| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 10 February – 10 November 2012 |
| Teams | 37 (from 11 associations) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  Ulsan Hyundai (1st title) |
| Runners-up |  Al-Ahli |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 117 |
| Goals scored | 338 (2.89 per match) |
| Attendance | 1,480,245 (12,652 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) |  Ricardo Oliveira(12 goals)[1] |
| Best player(s) | Lee Keun-ho[2] |
← 2011 2013 → | |
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.[3][4]
The AFC approved criteria for participation in the 2011 and 2012 seasons.[5] The final decision date was set after the Executive Committee meeting in November 2010.[6]
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:
Australia, 
China PR, 
Indonesia, 
Japan, Korea Republic
Malaysia, 
Myanmar, 
Thailand
Singapore[7]
Vietnam[8]
Iran, 
Qatar, Saudi Arabia, 
UAE, 
Uzbekistan
India, 
Iraq, 
Jordan, 
Oman, 
Pakistan, 
Palestine, 
Tajikistan, 
YemenNote: India, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam have clubs taking part in play-offs to qualify for the group stages of ACL in 2010.
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.[8] 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.[9]
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.[10] 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 | |
|
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A total of 37 teams participated in the 2012 AFC Champions League.[10]
Schedule of dates for 2012 competition.[14]
| Phase | Round | Draw date | First leg | Second leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifying play-offs | Semi-finals | 6 December 2011 | 10 February 2012 | |
| Finals | 18 February 2012 | |||
| Group stage | Matchday 1 | 6–7 March 2012 | ||
| Matchday 2 | 20–21 March 2012 | |||
| Matchday 3 | 3–4 April 2012 | |||
| Matchday 4 | 17–18 April 2012 | |||
| Matchday 5 | 1–2 May 2012 | |||
| Matchday 6 | 15–16 May 2012 | |||
| Knockout phase | Round of 16 | 22–23 May 2012 (W), 29–30 May 2012 (E) | ||
| Quarter-finals | 14 June 2012 | 19 September 2012 | 2–3 October 2012 | |
| Semi-finals | 24 October 2012 | 31 October 2012 | ||
| Final | 9 or 10 November 2012 at home of one of the finalists | |||
The draw for the qualifying play-off was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 6 December 2011.[15] The winners advanced to the group stage, while the losers of the final round advanced to the AFC Cup group stage,[16] except the loser of the match between Adelaide United and Persipura Jayapura.[17]
| 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
|
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Final Round | ||
| Pohang Steelers
|
2–0 | Chonburi
|
| Adelaide United
|
3–0 | Persipura Jayapura
|
The draw for the group stage was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 6 December 2011.[18] 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.[16]
| Pos | Team
|
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 | 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 | — |
| Pos | Team
|
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 | 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 | — |
| Pos | Team
|
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 | 1–1 | — | 3–1 | 3–0 | ||
| 3 | Al-Nasr
|
6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 11 | −5 | 6[a] | 0–3 | 1–2 | — | 2–1 | ||
| 4 | Lekhwiya
|
6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 9 | −4 | 6[a] | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–2 | — |
| Pos | Team
|
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 | 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 | — |
| Pos | Team
|
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 | 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 | — |
| Pos | Team
|
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 | 2–2 | — | 4–2 | 3–0 | ||
| 3 | Brisbane Roar
|
6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 11 | −5 | 3[a] | 1–2 | 0–2 | — | 1–1 | ||
| 4 | Beijing Guoan
|
6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 11 | −5 | 3[a] | 2–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | — |
| Pos | Team
|
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[a] | Advance to knockout stage | — | 1–1 | 5–0 | 1–1 | |
| 2 | Nagoya Grampus
|
6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 4 | +6 | 10[a] | 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 | — |
| Pos | Team
|
Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | GEG | KSR | JHM | BRU | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guangzhou Evergrande
|
6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 8 | +4 | 10[a] | Advance to knockout stage | — | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–2 | |
| 2 | Kashiwa Reysol
|
6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 7 | +4 | 10[a] | 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 | — |
| Round of 16 | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||||||||||
| Adelaide United
| 1 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Nagoya Grampus
| 0 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Adelaide United
| 2 | 2 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| Bunyodkor (a.e.t.)
| 2 | 3 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
| Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma
| 0 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Bunyodkor
| 1 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Bunyodkor
| 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| Ulsan Hyundai
| 3 | 2 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
| Ulsan Hyundai
| 3 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Kashiwa Reysol
| 2 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Ulsan Hyundai
| 1 | 4 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
| Al-Hilal
| 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| Al-Hilal
| 7 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Baniyas
| 1 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Ulsan Hyundai
| 3 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Al-Ahli
| 0 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Al-Ittihad
| 3 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Persepolis
| 0 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Al-Ittihad
| 4 | 1 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
| Guangzhou Evergrande
| 2 | 2 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| Guangzhou Evergrande
| 1 | ||||||||||||||||||
| FC Tokyo
| 0 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Al-Ittihad
| 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| Al-Ahli
| 0 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| Sepahan
| 2 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Esteghlal
| 0 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Sepahan
| 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| Al-Ahli
| 0 | 4 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| Al-Jazira
| 3 (2) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Al-Ahli (p)
| 3 (4) | ||||||||||||||||||
The matchups for the round of 16 were decided based on the results from the group stage.[19] 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).[16]
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Al-Jazira
|
3–3 (aet) (2–4 p) |
Al-Ahli
|
| Sepahan
|
2–0 | Esteghlal
|
| Al-Ittihad
|
3–0 | Persepolis
|
| Al-Hilal
|
7–1 | Baniyas
|
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Adelaide United
|
1–0 | Nagoya Grampus
|
| Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma
|
0–1 | Bunyodkor
|
| Ulsan Hyundai
|
3–2 | Kashiwa Reysol
|
| Guangzhou Evergrande
|
1–0 | FC Tokyo
|
The draw for the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 14 June 2012.[20] It determined the matchups for the quarter-finals and semi-finals as well as the potential host for the final.[21]
| 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 |
| 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 |
The final of the 2012 AFC Champions League was hosted by one of the finalists, decided by a draw.[16] According to the draw on 14 June 2012, the winner of semi-final 2 would host the final.[22] Therefore, Ulsan Hyundai was the home team.
| Ulsan Hyundai | 3–0 | Al-Ahli |
|---|---|---|
Kwak Tae-Hwi  13'Rafinha 68'Kim Seung-Yong 75' |
Report |
Attendance: 42,153
Referee: Ben Williams (Australia)
| Rank | Player | Club | MD1 | MD2 | MD3 | MD4 | MD5 | MD6 | R16 | QF1 | QF2 | SF1 | SF2 | 0F0 | 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 | |||||||
| Victor Simões
|
Al-Ahli
|
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | ||||||
| 5 |  Darío Conca
|
Guangzhou Evergrande
|
2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |||||||
| Kim Shin-Wook
|
Ulsan Hyundai
|
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |||||||
| 7 |  Éamon Zayed
|
Persepolis
|
3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |||||||||
| Bruno Correa
|
Sepahan
|
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | ||||||||
| Leandro Domingues
|
Kashiwa Reysol
|
2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |||||||||
| Yoo Byung-Soo
|
Al-Hilal
|
1 | 4 | 5 | |||||||||||
 Amara Diané
|
Al-Nasr
|
2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
Note: Goals scored in qualifying play-off not counted.[23]
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« 2011 2013 » | |
| Domestic leagues |
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| Domestic cups |
|
| Regional club competitions |
|
| AFC club competitions |
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| National team competitions |
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| National team results |
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