FACTBOX

FACTBOX


* The AFC Champions League is Asia’s premier club competition. This year’s winners will represent Asia in the 2014 FIFA Club World Championship in Morocco.
* The first leg will be played in Australia on Oct. 25 with the second leg in Saudi Arabia on Nov. 1.
* The AFC Champions League is the latest in a series of Asian club competitions dating back to 1967. The tournament was abandoned in 1972 but was resurrected in 1986 as the Asian Club Championship.
* In 2002, the Asian Club Championship was merged with the Asian Cup Winners Cup to form the AFC Champions League.
* Twenty-two different clubs have won the title since 1967. South Korea’s Pohang Steelers have won a record three titles. Eight other teams have won twice.
* South Korea have been the most successful country in the competition, providing the winner 10 times, followed by Japan (five) and Saudi Arabia (four).
* Al-Hilal have won two of Saudi Arabia’s four titles. Western Sydney Wanderers are bidding to become the first Australian winners.
- -
Western Sydney Wanderers (Australia)
Founded: 2012
Head coach: Tony Popovic
Stadium: Parramatta Stadium, Sydney
Asian Champions League titles: None
Path to the final: Finished top of Group H in the group stage; beat Sanfrecce Hiroshima (Japan) on away goals in the Round of 16; beat Guangzhou Evergrande (China) on away goals in the quarter-finals; beat FC Seoul (South Korea) 2-0 on aggregate in the semifinals
Top scorer in the competition: Labinot Haliti (3 goals)
- -
Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Founded: 1957
Manager: Laurentiu Reghecampf
Stadium: King Fahd Stadium, Riyadh
Asian Champions League titles: 2 (1991, 2000)
Path to the final: Finished top of Group D in the group stage; beat FC Bunyodkor (Uzbekistan) 4-0 on aggregate in the Round of 16; beat Al-Saad (Qatar) 1-0 on aggregate in the quarter-finals; beat Al-Ain (United Arab Emirates) 4-2 on aggregate in the semifinals
Top scorer in the competition: Nasser Al-Shamrani (10 goals)