Source:
https://scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/1983181/coming-stadium-near-you-hong-kong-champions-eastern-set-afcHong Kong
Coming to a stadium near you: Hong Kong champions Eastern set for AFC Champions League place
An improved Member Association ranking means the city is set to be rewarded with a place in the group stage of Asia’s top club competition for the first time next year
Eastern won the Hong Kong Premier League last season. Photo: SCMP
Newly crowned Premier League champions Eastern look set to become the first Hong Kong team to compete in the AFC Champions League group stage, partly as a result of improved performances by local clubs and the national team.
The latest AFC Member Association (MA) ranking reveal Hong Kong have leapfrogged Vietnam to become the sixth-best team in East Asia, meaning the city will get one slot in the group stage and one in the play-offs for the 2017 competition.