2008 AFC Champions League

The 2008 AFC Champions League was the 27th AFC Champions League, the top-level Asian club football tournament, and the 6th under the current AFC Champions League title. It was the last AFC Champions League before the competition expanded to 32 teams.

2008 AFC Champions League
Tournament details
Dates12 March - 12 November 2008
Teams29
Final positions
Champions Gamba Osaka (1st title)
Runners-up Adelaide United
Tournament statistics
Matches played98
Goals scored275 (2.81 per match)
Top scorer(s) Nantawat Thansopa
(9 goals)
Best player(s) Yasuhito Endō

Participating clubs

Along with the defending champion, Urawa Red Diamonds, 28 other clubs from fourteen countries qualified based on performance in domestic league and cup competitions. Urawa Red Diamonds entered the competition at the quarter-finals. The draw for group stage took place on 12 December 2007.

Defending Champions (1)
Japan (1)Urawa Red Diamonds (2007 AFC Champions League winners)
East Asia & ASEAN (12)
Australia (2)Melbourne Victory (2006–07 A-League premiers and 2007 A-League Grand Final winners)
Adelaide United (2006–07 A-League regular season runners-up)
China (2)Changchun Yatai (2007 Chinese Super League champions)
Beijing Guoan (2007 Chinese Super League runners-up)
Indonesia (0)†
Japan (2)Kashima Antlers (2007 J. League Division 1 champions and 2007–08 Emperor's Cup winners)
Gamba Osaka (2007 J. League Division 1 third place)
South Korea (2)Pohang Steelers (2007 K-League champions)
Chunnam Dragons (2007 Korean FA Cup winners)
Thailand (2)†Chonburi FC (2007 Thailand Premier League champions)
Krung Thai Bank FC (2007 Thailand Premier League runners-up)
Vietnam (2)†Bình Dương F.C. (2007 V-League champions)
Nam Dinh F.C. (2007 Vietnamese Cup winners)
Central & South Asia and West Asia (16)
Iran (2)Saipa (2006–07 Persian Gulf Cup champions)
Sepahan (2006–07 Hazfi Cup winners)
Iraq (2)Erbil SC (2006–07 Iraqi Premier League champions)
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (2006–07 Iraqi Premier League runners-up)
Kuwait (2)Al Kuwait (2006–07 Kuwaiti Premier League champions)
Al Qadisiya (2007 Kuwait Emir Cup winners)
Qatar (2)Al-Sadd (2006–07 Qatar Stars League champions and 2007 Emir of Qatar Cup winners)
Al-Gharafa (2006–07 Qatar Stars League runners-up)
Saudi Arabia (2)Al-Ittihad (2006–07 Saudi Premier League champions)
Al-Ahli (2006–07 Saudi Crown Prince Cup winners)
Syria (2)Al-Karamah (2006–07 Syrian League champions and 2006–07 Syrian Cup winners)
Al-Ittihad (2006–07 Syrian League runners-up)
UAE (2)Al Wasl (2006–07 UAE Football League champions and 2006–07 UAE Emir Cup winners)
Al-Wahda (2006–07 UAE Football League runners-up)
Uzbekistan (2)Pakhtakor (2007 Uzbek League champions and 2007 Uzbekistani Cup winners)
Bunyodkor (2007 Uzbek League runners-up)

† In the 2008 edition, Indonesia were allocated two slots just like the older editions. However, on 12 December 2007, AFC awarded one Indonesian slots to Thailand and the other one to Vietnam, due to delay in Indonesian domestic league and cup tournament,[1] allowing both Thai and Vietnamese slots to be total of two.

Format
Group stage

A total of 28 clubs were divided into seven groups of four, based on region, i.e. East Asian and Southeast Asian clubs were drawn in groups E to G, while the rest were grouped in groups A to D. Each club played double round-robin (home and away) against the other three teams in their group, a total of 6 matches each. Clubs received three points for a win, one point for a draw and no points for a loss. The clubs were ranked according to points and tie breakers were in the following order:

  • Points earned between the clubs in question
  • Goal difference between the clubs in question
  • Goal difference within the group
  • Goals for within the group

The seven group winners and the defending champion advanced to the quarter-finals.

Knockout stage

All eight clubs were randomly paired together, with the restriction that clubs from the same country could not face each other in the quarter-finals. The games were played over two legs, home and away; the team with the higher aggregate score was declared the match winner. If the aggregate score could not produce a winner, "away goals rule" was used. If the two teams were still tied, extra time was played, at the end of which the "away goals rule" was again applied if the scores were tied. If still tied, the game would go to penalties.

Schedule
Group stage draw - 12 December 2007
  • Group round: 12–19 March, 9–23 April, 7–21 May
Knockout stage draw - 24 May 2008
  • Quarter-finals: 17–24 September
  • Semi-finals: 8–22 October
  • Final: 5 and 12 November

Group stage

Group A
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Bunyodkor 6 4 1 1 8 2 +6 13
Al-Ittihad 6 3 0 3 6 5 +1 9
Sepahan 6 2 1 3 5 8 −3 7
Al-Ittihad 6 2 0 4 4 8 −4 6
Source:
Sepahan 0–2 Al-Ittihad
Report Jésus Gomez  21'
Al Agha  87'
Attendance: 15,000
Al-Ittihad 1–0 Bunyodkor
Magno Alves  80' Report
Attendance: 7,500
Al-Ittihad 0–1 Al-Ittihad
Report Magno Alves  78'
Attendance: 41,000
Bunyodkor 2–0 Sepahan
Bakayev  61'
Kapadze  80'		 Report
Attendance: 13,000
Referee: Fareed Al Marzouqi (United Arab Emirates)
Al-Ittihad 0–2 Bunyodkor
Report Hasanov  50'
Kapadze  65'
Attendance: 20,000
Sepahan 2–1 Al-Ittihad
Seyed Salehi  59'
Aghily  71'		 Report Al-Meshal  89'
Attendance: 6,000
Referee: Sun Baojie (China)
Bunyodkor 1–0 Al-Ittihad
Kapadze  29' Report
Attendance: 12,000
Al-Ittihad 0–1 Sepahan
Report Mohammed  70'
Attendance: 4,000
Al-Ittihad 2–1 Sepahan
Laurens  61'
Jésus Gomez  64'		 Report Aghily  48'
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: Naser Al Ghafary (Jordan)
Bunyodkor 2–0 Al-Ittihad
Soliev  10'
Djeparov  38'		 Report
Attendance: 13,000
Sepahan 1–1 Bunyodkor
Ali Mohammadi  2' Report Gochguliev  72'
Attendance: 150
Al-Ittihad 3–0 Al-Ittihad
Al-Nemri  30', 50'
Hazazi  42'		 Report
Attendance: 600

Group B
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Saipa 6 3 3 0 7 3 +4 12
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 6 2 2 2 5 5 0 8
Al Wasl 6 2 1 3 5 7 −2 7
Al Kuwait 6 1 2 3 4 6 −2 5
Source:
Al Wasl 0–1 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
Report Alwan  32'
Attendance: 7,500
Al Kuwait 1–1 Saipa
Ajab  44' Report Zaynadpour  66'
Attendance: 7,000
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 0–0 Al Kuwait
Report
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: Muhsen Basma (Syria)
Saipa 2–0 Al Wasl
Traoré  45'
Ansarifard  57'		 Report
Attendance: 8,000
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 0–1 Saipa
Report Vaziri  45+1'
Attendance: 1,000
Referee: Salem Mahmoud Mujghef (Jordan)
Al Wasl 1–0 Al Kuwait
Hassan  75' Report
Attendance: 4,622
Saipa 1–1 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
Rahmati  63' (pen.) Report Ayad  71'
Attendance: 10,000
Al Kuwait 2–1 Al Wasl
Ajab  10'
Al Awadhi  42'		 Report Ali  4' (pen.)
Attendance: 1,500
Referee: Mahmood Al Ghatrifi (Oman)
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 1–2 Al Wasl
Kamel  69' Report Al-Enazi  49'
Oliveira  64'
Attendance: 100
Referee: Tan Hai (China)
Saipa 1–0 Al Kuwait
Rahmati  24' Report
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Sun Baojie (China)
Al Wasl 1–1 Saipa
André Dias  90+2' Report Traoré  21'
Attendance: 1,500
Al Kuwait 1–2 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
Ajab  22' Report Kadhim  17'
Abdul-Mohsen  48'
Attendance: 250

Group C
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Al-Karamah 6 3 2 1 8 3 +5 11
Al-Wahda 6 2 3 1 6 7 −1 9
Al-Sadd 6 1 3 2 6 8 −2 6
Al-Ahli 6 0 4 2 5 7 −2 4
Source:
Al-Sadd 2–1 Al-Ahli
Emerson  6'
Felipe  26'		 Report Val Baiano  73'
Attendance: 6,000
Al-Karamah 4–1 Al-Wahda
Esmaeel  3'
Chaabo  27', 48'
Al Hamwi  80'		 Report Al Shehhi  83'
Attendance: 30,000
Al-Ahli 1–1 Al-Karamah
Al Thagafi  15' Report Al Hamwi  44'
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Sun Baojie (China)
Al-Wahda 2–2 Al-Sadd
Pinga  17'
Al Shehhi  85'		 Report Tenorio  44'
Emerson  71'
Attendance: 5,500
Al-Ahli 0–0 Al-Wahda
Report
Attendance: 8,000
Al-Sadd 0–2 Al-Karamah
Report Al Hamwi  69'
Jenyat  73'
Attendance: 6,000
Al-Wahda 2–1 Al-Ahli
Josiel  35', 84' Report Al Gizani  81'
Attendance: 5,000
Al-Karamah 1–0 Al-Sadd
Jenyat  78' Report
Attendance: 25,000
Al-Ahli 2–2 Al-Sadd
Taher Zakaria  28' (o.g.)
Sulimani  42' (pen.)		 Report Gholam  32' (pen.)
Ahmed  50'
Attendance: 1,500
Al-Wahda 1–0 Al-Karamah
Al Shehhi  90' Report
Attendance: 6,000
Referee: Kazuhiko Matsumura (Japan)
Al-Sadd 0–0 Al-Wahda
Report
Attendance: 800
Al-Karamah 0–0 Al-Ahli
Report
Attendance: 15,000

Group D
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Al Qadisiya 6 3 2 1 8 7 +1 11
Pakhtakor 6 3 2 1 13 6 +7 11
Erbil 6 2 2 2 8 11 −3 8
Al-Gharafa 6 0 2 4 3 8 −5 2
Source:
Pakhtakor 0–1 Al Qadisiya
Report Ajab  90+1'
Attendance: 12,000
Erbil 1–1 Al-Gharafa
Muslim Mubarak  61' Report Araújo  13'
Attendance: 250
Referee: Talaat Najm (Lebanon)
Al Qadisiya 1–1 Erbil
Al Salama  81' Alwan  28' (pen.)
Al-Gharafa 2–2 Pakhtakor
Mahmoud  57'
Araújo  65'		 Report Aliqulov  68'
F. Tadjiyev  78'
Attendance: 2,000
Al Qadisiya 1–0 Al-Gharafa
Ajab  62' Report
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: Mahmood Al Ghatrifi (Oman)
Pakhtakor 2–0 Erbil
Kholmatov  47'
Geynrikh  52' (pen.)		 Report
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Masoud Moradi (Iran)
Al-Gharafa 0–1 Al Qadisiya
Report Al-Mutwa  89'
Attendance: 1,000
Erbil 1–5 Pakhtakor
Sabah  19' Report Siamand  38' (o.g.)
Kuziboyev  69'
Marković  73'
Geynrikh  81'
Kholmatov  90+3'
Attendance: 180
Referee: Mohamed Al Marzouqi (United Arab Emirates)
Al Qadisiya 2–2 Pakhtakor
Ajab  20'
Al Salama  45' (pen.)		 Report Ahmedov  36'
Z. Tadjiyev  81'
Attendance: 18000
Referee: Salem Mahmoud Mujghef (Jordan)
Al-Gharafa 0–1 Erbil
Report Alwan  29'
Attendance: 200
Referee: Muhsen Basma (Syria)
Pakhtakor 2–0 Al-Gharafa
Z. Tadjiyev  19'
Ahmedov  88' (pen.)		 Report
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Satop Tongkhan (Thailand)
Erbil 4–2 Al Qadisiya
Salah  52', 70', 79'
Alwan  89'		 Report Al Shammari  23'
Al-Kandri  34'
Attendance: 120
Referee: Hedayat Mombini (Iran)

Group E
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Adelaide United 6 4 2 0 9 2 +7 14
Changchun Yatai 6 3 3 0 10 3 +7 12
Pohang Steelers 6 1 2 3 6 7 −1 5
Bình Dương 6 0 1 5 4 17 −13 1
Source:
Changchun Yatai 2–1 Bình Dương
Du Zhenyu  4'
Cui Wei  70'		 Report Nguyễn Anh Đức  53'
Attendance: 10,000
Pohang Steelers 0–2 Adelaide United
Report Cornthwaite  3'
Djite  59'
Attendance: 8,436
Referee: Mohsen Torky (Iran)
Bình Dương 1–4 Pohang Steelers
Robson De Lima  11' (pen.) Report Denilson  49' (pen.), 58' (pen.)
Kim Jae-sung  56'
Choi Hyo-jin  64'
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: Salem Mahmoud Mujghef (Jordan)
Adelaide United 0–0 Changchun Yatai
Report
Attendance: 10,510
Bình Dương 1–2 Adelaide United
Philani  85' Report Diego  10'
Alagich  78'
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Atallah Jatli Al Enezi (Kuwait)
Changchun Yatai 1–0 Pohang Steelers
Dah Zadi  86' Report
Attendance: 18,000
Adelaide United 4–1 Bình Dương
Pantelis  56'
Dodd  58', 62'
Diego  77'		 Report Phạm Minh Đức  65'
Attendance: 13,802
Referee: Mohamed Al Hilali (Oman)
Pohang Steelers 2–2 Changchun Yatai
Hwang Jae-won  64'
Hwang Jin-sung  90'		 Report Wang Dong  35'
Du Zhenyu  70'
Attendance: 5,468
Referee: Satop Tongkhan (Thailand)
Bình Dương 0–5 Changchun Yatai
Report Wang Bo  2', 37'
Dah Zadi  13'
Yan Feng  78'
Caballero  90' (pen.)
Attendance: 4,000
Pohang Steelers 0–0 Bình Dương
Report
Attendance: 4,571
Referee: Abdulrahman Recho (Syria)

Group F
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Kashima Antlers 6 5 0 1 28 3 +25 15
Beijing Guoan 6 4 0 2 14 9 +5 12
Krung Thai Bank 6 2 1 3 20 27 −7 7
Nam Định 6 0 1 5 4 27 −23 1
Source:
Krung Thai Bank 1–9 Kashima Antlers
Kone  64' Report Tashiro  15', 50'
Iwamasa  21'
Nozawa  34', 90+2'
Marquinhos  47', 69', 71'
Sasaki  73'
Attendance: 2,000
Referee: Muhsen Basma (Syria)
Nam Dinh 1–3 Beijing Guoan
Lê Văn Duyệt  14' Report Yan Xiangchuang  57', 90+1'
Du Wenhui  60'
Attendance: 600
Kashima Antlers 6–0 Nam Dinh
Motoyama  25', 48'
Marquinhos  58', 67'
Tashiro  73'
Danilo  90+2'		 Report
Attendance: 7,087
Referee: Mohamad Mansour (Lebanon)
Beijing Guoan 4–2 Krung Thai Bank
Du Wenhui  39', 73'
Martínez  51', 75'		 Report Thansopa  58'
Pichitchotirat  63'
Attendance: 14,000
Referee: Atallah Jatli (Kuwait)
Kashima Antlers 1–0 Beijing Guoan
Danilo  52' Report
Attendance: 6,487
Referee: Mohsen Torky (Iran)
Krung Thai Bank 9–1 Nam Dinh
Kone  4', 44', 90+1', 90+2'
Thansopa  8', 46', 59'
Choeichiu  64'
Wongsuparuk  70'		 Report Trần Đức Dương  64'
Attendance: 500
Referee: Hedayat Mombeni (Iran)
Beijing Guoan 1–0 Kashima Antlers
Tiago  41' Report
Attendance: 16,000
Nam Dinh 2–2 Krung Thai Bank
Hoàng Ngọc Linh  2', 47' Report Thansopa  21'
Choeichiu  90'
Attendance: 2,000
Referee: Mohammad Dharman (Qatar)
Kashima Antlers 8–1 Krung Thai Bank
Iwamasa  19'
Koroki  21'
Tashiro  45'
Nozawa  46', 66'
Ogasawara  50'
Danilo  74', 83'		 Report Pichitchotirat  90'
Attendance: 5,540
Beijing Guoan 3–0 Nam Dinh
Guo Hui  14' (pen.)
Yang Hao  32', 78'		 Report
Attendance: 9,000
Referee: Kadhum Auda (Iraq)
Krung Thai Bank 5–3 Beijing Guoan
Thansopa  10', 44', 49', 69' (pen.)
Pichitchotirat  27'		 Report Tiago  67' (pen.), 70', 77' (pen.)
Attendance: 400
Referee: Fareed Ali Mohamed Al Marzouqi (United Arab Emirates)
Nam Dinh 0–4 Kashima Antlers
Report Tashiro  27'
Koroki  47'
Motoyama  75'
Danilo  87'
Attendance: 1,200
Referee: Mohamed Omar Al Saeedi (United Arab Emirates)
Notes

Group G
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Gamba Osaka 6 4 2 0 14 8 +6 14
Melbourne Victory 6 2 1 3 10 11 −1 7
Chunnam Dragons 6 1 3 2 8 10 −2 6
Chonburi 6 1 2 3 7 10 −3 5
Source:
Melbourne Victory 2–0 Chunnam Dragons
Muscat  28' (pen.)
Vargas  66'		 Report
Attendance: 24,656
Gamba Osaka 1–1 Chonburi
Lucas  90+4' Report Sunthornpit  59'
Attendance: 7,000
Referee: Hedayat Mombeni (Iran)
Chunnam Dragons 3–4 Gamba Osaka
Simões  4'
Kim Tae-su  27', 60' (pen.)		 Report Futagawa  30'
Bando  53', 75'
Yasuda  58'
Attendance: 3,000
Chonburi 3–1 Melbourne Victory
Ney Fabiano  45'
Baga  79', 90+5'		 Report Allsopp  57'
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Kadhum Auda (Iraq)
Chunnam Dragons 1–0 Chonburi
Simões  90' Report
Attendance: 500
Melbourne Victory 3–4 Gamba Osaka
Allsopp  4', 65'
Vargas  41'		 Report Futagawa  31'
Baré  38'
Yamaguchi  68'
Lucas  89'
Attendance: 26,857
Chonburi 2–2 Chunnam Dragons
On-Mo  56'
Jinta  88'		 Report Jeong Jun-yeon  5'
Kim Myung-woon  48'
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Tan Hai (China)
Chunnam Dragons 1–1 Melbourne Victory
Ko Ki-gu  37' Report Pondeljak  4'
Attendance: 3,000
Chonburi 0–2 Gamba Osaka
Report Yamazaki  64'
Lucas  76'
Attendance: 10,000
Melbourne Victory 3–1 Chonburi
Muscat  56'
Thompson  65'
Hernández  77'		 Report Ney Fabiano  55'
Attendance: 14,558
Referee: Salem Mahmoud Mujghef (Jordan)
Gamba Osaka 1–1 Chunnam Dragons
Futagawa  75' Report Yoo Hong-youl  86' (pen.)
Attendance: 7,160
Referee: Sun Baojie (China)
Notes

Knock-out stage
Main article: 2008 AFC Champions League knockout stage

Bracket
Quarter-finals Semi-finals Final
               
1 Al-Karamah 1 0 1
8 Gamba Osaka 2 2 4
Gamba Osaka 1 3 4
Urawa Red Diamonds 1 1 2
4 Al Qadisiya 3 0 3
5 Urawa Red Diamonds (2007 Champion) 2 2 4
Gamba Osaka 3 2 5
Adelaide United 0 0 0
3 Kashima Antlers 1 0 1
6 Adelaide United 1 1 2
Adelaide United 3 0 3
Bunyodkor 0 1 1
2 Saipa 2 1 3
7 Bunyodkor 2 5 7

Quarter-finals

The first leg matches were played on 17 September, and the second leg matches were played on 24 September 2008.

Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Al-Karamah 1–4 Gamba Osaka 1–2 0–2
Al Qadisiya 3–4 Urawa Red Diamonds
(2007 Champion)		 3–2 0–2
Kashima Antlers 1–2 Adelaide United 1–1 0–1
Saipa 3–7 Bunyodkor 2–2 1–5

Semi-finals

The first leg matches were played on 8 October, and the second leg matches were played on 22 October 2008.

Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Gamba Osaka 4–2 Urawa Red Diamonds 1–1 3–1
Adelaide United 3–1 Bunyodkor 3–0 0–1

Final
Main article: 2008 AFC Champions League Final

The first and second legs of the final were played on 5 and 12 November 2008, respectively.

Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Gamba Osaka 5–0 Adelaide United 3–0 2–0

Top scorers

The top scorers from the 2008 AFC Champions League are as follows:

Rank Player Club Goals
1 Nantawat Thansopa Krung Thai Bank 9
2 Lucas Gamba Osaka 6
3 Marquinhos Kashima Antlers 5
Masato Yamazaki Gamba Osaka
Kone Kassim Krung Thai Bank
Yuzo Tashiro Kashima Antlers
Danilo Kashima Antlers
8 Takuya Nozawa Kashima Antlers 4
Tiago Beijing Guoan
Villanueva Bunyodkor
Diego Walsh Adelaide United

Fair Play Award

Gamba Osaka

See also

References
  1. "article missing". Archived from the original on 29 June 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2007.
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