2002–03 AFC Champions League

The 2002–03 AFC Champions League was the twenty-second edition of Asia's premier football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation, and the first edition under the AFC Champions League title.

2002–03 AFC Champions League
Tournament details
Dates13 August – 27 November 2002
(qualifying rounds)
9 March – 11 October 2003
(group & final stages)
Teams16 (group stage)
Final positions
ChampionsUnited Arab Emirates Al-Ain (1st title)
Runners-upThailand BEC Tero Sasana
Tournament statistics
Matches played30
Goals scored104 (3.47 per match)
Top scorer(s)China Hao Haidong
(9 goals)
Best player(s)Thailand Therdsak Chaiman
2001–02 (Asian Club Championship)
2004

Sixteen teams competed in this edition as they went through qualifying before going into four groups of four with only the winner of the group qualifying to the knockout-stage which went to two-legs instead of the single leg that the previous year competition had. In the final it was Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates beating BEC Tero Sasana of Thailand 2–1 on aggregate.

Qualification

Group stage

Group A

TeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts
BEC Tero Sasana (H)321063+37
Daejeon Citizen32013306
Shanghai Shenhua310267−13
Kashima Antlers301257−21
Source: [citation needed]
(H) Hosts
Shanghai Shenhua 1–2 Daejeon Citizen
Luo Xiao 85'(Report)[permanent dead link]Han Jung-kook 8'
Kim Eun-jung 44'
Attendance: 8,000
Referee: Masoud Moradi

Kashima Antlers 2–2 BEC Tero Sasana
Hirase 21'
Fernando 77'
(Report)[permanent dead link]Yongant 76', 90'
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Al Hamdan Naser

Kashima Antlers 3–4 Shanghai Shenhua
Aoki 24'
Fernando 56'
Nozawa 90'
(Report)[permanent dead link]Yang Guang 1'
Zhang Yuning 11'
Martínez 31', 87'
Attendance: 6,000
Referee: Balu Sundarraj

Daejeon Citizen 0–2 BEC Tero Sasana
(Report)[permanent dead link]Kongpraphan 14'
Chaiman 73'
Attendance: 16,000
Referee: Anura De Silva

BEC Tero Sasana 2–1 Shanghai Shenhua
Thongsukh 27'
Chaiman 85'
(Report)[permanent dead link]Martínez 58'
Attendance: 20,000
Referee: Al Hamdan Naser

Daejeon Citizen 1–0 Kashima Antlers
Papa Oumar 87'(Report)
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Masoud Moradi

Group B

TeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts
Dalian Shide (H)3210102+87
Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma320194+56
Shimizu S-Pulse311182+64
Osotsapa FC3003120−190
Source: [citation needed]
(H) Hosts


Shimizu S-Pulse 1–2 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma
Ahn Jung-hwan 53'(Report)[permanent dead link]Drakulić 74'
Kim Dae-eui 87'
Attendance: 2,000
Referee: Ahmad Khalidi Supain

Osotsapa FC 1–7 Dalian Shide
Jankam 13'(Report)[permanent dead link]Hao Haidong 27', 32', 49', 61'
Yan Song 60'
Zou Jie 80'
Dong Fangzhuo 82'
Attendance: 18,000
Referee: Setiyono Midi Nitrerejo


Osotsapa FC 0–7 Shimizu S-Pulse
(Report)[permanent dead link]Takagi 23', 40'
Sawanobori 27'
Alex 50'
Ahn Jung-hwan 60', 71'
Kitajima 75'
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: Setiyono Midi Nitrerejo

Group C

TeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts
Al-Ain (H)330061+59
Al Sadd310245−13
Esteghlal310257−23
Al-Hilal310246−23
Source: [citation needed]
(H) Hosts

Al-Ain 1–0 Al-Hilal
Harib 12' (pen.)(Report)
Attendance: 6,500
Referee: Shaban Qassem


Esteghlal 2–3 Al-Hilal
Khatibi 18'
Samereh 42'
(Report)[permanent dead link]Suffo 34', 74', 85'
Attendance: 2,500
Referee: Subkhdiin Mohd Salleh

Al-Hilal 1–3 Al Sadd
Jumaan 57'(Report)[permanent dead link]Keita 45'
Sergio Ricardo 80'
Kamil 90'
Attendance: 1,200
Referee: Shaban Qassem

Esteghlal 1–3 Al-Ain
Samereh 67'(Report)[permanent dead link]Faisal Ali 65'
Sanogo 76'
Harib 78'
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Lu Jun

Group D

TeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts
Pakhtakor (H)330070+79
Persepolis320152+36
Al-Talaba310234−13
Nisa Asgabat3003110−90
Source: [citation needed]
(H) Hosts
Nisa Asgabat 0–3 Pakhtakor
(Report)[permanent dead link]Hamidullaev 44'
Soliev 57'
Koshelev 72'
Attendance: 30,000
Referee: Rungklay Mongkol


Al-Talaba 3–0 Nisa Asgabat
Abdulsada 10'
Mahmoud 24', 90'
(Report)
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Bae Jae-yong


Persepolis 4–1 Nisa Asgabat
Khanmohammadi 14', 76'
Golmohammadi 47'
Aslanian 90'
(Report)[permanent dead link]Meredov 89' (pen.)
Attendance: 2,000
Referee: Fareed Al Marzouqi

Pakhtakor 3–0 Al-Talaba
Krokhmal 25', 57'
Goçgulyýew 37'
(Report)[permanent dead link]
Attendance: 55,000
Referee: Rungklay Mongkol

Knock-out stage

Bracket

Semi-finalsFinal
          
1 Al-Ain437
4 Dalian Shide246
Al-Ain202
BEC Tero Sasana011
3 BEC Tero Sasana303
2 Pakhtakor112

Semi-finals

Team 1Agg.Tooltip Aggregate scoreTeam 21st leg2nd leg
BEC Tero Sasana 3–2 Pakhtakor3–10–1
Al-Ain 7–6 Dalian Shide4–23–4

First leg


Second leg

BEC Tero Sasana won 3–2 on aggregate.


Al-Ain won 7–6 on aggregate.

Final

Team 1Agg.Tooltip Aggregate scoreTeam 21st leg2nd leg
Al-Ain 2–1 BEC Tero Sasana2–00–1

First leg

Al-Ain 2–0 BEC Tero Sasana
Salem Johar 38'
Omar 74'

Second leg

Al-Ain won 2–1 on aggregate.

Top scorers

9
4
3

Notes