# 2012 AFC Champions League

The 2012 AFC Champions League was the 31st edition of the top-level Asian club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 10th under the current AFC Champions League title.
Ulsan Hyundai from South Korea won their first title, defeating Al-Ahli from Saudi Arabia with a 3–0 win in the final, and qualified for the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup.

## Allocation of entries per association

The AFC approved criteria for participation in the 2011 and 2012 seasons. The final decision date was set after the Executive Committee meeting in November 2010.
On 30 November 2009, the AFC announced 12 more MA's that were keen to join the ACL, in addition to ten participating national associations. Singapore later withdrew. The full list of candidate associations were as follows:

### East Asia

* Participating: Australia, China PR, Indonesia, Japan, Korea Republic
* Applied to participate: Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand
* Withdrew: Singapore
* Disqualified: Vietnam

### West Asia

* Participating: Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Uzbekistan
* Applied to participate: India, Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Tajikistan, Yemen
Note: India, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam have clubs taking part in play-offs to qualify for the group stages of ACL in 2010.

### Entrants per association

It was originally announced that the allocation for entry to the 2012 ACL would stay the same as the previous three seasons with the exception of Vietnam, who were disqualified, and their previous playoff slot was awarded to Qatar. However, following the AFC Executive Committee meeting in November 2011, it was decided that the number of slots for each association to be changed based on evaluation of the AFC Champions League criteria that took place in 2011.
A total of eleven member associations (see below) which participated in the 2011 AFC Champions League was evaluated for participating in the 2012 AFC Champions League. India, which played in the 2011 ACL play-off, was not evaluated and dropped to the AFC Cup. The other member associations which applied but did not meet the criteria for 2011 ACL was not evaluated at all for 2012.
Evaluation for 2012 ACL :
* Meet all items of the criteria
* Meet some items of the criteria
* Do not meet the criteria

#### Notes

* $^A$ One of the group stage direct entrants from Uzbekistan was moved to the East Zone.
* $^B$ One of the K-League clubs, Sangju Sangmu Phoenix, is unable to qualify for the ACL because the team is not a commercial entity and their players are not professionally contracted.
* $^C$ While the 2010–11 A-League, the season which qualified Australian clubs to the 2012 ACL, had 11 teams, the 2011–12 A-League, the ongoing season, only has 10 teams after North Queensland Fury was closed, and this number was given in the 2012 ACL evaluation report (page 8). One of the A-League clubs, Wellington Phoenix, is based in New Zealand, an OFC member country, and are unable to qualify for the ACL.
* $^D$ This number was given in the 2012 ACL evaluation report (page 8). The 2010–11 Indonesia Super League, the season which qualified Indonesian clubs to the 2012 ACL, had 15 teams, and the 2011–12 Indonesian Premier League, the ongoing top division recognized by the Football Association of Indonesia, has 13 teams. There are two rival "top-division" leagues in Indonesia: the Indonesian Premier League and the Indonesia Super League (the ISL was by then not recognized by the Football Association of Indonesia).
* $^E$ China was allocated a berth in the qualifying play-off, but Liaoning Whowin, the 2011 Chinese Super League 3rd place, did not enter the competition. Therefore, only four teams entered the East Zone qualifying play-off.

## Teams

A total of 37 teams participated in the 2012 AFC Champions League.
* 28 teams (14 in West Zone, 14 in East Zone) directly entered the group stage.
* 9 teams (5 in West Zone, 4 in East Zone) competed in the qualifying play-off, which was divided into two rounds. The 4 winners (2 in West Zone, 2 in East Zone) qualified for the group stage. Losers of the qualifying play-off final round entered the 2012 AFC Cup group stage. However, losers of the qualifying play-off semi-final round were eliminated from all AFC competitions, a change from previous seasons where they would also enter the AFC Cup.
Group stage direct entrants: West Zone (Groups A–D) :
| Team | Qualifying method | App* | Last App |
| Lekhwiya | 2010–11 Qatar Stars League champions | 1st | none |
| Al-Rayyan | 2011 Emir of Qatar Cup winners 2010–11 Qatar Stars League 3rd place | 4th | 2011 |
| Al-Gharafa | 2010–11 Qatar Stars League runners-up | 7th | 2011 |
| Al-Arabi | 2010–11 Qatar Stars League 4th place | 1st | none |
| Al-Hilal | 2010–11 Saudi Professional League champions | 8th | 2011 |
| Al-Ahli | 2011 King Cup of Champions winners | 5th | 2010 |
| Al-Ittihad | 2010–11 Saudi Professional League runners-up | 8th | 2011 |
| Al-Jazira | 2010–11 UAE Pro-League champions 2010–11 UAE President's Cup winners | 4th | 2011 |
| Baniyas | 2010–11 UAE Pro-League runners-up | 1st | none |
| Al-Nasr | 2010–11 UAE Pro-League 3rd place | 1st | none |
| Pakhtakor | 2011 Uzbekistan Cup winners 2011 Uzbek League 3rd place | 10th | 2011 |
| Nasaf Qarshi | 2011 Uzbek League runners-up | 1st | none |
| Sepahan | 2010–11 Persian Gulf Cup champions | 8th | 2011 |
| Persepolis | 2010–11 Hazfi Cup winners | 4th | 2011 |
| Qualifying play-off participants: West Zone ||||
| Esteghlal | 2010–11 Persian Gulf Cup runners-up | 5th | 2011 |
| Zob Ahan | 2010–11 Persian Gulf Cup 3rd place | 4th | 2011 |
| Al-Ettifaq | 2010–11 Saudi Professional League 3rd place | 2nd | 2009 |
| Al-Shabab | 2010–11 UAE Pro-League 4th place | 2nd | 2009 |
| Neftchi Farg'ona | 2011 Uzbek League 4th place | 5th | 2007 |
Group stage direct entrants: East Zone (Groups E–H) :
| Team | Qualifying method | App* | Last App |
| Kashiwa Reysol | 2011 J.League Division 1 champions | 1st | none |
| FC Tokyo | 2011 Emperor's Cup winners | 1st | none |
| Nagoya Grampus | 2011 J.League Division 1 runners-up | 3rd | 2011 |
| Gamba Osaka | 2011 J.League Division 1 3rd place | 6th | 2011 |
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 2011 K-League champions | 6th | 2011 |
| Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma | 2011 Korean FA Cup winners | 5th | 2010 |
| Ulsan Hyundai | 2011 K-League runners-up | 3rd | 2009 |
| Guangzhou Evergrande | 2011 Chinese Super League champions | 1st | none |
| Tianjin Teda | 2011 Chinese FA Cup winners | 3rd | 2011 |
| Beijing Guoan | 2011 Chinese Super League runners-up | 4th | 2010 |
| Brisbane Roar | 2010–11 A-League premiers 2011 A-League Grand Final winners | 1st | none |
| Central Coast Mariners | 2010–11 A-League regular season runners-up | 2nd | 2009 |
| Buriram United | 2011 Thai Premier League champions 2011 Thai FA Cup winners | 2nd | 2009 |
| Bunyodkor$^†$ | 2011 Uzbek League champions | 5th | 2011 |
| Qualifying play-off participants: East Zone ||||
| Pohang Steelers | 2011 K-League 3rd place | 4th | 2010 |
| Adelaide United | 2010–11 A-League regular season 3rd place | 4th | 2010 |
| Chonburi | 2011 Thai Premier League runners-up | 2nd | 2008 |
| Persipura Jayapura$^‡$ | 2010–11 Indonesia Super League champions | 2nd | 2010 |

### Notes

* $^*$ Number of appearances (including qualifying rounds) since the 2002/03 season, when the competition was rebranded as the AFC Champions League.
* $^†$ Bunyodkor (Uzbekistan) was moved to the East Zone.
* $^‡$ Persipura Jayapura were initially disqualified by the AFC from participating but on appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the CAS ruled on 1 February 2012 that they should be provisionally reinstated to the competition and were entitled to play in the qualifying play-off.
* Al-Kuwait (Kuwait), the 2011 AFC Cup runners-up, failed to fulfil the criteria set by AFC to compete in the 2012 AFC Champions League, and thus directly entered the 2012 AFC Cup. Nasaf Qarshi (Uzbekistan), the 2011 AFC Cup winners, already directly qualified for the group stage based on their domestic performance.

## Schedule

Schedule of dates for 2012 competition.
| Phase | Round | Draw date | First leg | Second leg |
| Qualifying play-offs | Semi-finals | 6 December 2011 | 10 February 2012 | 10 February 2012 |
| Qualifying play-offs | Finals | 6 December 2011 | 18 February 2012 | 18 February 2012 |
| Group stage | Matchday 1 | 6 December 2011 | 6–7 March 2012 | 6–7 March 2012 |
| Group stage | Matchday 2 | 6 December 2011 | 20–21 March 2012 | 20–21 March 2012 |
| Group stage | Matchday 3 | 6 December 2011 | 3–4 April 2012 | 3–4 April 2012 |
| Group stage | Matchday 4 | 6 December 2011 | 17–18 April 2012 | 17–18 April 2012 |
| Group stage | Matchday 5 | 6 December 2011 | 1–2 May 2012 | 1–2 May 2012 |
| Group stage | Matchday 6 | 6 December 2011 | 15–16 May 2012 | 15–16 May 2012 |
| Knockout phase | Round of 16 | 6 December 2011 | 22–23 May 2012 (W), 29–30 May 2012 (E) | 22–23 May 2012 (W), 29–30 May 2012 (E) |
| Knockout phase | Quarter-finals | 14 June 2012 | 19 September 2012 | 2–3 October 2012 |
| Knockout phase | Semi-finals | 14 June 2012 | 24 October 2012 | 31 October 2012 |
| Knockout phase | Final | 14 June 2012 | 9 or 10 November 2012 at home of one of the finalists | 9 or 10 November 2012 at home of one of the finalists |

## Qualifying play-off

The draw for the qualifying play-off was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 6 December 2011. The winners advanced to the group stage, while the losers of the final round advanced to the AFC Cup group stage, except the loser of the match between Adelaide United and Persipura Jayapura.

### West Zone

| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| Semi-final Round |||
| Esteghlal | 2–0 | Zob Ahan |
| Final Round |||
| Al-Shabab | 3–0 | Neftchi Farg'ona |
| Esteghlal | 3–1 | Al-Ettifaq |

### East Zone

| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| Final Round |||
| Pohang Steelers | 2–0 | Chonburi |
| Adelaide United | 3–0 | Persipura Jayapura |

## Group stage

The draw for the group stage was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 6 December 2011. Clubs from the same country may not be drawn into the same group. The winners and runners-up of each group advanced to the knockout stage.

### Group A

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | JAZ | EST | RAY | NQA |
| 1 | Al-Jazira | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 10 | +8 | 16 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 1–1 | 3–2 | 4–1 |
| 2 | Esteghlal | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 3 | +5 | 11 | Advance to knockout stage | 1–2 | — | 3–0 | 0–0 |
| 3 | Al-Rayyan | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 12 | −3 | 6 | | 3–4 | 0–1 | — | 3–1 |
| 4 | Nasaf Qarshi | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 14 | −10 | 1 | | 2–4 | 0–2 | 0–1 | — |

### Group B

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | ITT | YAS | PAK | ARA |
| 1 | Al-Ittihad | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 4 | +9 | 16 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 1–0 | 4–0 | 3–2 |
| 2 | Baniyas | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 2 | +7 | 11 | Advance to knockout stage | 0–0 | — | 2–0 | 2–0 |
| 3 | Pakhtakor | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 10 | −4 | 7 | | 1–2 | 1–1 | — | 3–1 |
| 4 | Al-Arabi | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 16 | −12 | 0 | | 1–3 | 0–4 | 0–1 | — |

### Group C

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | SEP | AHL | NAS | LEK |
| 1 | Sepahan | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 13 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 |
| 2 | Al-Ahli | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 6 | +4 | 10 | Advance to knockout stage | 1–1 | — | 3–1 | 3–0 |
| 3 | Al-Nasr | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 11 | −5 | 6 | | 0–3 | 1–2 | — | 2–1 |
| 4 | Lekhwiya | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 9 | −4 | 6 | | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–2 | — |
* 1 2 Al-Nasr and Lekhwiya are ranked by their head-to-head record (Al-Nasr: 6 pts; Lekhwiya: 0 pts).

### Group D

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | HIL | PER | GHA | SHA |
| 1 | Al-Hilal | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 7 | +3 | 12 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 |
| 2 | Persepolis | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 5 | +9 | 11 | Advance to knockout stage | 0–1 | — | 1–1 | 6–1 |
| 3 | Al-Gharafa | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 10 | −3 | 6 | | 3–3 | 0–3 | — | 2–1 |
| 4 | Al-Shabab | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 14 | −9 | 2 | | 1–1 | 1–3 | 0–0 | — |

### Group E

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | ADE | BYD | POH | GMB |
| 1 | Adelaide United | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 13 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 0–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 |
| 2 | Bunyodkor | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 7 | +1 | 10 | Advance to knockout stage | 1–2 | — | 1–0 | 3–2 |
| 3 | Pohang Steelers | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 9 | | 1–0 | 0–2 | — | 2–0 |
| 4 | Gamba Osaka | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 13 | −8 | 3 | | 0–2 | 3–1 | 0–3 | — |

### Group F

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | ULS | TOK | BBR | BEG |
| 1 | Ulsan Hyundai | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 7 | +4 | 14 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 |
| 2 | FC Tokyo | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 6 | +6 | 11 | Advance to knockout stage | 2–2 | — | 4–2 | 3–0 |
| 3 | Brisbane Roar | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 11 | −5 | 3 | | 1–2 | 0–2 | — | 1–1 |
| 4 | Beijing Guoan | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 11 | −5 | 3 | | 2–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | — |
* 1 2 Brisbane Roar and Beijing Guoan are tied on their head-to-head record (2 pts, 0 GD, 2 GF), overall goal difference and overall goals scored, and so are ranked by their fair play record (Brisbane Roar: 12 pts; Beijing Guoan: 18 pts).

### Group G

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | SIC | NGY | CCM | TTD |
| 1 | Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 5 | +8 | 10 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 1–1 | 5–0 | 1–1 |
| 2 | Nagoya Grampus | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 4 | +6 | 10 | Advance to knockout stage | 2–2 | — | 3–0 | 0–0 |
| 3 | Central Coast Mariners | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 11 | −4 | 6 | | 1–1 | 1–1 | — | 5–1 |
| 4 | Tianjin Teda | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 12 | −10 | 3 | | 0–3 | 0–3 | 0–0 | — |
* 1 2 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma and Nagoya Grampus are tied on their head-to-head record (2 pts, 0 GD, 3 GF), and so are ranked by their overall goal difference.

### Group H

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | GEG | KSR | JHM | BRU |
| 1 | Guangzhou Evergrande | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 8 | +4 | 10 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–2 |
| 2 | Kashiwa Reysol | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 7 | +4 | 10 | Advance to knockout stage | 0–0 | — | 5–1 | 1–0 |
| 3 | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 15 | −5 | 9 | | 1–5 | 0–2 | — | 3–2 |
| 4 | Buriram United | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 11 | −3 | 6 | | 1–2 | 3–2 | 0–2 | — |
* 1 2 Guangzhou Evergrande and Kashiwa Reysol are ranked by their head-to-head record (Guangzhou Evergrande: 4 pts; Kashiwa Reysol: 1 pt).

## Knockout stage
### Bracket

| Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | | Final | Final | |
| Adelaide United | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Nagoya Grampus | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Nagoya Grampus | 0 | Adelaide United | 2 | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| | | Bunyodkor (a.e.t.) | 2 | 3 | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma | 0 | Bunyodkor (a.e.t.) | 2 | 3 | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| Bunyodkor | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Bunyodkor | 1 | | | | | Bunyodkor | 1 | 0 | 1 | | | | |
| | | | | | | Ulsan Hyundai | 3 | 2 | 5 | | | | |
| Ulsan Hyundai | 3 | | | | | | | | | Ulsan Hyundai | 3 | 2 | 5 | | |
| Kashiwa Reysol | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Kashiwa Reysol | 2 | Ulsan Hyundai | 1 | 4 | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| | | Al-Hilal | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| Al-Hilal | 7 | Al-Hilal | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| Baniyas | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Baniyas | 1 | | | | | | | | | | Ulsan Hyundai | 3 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | Al-Ahli | 0 | |
| Al-Ittihad | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | Al-Ahli | 0 |
| Persepolis | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Persepolis | 0 | Al-Ittihad | 4 | 1 | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| | | Guangzhou Evergrande | 2 | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| Guangzhou Evergrande | 1 | Guangzhou Evergrande | 2 | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| FC Tokyo | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| FC Tokyo | 0 | | | | | Al-Ittihad | 1 | 0 | 1 | | | | |
| | | | | | | Al-Ahli | 0 | 2 | 2 | | | | |
| Sepahan | 2 | | | | | | | | | Al-Ahli | 0 | 2 | 2 | | |
| Esteghlal | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Esteghlal | 0 | Sepahan | 0 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| | | Al-Ahli | 0 | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| Al-Jazira | 3 (2) | Al-Ahli | 0 | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| Al-Ahli (p) | 3 (4) | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Round of 16

The matchups for the round of 16 were decided based on the results from the group stage. Each tie was played as one match, hosted by the winners of each group (Team 1) against the runners-up of another group (Team 2).
West Zone :
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
East Zone :
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |

### Quarter-finals

The draw for the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 14 June 2012. It determined the matchups for the quarter-finals and semi-finals as well as the potential host for the final.
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Al-Ittihad | 5–4 | Guangzhou Evergrande | 4–2 | 1–2 |
| Sepahan | 1–4 | Al-Ahli | 0–0 | 1–4 |
| Adelaide United | 4–5 | Bunyodkor | 2–2 | 2–3 (a.e.t.) |
| Ulsan Hyundai | 5–0 | Al-Hilal | 1–0 | 4–0 |

### Semi-finals

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Al-Ittihad | 1–2 | Al-Ahli | 1–0 | 0–2 |
| Bunyodkor | 1–5 | Ulsan Hyundai | 1–3 | 0–2 |

### Final

The final of the 2012 AFC Champions League was hosted by one of the finalists, decided by a draw. According to the draw on 14 June 2012, the winner of semi-final 2 would host the final. Therefore, Ulsan Hyundai was the home team.

## Top scorers

| Rank | Player | Club | MD1 | MD2 | MD3 | MD4 | MD5 | MD6 | R16 | QF1 | QF2 | SF1 | SF2 | 0 F 0 | Total |
| 1 | Ricardo Oliveira | Al-Jazira | 1 | 1 | | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | | | | | | 12 |
| 2 | Naif Hazazi | Al-Ittihad | | 2 | 1 | | 1 | | 1 | 2 | | 1 | | | 8 |
| 3 | Rafinha | Gamba Osaka (GS) Ulsan Hyundai (QF+SF+F) | | | 2 | | | | | 1 | 2 | 1 | | 1 | 7 |
| 3 | Victor Simões | Al-Ahli | | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | 1 | | 1 | | 1 | | 7 |
| 5 | Darío Conca | Guangzhou Evergrande | 2 | | | 1 | 1 | 1 | | | 1 | | | | 6 |
| 5 | Kim Shin-Wook | Ulsan Hyundai | 1 | | | | 1 | | 1 | | 1 | 1 | 1 | | 6 |
| 7 | Éamon Zayed | Persepolis | | 3 | 1 | | | 1 | | | | | | | 5 |
| 7 | Bruno Correa | Sepahan | 1 | 1 | 1 | | 1 | | 1 | | | | | | 5 |
| 7 | Leandro Domingues | Kashiwa Reysol | | 2 | | | 1 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | 5 |
| 7 | Yoo Byung-Soo | Al-Hilal | | | | 1 | | | 4 | | | | | | 5 |
| 7 | Amara Diané | Al-Nasr | | 2 | 1 | 1 | | 1 | | | | | | | 5 |
Note: Goals scored in qualifying play-off not counted.
Source: