Thai League 1 sides BG Pathum United and Port FC are set to host AFC Champions League group stage games for the competition’s East Zone following the announcement from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on Friday that Thailand will be given the hosting rights for Groups F, G, and J of this year’s ACL.
The same announcement also gave Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and India the rights to host ACL group stage games for the competition’s West Zone, with Al-Hilal hosting Group A games in Riyadh, Sharjah FC hosting Group B games in Sharjah, Al-Ahli hosting Group C games in Jeddah, Al-Nassr also hosting Group D games in Riyadh, and FC Goa hosting Group E games in Margao.
In the light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, all ACL group stage games will be held at centralized venues in the usual double round-robin format, unlike the 2021 AFC Cup group stages which utilizes a single round-robin format at similarly centralized venues.
Group F of this year’s ACL will be hosted by newly-crowned 2020-21 Thai League 1 champions BGPU, who also became the first East Asian team to qualify for the 2022 AFC Champions League group stages with their first ever top-flight league title. Competing alongside the Glass Rabbits are defending champions Ulsan Hyundai of South Korea, 2020 V.League 1 champions Viettel FC, and the qualifying play-off winner between Shanghai Port of China, Brisbane Roar of Australia, and Kaya FC-Iloilo of the Philippines.
Port, on the other hand, will host Group J, which also has Chinese heavyweights Guangzhou FC, Hong Kong champions Kitchee SC, and the qualifying play-off winner between Cerezo Osaka of Japan, Melbourne City of Australia, and Shan United of Myanmar.
Should the AFC confirm their participation in the ACL group stages replacing the recently-closed Jiangsu FC of China, Ratchaburi Mitr Phol are set to host Group G. The Dragons are set to receive a free pass to the ACL group stages alongside supposed qualifying play-off opponents Pohang Steelers of South Korea due to Jiangsu ceasing operations, joining Japan’s Nagoya Grampus and Malaysia’s Johor Darul Ta’zim in Group G.
The AFC have yet to confirm a host for Groups H and I, with an announcement regarding the two groups to be made in due time. The confederation have also postponed the dates of the East Zone’s qualifying play-offs and group stages to June or July due to current situations, with games within the West Zone set to kick-off on schedule in April.