AFC Champions League 2005 runners-up Al Ain have been drawn with two-time Asian club champions Al Hilal in the Group Stage of the 2006 ACL for a second time, reuniting the West Asian giants after the two clashed in the inaugural tournament.

The 2004/05 UAE President's Cup champions will be relishing the chance of payback against a club from Saudi Arabia after losing last month's 2005 AFC Champions League final 5-3 on aggregate to Jeddah side Al Ittihad, who will once again enter the competition at teh quarter-final stage as defending champions.

Al Ain faced Al Hilal in the first edition of the AFC Champions League when each group was played in a centralised venue and the UAE outfit made the most of their home field advantage winning 1-0 courtesy of Gharib Harib's 12th minute penalty on route to becoming the first ever ACL champions.

Completing Group B are AFC Champions League debutants Al Mina of Iraq and Mashal, who finished runners-up in Uzbekistan's Oliy Liga behind league and cup winners Pakhtakor.

Pakhtakor, who together with Al Ain and Qatari side Al Sadd make up a trio of clubs to have took part in all AFC Champions Leagues since the tournament's inception, are in Group A along with Kuwait's Al Qadisiya, Foolad, the 2004/05 Iran champions, and Syrian double winners Al Ittihad.

Al Sadd, 2005 ACL quarter-finalists, are in Group D with three other sides who all have previous AFC Champions League experience, namely Al Quwa Al Jawiya, the Iraq 'Air Force' side, Al Arabi of Kuwait and Al Shabab, who represented Saudi Arabia in last year's event.

And the ten-time Qatar champions, who are the only team from the Gulf emirate to win continental honours, will be all too familiar with Al Quwa Al Jawiya after their meeting in the Group Stage of the 2004 tournament.

With Al Qadisia kicked out of the competition following trouble on the pitch of their home fixture with Al Sadd, all matches involving the Kuwaiti side were annulled.

Needing just a draw to advance to the quarter-finals Al Sadd, the 1989 Asian Club Championship winners, were surprising beaten 1-0 by the Iraqis, who had nothing but pride to play for.

Qatar's other representatives Al Gharafa have been drawn in a tough-looking Group C, which is made up of UAE champions Al Wahda, the Ali Daei skippered Saba Battery and outsiders, Al Karama, who qualified as runners-up in the Syrian league behind double winners Al Ittihad.

Al Gharafa were lead to the 2004/05 Q-League title by Frenchman Bruno Metsu, who could become the first person to win the AFC Champions League with two different clubs after guiding Al Ain to glory in the inaugural tournament.

The picture in the eastern side of the draw is not quite as clear as it is in the west, with the two Korea Republic representatives and the winners of Japan’s J.League still to be determined.

Only Group G is complete and Shanghai Shenhua, qualifiers for the 2004 AFC Champions League, will fancy their chances of progression to the Knockout Stage having been drawn with surprise Indonesian champions Persipura Jayapura, Provincial Electrical Authority, runners-up in Thailand, and Vietnam's Dong Tam Long An.

The three ASEAN sides are appearing in the AFC Champions League for the first time and there is a distinct possibility that Group F will go one better and have four tournament newcomers.

Emperor's Cup winners Tokyo Verdy, who have since been relegated to Japan's second tier J2, Thailand champions Tobacco Monopoly and Indonesian Cup winners Arema Malang are all new to the event while the remaining spot in Group F goes to the 2005 K-League Champions.

Having won the first leg of the K-League play-off against Incheon United 5-1 away, that spot is likely to be taken by Ulsan Horang-I, who would also be making their AFC Champions League debut.

The remaining group, Group E, is also incomplete but it is perhaps the one that will almost certainly be labelled with the clichéd moniker the 'group of death', particularly by fans of Vietnam's Da Nang, who must face China double winners and 2003 semi-finalists Dalian Shide, the winners of the Korea FA Cup, currently at the quarter-finals stage, and the J.League champions, who will be decided this weekend.

AFC Champion League 2006

Group A
Pakhtakor (UZB)
Al Qadisiya (KUW)
Foolad (IRN)
Al Ittihad (SYR)

Group B
Al Ain (UAE)
Mashal (UZB)
Al Minaa (IRQ)Al Hilal (KSA)

Group C
Al Gharafa (QAT)
Al Wahda (UAE)
Al Karama (SYR)
Saba Battery (IRN)

Group D
Al Arabi (KUW)
Al Sadd (QAT)
Al Shabab (KSA)
Al Quwa Al Jawiya (IRQ)

Group E
Korea FA Cup 2005 winners
Dalian Shide (CHN)
Da Nang (VIE)
J.League 2005 champions

Group F
Arema Malang (INA)
K-League 2005 champions
Tokyo Verdy (JPN)
Tobacco Monopoly (THA)

Group G
Shanghai Shenhua (CHN)
Persipura Jayapura (INA)
Provincial Electrical Authority (THA)
Dong Tam Long An (VIE)

(footballasia.com)