Three Star and Erchim were pitted in Group A during the draw held at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Wednesday. It will be the second meeting between the two teams in five months. Earlier, the two sides were drawn in the same group for the qualifying round of the tournament held in Kathmandu from May 7 to 11. [break]
Three Star had qualified for the finals as the group winner and Erchim as the runner-up.
In the four-team group, Three Star had earned five points from a win and two draws while Erchim had earned four points following a win, a draw and a defeat. Three Star had defeated Erchim 2-0 during the qualifiers.
Three Star, a semifinalist in the first edition held in 2005, will meet Balkan in its opening match, a semifinalist in 2011. Three Star and Erchim will lock horns on September 25. The tournament venue is yet to be finalized. This is the second time Three Star is playing in the tournament featuring the league champions of third-tier member associations of the Asian Football Confederation.
Group B consists of KRL Football Club of Pakistan, Al Quds Hilal FC of Palestine and Dordoi FC of Kyrgyzstan. Dordoi, competing in the tournament for a record eighth time, has won the title twice -- in 2006 and 2007. The winners of both groups will vie for the title.
Groupings
Group A Group B
Balkan FC (TKM) KRL FC (PAK)
Erchim FC (MGL) Al Quds Hilal FC (PLE)
Three Star Club (NEP) Dordoi FC (KGZ)
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Three Star qualifies for the AFC Cup play-off (photo feature)
