August 30 – The 13-team preliminary group stage of the AFC’s inaugural Women’s Champions League 2024/25 will complete Saturday with each of the four groups going down to the wire.
With groups played centrally in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Zarqa (Jordan), Kota Kinabalu (Malaysia) and Thimphu (Bhutan), only group winners will make it to the 12-team group stage to be played in October.
In Group A Saudi’s Al Hilal and the UAE’s Abu Dhabi Country Club top the table on with two wins and face each other in a winner takes all decider.
Al Hilal won both their opening games 3-0 with Algerian midfielder Lina Boussaha opening the scoring in their last game against Laos’ Young Elephants FC with a stunning free kick before summer signing Ruth Kipoyi doubled the lead and Tanzanian striker Clara Luvanga (pictured) made it three. Luvanga had hit the back of the net twice in their opening game 3-0 win over Myanamar’s Myawady FC.
In Group B Jordan’s Etihad Club hold a two-goal advantage over India’s Odisha FC with only a win being enough for the Indian to qualify.
Group C sees Malaysia’s Sabah FA two points behind Uzbekistan’s FC Nasaf and needing a win to go through to the next round.
In Group D Iran’s Bam Khatoon and Hong Kong’s Kitchee SC are level on goal difference and points ahead of their clash.
The group stage (three groups of four) will be played centrally in China, Thailand and Vietnam from October 6-12, with the top two finishers in each group, and the two best third-placed teams, advancing to the quarter finals.
The winners of the preliminary groups will be joining China’s Wuhan Jiangda, South Korea’s Incheon Red Angels, Australia’s Melbourne City, Kaya-Iloilo from the Philippines, Thailand’s College of Asian Scholars, Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds, Ho Chi Minh City from Vietnam and Taiwan’s Taichung Blue Whale.
Group games will be played centrally in China, Thailand and Vietnam.
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