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
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.
Eastern therefore stand the chance to play against regional heavyweights such as Guangzhou Evergrande, Shanghai SIPG, Sydney FC and FC Seoul in the group stage.
Clubs from West Asia will not meet East Asia teams until the final.
The Hong Kong champions have been given until the end of June to comply with AFC technical requirements and Eastern executive director Peter Leung Shou-chi was confident of meeting the specifications.