Central Coast Mariners and Macarthur FC discovered their AFC Cup opponents as the Isuzu UTE A-League pair prepare to make history in the competition.
For the first time in the history of the AFC Cup, Australians clubs are involved, with this season’s edition featuring 36 clubs from the five AFC Zones across nine groups, running between September 2023 and May 2024.
FULL FIXTURE: EVERY 2023-24 ISUZU UTE A-LEAGUE MATCH
A-LEAGUE MEN DERBY DATES: The biggest Isuzu UTE A-League matches to put in your diary NOW
On Thursday in Kuala Lumpur, 2022 Australia Cup champions Macarthur were drawn in Group F alongside Filipino outfit Dynamic Herb Cebu FC, Myanmar’s Shan United FC and Phnom Penh Crown FC of Cambodia.
A-League Men champions the Mariners will face Malaysian club Terengganu FC, Indonesia’s Bali United and Stallion Laguna FC of the Philippines in Group G.
Nick Montgomery’s Central Coast are back in Asian club competition for the first time since losing an AFC Champions League play-off against Guangzhou R&F in 2015. It is the first time they’re in the group stages of a competition since 2014.
Prior to the draw, Mariners full-back Noah Smith told reporters: “We want to go back-to-back, but we also have the Asian competition too and we want to win that as well.
“Only one Australian team has won an Asian trophy and we want to be the second. It’s going to be a big year, a lot of games. But we’re going to have a deep squad and the quality this team has, there’s no reason why we can’t win both tournaments.”
AFC football is coming to Campbelltown, with Macarthur to have their first taste of Asian continental football thanks to hoisting the Australia Cup trophy aloft last year.
Oman’s Al-Seeb were the titleholders after winning in 2022, however, they won’t be defending their crown after failing to advance through their domestic league.
CENTRAL COAST MARINERS FIXTURES
Terengganu FC v Central Coast Mariners
Date: September 20 2023
Kick-off: 10 PM (AEST)
Venue: Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium, Terengganu
Central Coast Mariners v Stallion Laguna FC
Date: October 4 2023
Kick-off: 7 PM (AEDT)
Venue: Industree Group Stadium, Gosford
Central Coast Mariners v Bali United
Date: October 26 2023
Kick-off: 7 PM (AEDT)
Venue: Industree Group Stadium, Gosford
Bali United v Central Coast Mariners
Date: November 8 2023
Kick-off: 11 PM (AEDT)
Venue: Kapten I Wayana Dipta Stadium, Bali
Central Coast Mariners v Terengganu FC
Date: November 29 2023
Kick-off: 7 PM (AEDT)
Venue: Industree Group Stadium, Gosford
Central Coast Mariners v Stallion Laguna FC
Date: December 13 2023
Kick-off: 11 PM (AEDT)
Venue: Binan Football Stadium, Laguna
MACARTHUR FC FIXTURES
Shan United v Macarthur FC
Date: September 21 2023
Kick-off: 10 PM (AEST)
Venue: Thuwunna Football Stadium, Yangon
Macarthur FC v Dynamic Herb Cebu
Date: October 5 2023
Kick-off: 7 PM (AEDT)
Venue: Campbelltown Stadium
Phnom Penh Crown v Macarthur FC
Date: October 26 2023
Kick-off: 7 PM (AEDT)
Venue: Olympic Stadium, Phnom Penh
Macarthur FC v Phnom Penh Crown
Date: November 9 2023
Kick-off: 7 PM (AEDT)
Venue: Campbelltown Stadium
Macarthur FC v Shan United
Date: November 30 2023
Kick-off: 7 PM (AEDT)
Venue: Campbelltown Stadium
Dynamic Herb Cebu Macarthur FC
Date: December 14 2023
Kick-off: 11 PM (AEDT)
Venue: Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila
Groups
ASEAN
Group F: Dynamic Herb Cebu FC (PHI), Macarthur FC (AUS), Shan United (MYA), Phnom Penh Crown FC (CAM)
Group G: Terengganu FC (MAS), Bali United (IDN), Stallion Laguna FC (PHI), Central Coast Mariners (AUS)
Group H: Haiphong FC (VIE), Hougang United (SGP), Sabah FC (MAS), PSM Makassar (IDN)
West
Group A: Al Ahed FC (LBN), Al Futuwa (SYR), Jabal Al Mukaber Club (PLE), Al Nahda (OMA)
Group B: Al Wehdat (JOR), Kuwait SC (KUW), Al Kahrbaa SC (IRQ), Al Ittihad Al-Ahli of Aleppo (SYR)
Group C: Al Zawraa (IRQ), Al Riffa (BHR), Nejmeh SC (LBN), Al Arabi (KUW)
South
Group D: Odisha FC (IND), Bashundhara Kings (BAN), Maziya Sports & Recreation Club (MDV), Mohun Bagan Super Giant (IND)
Central
Group E: FC Ravshan (TJK), Altyn Asyr FC (TKM), FC Abdysh-Ata (KGZ), FC Merw (TKM)
East
Group I: CPK (MAC), Tainan City FC (TPE), FC Ulaanbaatar (MNG), Taichung Futuro FC (TPE)
