| AFC CUP DRAW – Maldives' teams faced a tough draw
Last years finalists will clash again!
02 December 2005
Uploaded: 02.12.2005, 08:00 PM
Male' , MALDIVES - AFC Cup 2006 draw was announced on Thursday. Maldivesoccer analysed deeply in the draws.
In Group E, New Radiant sports club, who is the semi finalist of AFC Cup 2005, will have to face Perlis of Malaysia, Home United of Singapore and Sun Hei FC of Hong Kong. This group can be regarded as the group of death. Three teams who were qualified to the quarterfinalist stage of last years AFC Cup are in this group. Perlis of Malaysia who was not qualified for the AFC Cup 2005 is the only new team in the group. Meanwhile, Home United went to the quarterfinals of AFC Cup 2005, and lost to Al Nejmeh 6-2 on aggregate, though they showed resilience in the away leg played in Beirut. Home United was in the same group with New Radiant who defeated 2-0 in Singapore but had a defeat in Male' by 1-0. Meanwhile Sun Hei FC is a semi finalist of AFC Cup 2005 and lost to Al Nejmeh who came in to the quarter finals by beating Home United. Sun Hei FC lost to Al Nejmeh 6-2. While New Radiant lost to Al Faisaly, the champions of AFC Cup 2005 in the semi finals by 5-2 on aggregate. New Radiant was smashed in the away leg played in Jordan.
In Group F, Huriyya sports club is in a relatively easier group compared to New Radiant. Hurriyya is along with Happy Valley of Hong Kong, Selangor of Malaysia and Tampines Rovers of Singapore. Tampines can be regarded as the strongest team in the group. They lost by 2-0 on aggregate to Al Faisaly in the quarterfinals of last years AFC Cup. Tampines is the new crowned ASEAN club champion. Happy Valley also played in last years AFC Cup and was placed in the same group as New Radiant. They were in the bottom of the group. New Radiant scored 4 goals against them in the group stage. Selangor who won the Malaysia Cup, FA Cup and premier league this season is a strong challenge as well.
Meanwhile, Jordan's Al Faysali and Lebanon's Al Nejmeh, the AFC Cup finalists this year will meet again after being drawn together in the same group for next year's competition.
Faysali won this year's final 4-2 on aggregate but reigning Lebanon league champions Nejmeh will get an early chance for revenge after the two teams were placed in Group D, together with Turkmenistan's MTTU.
Jordan's second representatives, 2005 league champions Al Wihdat are in Group C with Oman's Dhofar and the Bangladesh league champions, while Lebanon's Al Ahed face Bahrain's Muharraq, India's Mahindra United and Bangladesh's Brothers Union in Group A.
Al Nasr of Oman, Al Hilal of Yemen, MERW of Turkmenistan and Dempo of India are in Group B.
The competition kicks off with Matchday One of the group stage on March 8. The first-placed team from each group will advance to the quarter-finals with two additional slots going to the second-placed teams with the best records against the top three sides from their group.
Complete table
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