By Michael Church
(Reuters) – Reigning continental champions Urawa Red Diamonds will face China’s Wuhan Jiangda in the quarter-finals of the Asian Women’s Champions League in March after the draw for the last eight of the inaugural competition was held in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.
Japan’s Urawa will host the reigning Chinese Women’s Super League champions in the single leg clash on either March 22 or 23 with the winners taking on Ho Chi Minh City or Abu Dhabi Country Club in the semi-finals in May.
On the other side of the draw, Australia’s Melbourne City will meet Taichung Blue Whales from Taiwan and South Korean outfit Hyundai Steel Red Angels will play Iran’s Bam Khatoon.
The Women’s Asian Champions League kicked off in August featuring 21 clubs competing for a first prize of $1 million, the largest sum awarded to the winners of a women’s club competition in Asia.
Urawa were crowned continental champions in May when the Japanese outfit defeated Hyundai Steel to lift the Asian Women’s Club Championship, which served as a pilot competition ahead of the launch of the Women’s Asian Champions League.
The semi-finals and final will be played in an as-yet undecided centralised venue, with matches to be played on May 21 and 24 respectively.
(Reporting by Michael Church; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
