# 2008–09 Arab Champions League

The 6th edition of Arab Champions League, The 2008–2009 is going to play as a knockout stage from 35 clubs, The Algerian club ES Sétif entered automatically as 2007–08 champion.

## Format

* Each federation enter with (1~2) teams from their top Leagues
    – The teams must be one of the top 5 teams in the latest season, or Cup Champions/Runners-up.
* The Number of teams of each federation enters based on the previous editions results of the Arab Champions League
* The official sponsor ART can choose the rest teams to complete the 32 teams, so it may can reach 3 teams from one country
    – It's not necessary to be one of the top 5 teams.
* The Algerian club ES Sétif entered automatically as 2007–08 champion.

## Participated teams

* 35 clubs will be competing from the following countries.

### Asia

| Bahrain (1) | Busaiteen (Bahraini PL 2007-08 Runners-up) |
| Iraq (1) | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (Iraqi Premier League 2007-08 3rd Place) |
| Jordan (3) | Al-Wahdat (Jordan League 2007–08 Champion) Al-Faisaly (Jordan League 2007–08 Runners-up) Shabab Al-Ordon (Jordan League 2007–08 3rd Place) |
| Kuwait (3) | Kuwait SC (Kuwaiti PL 2007-08 Champion) Al-Qadisiya (Kuwaiti PL 2007-08 Runners-up) Al Arabi Kuwait (Kuwaiti PL 2007-08 4th Place) |
| Lebanon (1) | Al-Ansar (LPL 2007–08 Runners-up) |
| Qatar (0) | Withdraw |
| Oman (1) | Dhofar (2007-08 Omani League Runners-up) |
| Palestine (1) | Taraji Wadi Al-Nes (West Bank League 2007–08 Champion) |
| Saudi Arabia (2) | Al-Hazm (Saudi Champions Cup 2007–08 3rd Place) Al-Wahda Mecca (Saudi PL 2007-08 Wild-card) |
| Syria (2) | Al-Ittihad Aleppo (Syrian PL 2007-08 3rd Place) Al-Taliya (Syrian PL 2007-08 4th Place) |
| UAE (1) | Al-Shaab (UAE League 2007–08 5th Place) |
| Yemen (1) | Al-Hilal Al-Sahili (Yemeni League 2007–08 Champion) |

### Africa

| Algeria (3) | ES Sétif (Arab CL 2007–08 Champions, Algerian CN 2007–08 3rd Place) USM Alger (Algerian CN 2007–08 4th place) USM Annaba (Algerian CN 2007–08 Wild-card) |
| Comoros (1) | Jakam (Representing Comoros) |
| Djibouti (1) | FC Société Immobilière de Djibouti (Djibouti PL 2007-08 Champion) |
| Egypt (1) | Ismaily SC (Egyptian PL 2007-08 Runner-up) |
| Libya (2) | Al-Ittihad Tripoli (Libyan PL 2007-08 Champions) Al-Ahly Tripoli (Libyan PL 2007-08 Runner-up) |
| Mauritania (1) | ASC Nasr de Sebkha (Representing Mauritania) |
| Morocco (3) | Raja Casablanca (Botola 2007-08 3rd Place) Hassania Agadir (Botola 2007-08 4th Place) Wydad Casablanca (Botola 2007-08 Wild-card) |
| Somalia (1) | SITT Daallo (Representing Somalia) |
| Sudan (2) | Al-Hilal Club (Omdurman) (Sudan PL 2007-2008 Champion) Al-Merrikh (Sudan PL 2007-2008 Runner-up) |
| Tunisia (3) | Espérance Sportive de Tunis (Ligue 1 2007–08 3rd Place) US Monastir (Ligue 1 2007–08 4th Place) CS Sfaxien (Ligue 1 2007–08 Wild-card) |

## The System

* The Qualifying: Knock out stage
* Round 32: Knock out stage
* Round 16: Knock out stage
* Round 8: Knock out stage
* Semifinals and final: Knock out stage

## The Awards

* The Champions: 1,000,000 $
* The Runner-up: 650,000 $
* Round 4: 200,000 $
* Round 8: 100,000 $
* Round 16: 40,000 $
* Round 32: 20,000 $
* Qualifying: 5,000 $

## The qualifying Stage

* 4 teams play 1 leg match as Knock out stage.
* 1 team qualify to the next stage (Round 32).
| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final |
| 4 October 2008 – Djibouti | 4 October 2008 – Djibouti |
| Taraji Wadi Al-Nes | 4 |
| Taraji Wadi Al-Nes | 4 | 10 October 2008 – Djibouti | 10 October 2008 – Djibouti |
| Jakam | 1 | 10 October 2008 – Djibouti | 10 October 2008 – Djibouti |
| Jakam | 1 | Taraji Wadi Al-Nes | 4 |
| 6 October 2008 – Djibouti | 6 October 2008 – Djibouti | | Taraji Wadi Al-Nes | 4 |
| 6 October 2008 – Djibouti | 6 October 2008 – Djibouti | Société Immobilière | 2 |
| Société Immobilière | 2(p) | Société Immobilière | 2 |
| SITT Daallo | 2 | | |

## Round 32

32 teams play home and away matches as Knock out stage.
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| ES Sétif | 3–2 | Al-Ansar | 3–2 | 0–0 |
| Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya | 2–1 | Hassania Agadir | 2–1 | 0–0 |
| USM Alger | 4–3 | Al-Wahda Mecca | 3–0 | 1–3 |
| Al-Ittihad Aleppo | 0–0 (4–2) | USM Annaba | 0–0 | 0–0 |
| Wydad Casablanca | 5–0 | Shabab Al-Ordon | 3–0 | 2–0 |
| Al-Wahdat | 3–1 | Dhofar | 2–1 | 1–0 |
| Ismaily | 7–2 | Busaiteen | 3–1 | 4–1 |
| Al-Ittihad Tripoli | 2–3 | US Monastir | 1–1 | 1–2 |
| CS Sfaxien | 3–0 | ASC Nasr de Sebkha | 3–0 | 0–0 |
| Espérance Sportive de Tunis | 0–0 (9–8) | Al-Ahly Tripoli | 0–0 | 0–0 |
| Raja Casablanca | 6–2 | Al-Taliya | 4–0 | 2–2 |
| Al-Faisaly | 2–1 | Taraji Wadi Al-Nes | 0–0 | 2–1 |
| Kuwait SC | (w/o) $^1$ | Al-Hilal Al-Sahili | 3–0 | Canceled |
| Al-Qadisiya | (w/o) $^1$ | Al-Hazm | – | – |
| Al-Hilal Club (Omdurman) | (w/o) $^1$ | Al-Arabi | – | – |
| Al-Merrikh | (w/o) $^2$ | Al-Shaab | – | – |
    $^1$ The Kuwaiti clubs' matches canceled due to FIFA's freezing of the membership of the Kuwait Football Association.
    $^2$ Al-Shaab withdrew.

### Round 32 Matches Dates

* The first legs on 28 and 29 October 2008
* The second legs on 25 and 26 November 2008

## Round 16

16 teams play home and away matches as Knock out stage.

### Qualified teams

* ES Sétif
* USM Alger
* Ismaily
* Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
* Al-Faisaly
* Al-Wahdat
* Raja Casablanca
* Wydad Casablanca
* Al-Hazm
* Al-Hilal Club (Omdurman)
* Al-Merrikh
* Al-Ittihad Aleppo
* Espérance Sportive de Tunis
* CS Sfaxien
* US Monastir
* Al-Hilal Al-Sahili

### Round 16 Matches

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Al-Hilal Al-Sahili | 2–8 | Espérance Sportive de Tunis | 1–2 | 1–6 |
| Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya | 1–3 | US Monastir | 1–1 | 0–2 |
| Ismaily | 7–2 | USM Alger | 3–1 | 4–1 |
| Al-Hazm | 1–5 | Al-Faisaly | 0–2 | 1–3 |
| Al-Merrikh | 7–8 | Al-Wahdat | 3–1 | 4–7 |
| CS Sfaxien | 1–0 | Raja Casablanca | 0–0 | 1–0 |
| Al-Ittihad Aleppo | 1–2 | Wydad Casablanca | 1–0 | 0–2 |
| Al-Hilal Omdurman | (w/o) $^1$ | ES Sétif | 1–2 | Withdrew |
    $^1$ Al-Hilal Omdurman withdrew.

### Round 16 Matches Dates

* The first legs on 16 December 2008
* The second legs on 26 December 2008

## Quarter-finals

8 teams play home and away matches as Knock out stage.

### Qualified teams

* ES Sétif
* Ismaily
* Al-Faisaly
* Al-Wahdat
* Wydad Casablanca
* CS Sfaxien
* Espérance Sportive de Tunis
* US Monastir

### Quarter-finals Matches

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Al-Faisaly | 2–7 | CS Sfaxien | 2–3 | 0–4 |
| Ismaily | 3–3 (3–4) | Espérance Sportive de Tunis | 1–2 | 2–1 |
| US Monastir | 2–4 | ES Sétif | 1–1 | 1–3 |
| Al-Wahdat | 2–5 | Wydad Casablanca | 2–1 | 0–4 |

### Quarter-final Match Dates

* The first legs between 1 March 2009 and 4 March 2009
* The second legs between 19 March 2009 and 21 March −2009

## Semi-finals

4 teams play home and away matches as Knock out stage.

### Semi-finals Matches

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| ES Sétif | 0–3 | Espérance Sportive de Tunis | 0–1 | 0–2 |
| CS Sfaxien | 1–3 | Wydad Casablanca | 1–1 | 0–2 |

#### Second Legs
## Final
### Second leg

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Wydad Casablanca | 1–2 | Espérance Sportive de Tunis | 0–1 | 1–1 |

## Champions

* Arab Champions League 2008–09 Winners
* Espérance Sportive de Tunis Second Title

## Top scorers

| Rank | Name | Team | Goals |
| 1 | Abdelmalek Ziaya | ES Sétif | 5 |
| 1 | Mahmoud Shelbaieh | Al-Wihdat | 5 |
| 1 | Rafik Abdessamad | Al-Wahda | 5 |
| 2 | Mustapha Bidoudane | Wydad Casablanca | 4 |
| 2 | Mustafa Karim | Ismaily | 4 |
| 2 | Haikel Gmamdia | CS Sfaxien | 4 |
| 2 | Ra'fat Ali | Al-Wihdat | 4 |
| 2 | Abdallah Said | Ismaily | 4 |
| 2 | Michael Eneramo | Espérance | 4 |
| 2 | Hichem Essifi | US Monastir | 4 |
| 3 | Oussama Darragi | Espérance | 3 |
| 3 | Wajdi Bouazzi | Espérance | 3 |
| 3 | Hassan Taïr | Raja Casablanca | 3 |
| 3 | Abdelhameed Amarri | Al-Merreikh | 3 |
| 3 | Mohab Said | Ismaily | 3 |
| 4 | 14 players | 14 players | 2 |
| 5 | 54 players | 54 players | 1 |
* Source: Goalzz.com