Do you dey reason as we dey enter 2024 AFC Champions League? E be like say e go hard for many Naija teams and other countries as dem don dey check am fine fine. Out of 47 countries for Asia, only 12 get chance for this premier club competition. Na wetin dem dey call ‘Elite’? More like ‘Exclusive’ if you ask me. (Na hot gist wey fit make your padi laugh!)
For wey dem dey play the matches, the format don change small. Na eight teams each go dey face each other once, and the competition dey follow same calendar as UEFA league. But no be say dem go see all teams for Asia join the party. Only 11 countries show face while UEFA dey carry more countries follow dem, with 53 out of 55 member associations showing support. (E dey sweet when you sabi say your country dey represent!)
You fit reason am like this, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Qatar don run show for the competition, while, countries like Bhutan and Brunei dey hide for corner. Na so e go be, six countries dey carry 18 teams come the league, while the rest dey find way to even get one! The way e be, e dey risk, especially when no proper football culture dey share across these countries. How e go be wey we no go fit gather everybody? Na wah o!
The tournament dey split into west and east zones, but when di quarter-finals come, all matches go happen for Saudi Arabia. Dis one no be joke, as the Saudi teams dey packed with world-class players wey don dey play ball for top leagues. E mean say if you no come from Saudi Arabia, e go be like say dem don set the game for dem to win as dem get the home advantage. (Talk about unfair advantage!)
The big question wey dey on everybody mind be say wetin go happen for the rest of the teams from di other Asian countries? If dem no gear up quick with more money and better talent, e fit be na only Saudi teams go dey rule this league. Clubs for Japan, South Korea, and other countries don dey ask themselves if e make sense to compete. We no wan hear say our teams dey play eleven matches just to face teams wey dey collect everything for the competition. E no easy at all!
Al-Hilal dey pose serious threat as dem don sign big names like Ivan Toney and Riyad Mahrez. The way dem touch money, e fit make every other team just dey chill as they sit down watch dem dey dominate. (If dem no careful, na only dem go dey flex for the league!)
At the end of the day, di future of Asian football dey hang on wetin happen next. How we go fit change this narrative when so many countries dey sit out? Football no suppose be like exclusive high-class club. E suppose be for everybody! We dey all hope sey di new format fit bring better development for more teams, but the risk wey come with e fit be like say na only time go fit tell us how e go end.
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