March 18 – The draw for the last eight of the AFC Champions League Elite Finals Jeddah 2025 has pitched four West Asian sides against four from East Asia.
Under the renamed, revamped and repackaged Asian Champions League Elite teams the best teams from the two zones meet at the quarter final stage rather than previously not meeting until the final.
The quarter-finals will be centralised in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and will be played as single tie knock-outs between April 25 and May 3. The teams are competing for a record prize purse of $12 million.
The draw, held at AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, has placed top seeded side and four-time Asian champions Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia, against South Korea’s Gwangju FC.
Second seeds Yokohama F. Marinos of Japan will also face Saudi opposition in the form of Al Nassr Club – neither side have the AFC Champions League.
Saudi Arabia’s third qualifier, Al Ahli Saudi FC, who are unbeaten in this season’s campaign with nine wins and a draw, will meet the surprise package of Thailand’s Buriram United.
The final tie will see Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale face 2011 champions Al Sadd of Qatar.
The draw creates the possibility of an all-Saudi semi-final with the winner of Al Hilal-Gwanju, meeting the winners of Al Ahli-Buriram.
The first quarter-final will be played April 25, with the second and third last eight ties set for April 26, and the final one to be played on April 27.
The semi-finals will be contested on April 29 and 30 with the final at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium on May 3.
Draw Result
Quarter-finals
Al Hilal SFC (KSA) v Gwangju FC (KOR)
Al Ahli Saudi FC (KSA) v Buriram United (THA)
Yokohama F. Marinos (JPN) v Al Nassr Club (KSA)
Kawasaki Frontale (JPN) v Al Sadd SC (QAT)
Semi-finals
Al Hilal SFC (KSA)-Gwangju FC (KOR) v Al Ahli Saudi FC (KSA)-Buriram United (THA)
Yokohama F. Marinos (JPN)-Al Nassr Club (KSA) v Kawasaki Frontale (JPN)-Al Sadd SC (QAT)
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