Mumbai City FC drawn with Neymar's Al Hilal in AFC Champions League

Indian Super League (ISL) club Mumbai City FC have been placed in Group D of the West Zone in the Asian Champions League. The draw was conducted on Thursday at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Islanders have been grouped alongside Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia, Iran’s FC Nassaji Mazandaran and Uzbekistan’s PFC Navbahor Namangan. But it is the presence of Al Hilal, who signed Neymar recently, which will attract plenty of attention.

🚨 #ACL 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝘄 🚨#TheIslanders have been drawn into Group D along with Al Hilal 🇸🇦, Nassaji Mazandaran 🇮🇷 and Navbahor 🇺🇿 in @TheAFCCL Group Stage! ✅#IslandersInAsia #AamchiCity 🔵 pic.twitter.com/Unxat2vDF6

— Mumbai City FC (@MumbaiCityFC) August 24, 2023

Des Buckingham’s Mumbai City FC had become the first Indian club to win a match in the AFC Champions League last season and will be keen on improving on that this season. Ahead of their second appearance in Asia’s premier club competition, Mumbai City FC had announced they would play their ‘home’ games at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Balewadi, Pune. The club had said in a statement that the infrastructural set up at the Mumbai Football Arena makes the venue ineligible to host AFC Champions League games. “While all of us at Mumbai City FC are excited about a huge season ahead of us, we are very disappointed at not being able to bring AFC Champions League football to Mumbai. Unfortunately, the current infrastructure in Andheri does not allow us to host Champions League games," Kandarp Chandra, the club CEO had said. “While we share the disappointment of our fans in Mumbai, we will spare no effort to ensure our supporters cherish a memorable matchday experience in Pune as we prepare to welcome fans to experience AFC Champions League football for the first time not just in Maharashtra but for the first time in India," he added. Elsewhere, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr have been placed in Group E alongside Iran’s Persepolis, Al Duhail of Qatar and Istiklol of Tajikistan. Complete AFC CHampions League draw: West Group A: Pakhtakor (UZB), Al Fayha FC (KSA), Ahal FC (TKM), Al Ain FC (UAE) Group B: Al Sadd SC (QAT), FC Nasaf (UZB), Al Faisaly (JOR), Sharjah FC (UAE) Group C: Al Ittihad (KSA), Sepahan SC (IRN), Air Force Club (IRQ), AGMK FC (UZB) Group D: Al Hilal SFC (KSA), Nassaji Mazandaran FC (IRN), Mumbai City FC (IND), Navbahor (UZB) Group E: Persepolis FC (IRN), Al Duhail SC (QAT), FC Istiklol (TJK), Al Nassr (KSA) East Group F: Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC (KOR), Bangkok United (THA), Lion City Sailors (SGP), Kitchee SC (HKG) Group G: Yokohama F. Marinos (JPN), Shandong Taishan FC (CHN), Kaya FC-Iloilo (PHI), Incheon United FC (KOR) Group H: Buriram United (THA), Ventforet Kofu (JPN), Melbourne City FC (AUS), Zhejiang FC (CHN) Group I: Ulsan Hyundai FC (KOR), Kawasaki Frontale (JPN), Johor Darul Ta’zim (MAS), BG Pathum United (THA) Group J: Wuhan Three Towns FC (CHN), Pohang Steelers (KOR), Hanoi FC (VIE), Urawa Red Diamonds (JPN)