AFC Women’s Champions League Knockout Stage Draw Set for January 8.
The historic inaugural season of the AFC Women’s Champions League is set to reach a pivotal moment as the draw for the Knockout Stage takes place on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, at 3 PM local time at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur.
Journey to the Knockout Stage
After kicking off last August with the Preliminary Stage and concluding an intense Group Stage in October, eight elite teams remain in contention. The Knockout Stage draw will determine the Quarter-final matchups, featuring the top two finishers from each of the three groups alongside the two best third-placed teams.
Draw Mechanics and Team Allocation
The teams have been allocated into two pots based on their performance in the Group Stage:
Pot 1: Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC (KOR), Melbourne City FC (AUS), Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies (JPN), Ho Chi Minh City Women’s FC (VIE).
Pot 2: Abu Dhabi Country Club (UAE), Bam Khatoon FC (IRN), Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC (CHN), Taichung Blue Whale Women’s Football Team (TPE).
To ensure fairness and uphold the Group Protection Principle, teams from the same group will not face each other in the Quarter-finals. This safeguard will be implemented using the AFC’s draw software.
Schedule and Stakes
Teams drawn from Pot 1 will host the single-leg Quarter-final matches, slated for March 22 and 23, 2025. The competition will culminate in a centralized Finals event, with the Semi-finals and the championship Final taking place from May 21 to 24, 2025. The victorious team will earn both prestige and a significant prize purse of at least USD 1.3 million.
Where to Watch
Fans can witness history in the making by tuning into the live draw ceremony for the AFC Women’s Champions League Knockout Stage on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, at 3 PM.
The stakes are high as these eight teams vie for glory in the continent’s most prestigious women’s football tournament. The road to the title promises intense battles and thrilling moments, ensuring an unforgettable journey to crowning the first-ever champions.
Kawasaki Frontale beat Al Sadd 3-2 after extra time to become the only East Asian club in the AFC Champions League Elite semifinals.