Dubai side Al Ahli will learn the identity of their quarter-final opponents when the AFC Champions League draw is made in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday (12:00).
The Red Knights are the UAE’s last surviving representation and with the competition still split between West and East Asia there are only three potential opponents for Cosmin Olaroiu and his side.
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They are Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia), Naft Tehran (Iran) and Lekhwiya (Qatar). Al Hilal were last season’s runners-up but will have to play their home leg behind closed doors after crowd trouble in their last-16 win over Iran’s Persepolis.
Lekhwiya, whose boss Michael Laudrup’s future is decidedly uncertain, are Qatari champions, while Naft were third in Iran and would be the kindest draw on offer.
The four East Asian sides left are Gamba Osaka, Kashiwa Reysol (both Japan), Guangzhou Evergrande (China) and Jeonbuk HM (South Korea).
