korea), Playoff winners (East)
Group H - Western Sydney Wanderers (Australia), Guizhou Renhe (China), League runners-up (Japan), Ulsan Hyundai (South Korea)
(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
Short link: