Asian Champions League draw completed

The draw for the 2012 Asian Champions League has been completed in AFC House in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.

Group H provided the highlight of the draw with the champions of Japan, South Korea and China – Kashiwa Reysol, Jeonbuk Motors and Guangzhou Evergrande – all pitted together in the same group, along with the yet-to-be-decided Thai champions.

West Asian giants Persepolis and Al Hilal will face one another in Group D, while 2008 winners Gamba Osaka are set for journeys to Australia to face Adelaide United, and Uzbekistan to meet Bunyodkor.

The other group opponent has to qualify through the playoffs in Group E.

Australian champions Brisbane Roar have drawn the runners-up from South Korea and China – Ulsan Hyundai and Beijing Guoan – along with the Japanese Emperor’s Cup winners, who will not be known until January 1.

Group H has a huge Australian flavour with A-League runners-up Central Coast to face Socceroo Joshua Kennedy’s Nagoya Grampus and Sasa Ognenovski’s Seongnam Ilhwa, along with Tianjin Teda.

Seongnam won the AFC Champions League in 2010, while Tianjin are making their fourth appearance and Nagoya their third.

Adelaide United, the third-placed A-League side from last season, were gifted a place in the main group stage when Chinese club Liaoning Whowin withdrew.

Group A

Al Rayyan (Qatar)

Al Jazira (UAE)

Nasaf Qarshi (Uzbekistan)

Playoff 1/2 (West)

Group B

Al Ittihad (Saudi Arabia)

Al Arabi (Qatar)

Bani Yas (UAE)

Pakhtakor (Uzbekistan)

Group C

Sepahan (Iran)

Al Ahli (Saudi Arabia)

Lekhwiya (Qatar)

Al Nasr (UAE)

Group D

Playoff 1/2 (West)

Persepolis (Iran)

Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)

Al Gharafa (Qatar)

Group E

Gamba Osaka (Japan)

Adelaide United (Australia)

Bunyodkor (Uzbekistan)

Playoff 1/2 (East)

Group F

Ulsan Hyundai (South Korea)

Brisbane Roar (Australia)

Beijing Guoan (China)

Emperor’s Cup winner (Japan)

Group G

Tianjin Teda (China)

Seongnam Ilhwa (South Korea)

Nagoya Grampus (Japan)

Central Coast Mariners (Australia)

Group H

Thailand champions (Thailand)

Guangzhou Evergrande (China)

Kashiwa Reysol (Japan)

Jeonbuk Motors (South Korea)