Bhutan to Melbourne: Asian Women’s Champions League is ready to go

The first Asia Women’s Champions League gets under way this weekend. There are 21 teams from 21 countries from the powerhouse of Japan all the way down to Bhutan.

How we got here

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has run trial events in the past few years but it has not always been smooth sailing. The 2023 Women’s Club Championship was the most recent but the AFC unexpectedly cancelled the final without explanation. Japan had to hastily step in so Urawa Red Diamonds could host South Korea’s Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels in May, a game the Reds won 2-1.

The format

The preliminary stage starts on Sunday as 13 hopeful teams are split into four groups. Each group is hosted in a single venue, cutting down on the travel time and costs that can be significant in Asia.

The first group is in Saudi Arabia, home to Al-Nassr, who welcome Abu Dhabi Country Club, Young Elephants of Laos and Myanmar’s Myawady.

The other three groups have three teams. Group B is hosted by Etihad of Jordan with India’s Odisha and Lion City Sailors of Singapore making the journey west. Malaysia stages Group C with home team Sabah as well as Uzbekistan’s Nasaf and APF of Nepal. Royal Thimphu College of Bhutan are in Group D playing host to the Iranian powerhouse Bam Khatoon and Kitchee of Hong Kong.

The four winners will join the eight teams in the group stage. Four are eliminated for the knockout stages and the final will be played in May.

Financial rewards

Japan, Australia, China and the two Koreas have made the most waves internationally. In recent years, Thailand and the Philippines have flown the flag in south-east Asia while there have been improvements in the west of the continent.

Even more so than men’s football, there are wild variations of funding, facilities and professionalism. The AFC has promised that each participant will receive at least $100,000 (£76,365). The team that lifts the trophy should pocket $1.3m or more.

“Competing in the Champions League is a great honour for the club considering Odisha women’s team are the first female Indian club. We are not only representing the state of Odisha but also India,” says Raj Athwal, the club’s CEO.

“There are financial benefits as it can attract sponsors and act as a vehicle to drive football to under-represented communities. Like any other major competition, the further you progress the financial benefits increase markedly. Such financial incentives can assist in improving the squad to remain competitive in the league with the objective to try and qualify for the group stage.”

The favourites

Asia’s national teams have had success on the international stage. Japan’s women won the 2011 World Cup and China reached the final of the 1999 tournament, losing to the United States.

The clubs, however, have yet to make the same impact but the Red Diamonds, winners of the old Asian Club Championship and champions of Japan’s WE League, the best in Asia, look to be the favourites. They boast internationals such as Hikaru Naomoto, Rion Ishikawa and Hana Takahashi.

Melbourne City have Rebekah Stott, who has played 100 times for New Zealand, China’s Wuhan Jiangda are solid while South Korea’s Incheon have a number of internationals including the national captain, Kim Hye-ri, who has played 126 times for her country.

Also waiting in the group stage are three from south-east Asia. Thailand’s representative, College of Asian Scholars, will hope to pass their tests along with Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City and Kaya-Iloilo of the Philippines. Al-Nassr of Saudi Arabia have to qualify but are fancied to do so and they have deeper pockets than most. The former France and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Aminata Diallo is a standout and the Tanzania forward Clara Luvanga has also scored plenty since arriving late last year.

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