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HONG KONG, Oct 7 (AFP) - The race for the
richest prize in Asian club football moves up a gear this week as 26 teams
slug it out in the latest qualifying rounds of the AFC Champions League.
Launched in the wake of this year's World Cup, tournament officials hope
the new-look competition will capitalise on interest in Asian football
generated by Korea-Japan 2002.
Although Asian club competitions have existed for decades, previous
incarnations have been hampered by the logistical difficulties involved in
staging a tournament involving clubs from countries as far apart as Jordan
and Japan.
The AFC has moved to solve that problem with a cash injection of three
million dollars in prize money. The winners will receive 500,000 dollars,
while money is given to every team taking part as an incentive to compete.
"The World Cup put Asia in the limelight, but we're still in the
process of writing a new chapter," Asian Football Confederation (AFC)
general secretary Peter Velappan said when the new format was unveiled
earlier this year.
"We hope the AFC Champions League will be the jewel in the crown of
Asian football," said Velappan, adding that the tournament was aimed
at fast-tracking clubs to a more professional structure.
"We know it may not take off like a rocket straight away, but we hope
that five years from now ... we will have many more clubs with the kind of
structure we see with the J. League sides," Velappan added.
The qualifying rounds in the East and West Asian zones will see four teams
from each region join eight teams who have already been seeded into next
year's quarter-final group stage.
The quarter-final format will involve 16 teams split into four groups of
four, with the group winners advancing to the semi-finals and final.
This week's qualifying action in the East Asian zone sees several of the
continent's strongest teams make their entrance.
Korean FA Cup winners Taejon Citizen travel to Macau for their first leg
against Monte Carlo, while Japan's Emperor's Cup holders Shimizu S-Pulse
entertain New Radiant of the Maldives.
Shimizu have struggled in front of goal this season but have been given a
lift by the recent arrival of South Korean World Cup star Ahn Jung-Hwan.
Although Ahn has yet to get off the mark for his new club since being
released by Italian side Perugia in the summer, he is certain to cause
problems for the islanders when the teams meet on Wednesday.
In other matches in East Asia this week, China's Shanghai Shenhua face an
awkward first leg tie away to Indonesian champions Petrokimia
In West Asia, Iran's Esteghlal will be aiming to overcome the absence of
young talents who are on duty with the national team at the Asian Games,
when they entertain Al Faisaly of Jordan at the 120,000-capacity Azadi
Stadium.
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