With Chinese Super League club Changchun Yatai announcing its withdrawal from the AFC Champions League for the new season, Australian Premier League side Sydney FC is just one step away from the group stage of the AFC Champions League.
Next Tuesday, Sydney FC will be at home for the AFC Champions League play-off against Philippine club Kaya at netstrata Jubilee Stadium, their seventh appearance in the intercontinental event.
The winner of this match will be against Changchun Yatai in the play-offs on March 15, but this match has now been cancelled.
This means that the winners of next week's tournament will automatically advance to Group H of this year's AFC Champions League, where they will face South Korea's Jeonbuk Hyundai, Japan's Yokohama Mariners and Vietnam's Hoang An Ka Lai.
Sydney FC met the Yokohama Mariner in 2020 when the J League giants were the current Super League Celtic head coach, Australian Poste Kogru, while the coach of the Yokohama team was another Australian, former Melbourne Victory coach Kevin Muscat.
All Group H competitions will be held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from 15 April to 1 May.
Australian FA Cup winner Melbourne Victory's advance to the group stage was even more daunting, and they drew on J-League side Kobe Victory Ship, which has Spanish superstar Iniesta. The play-offs between the two sides will be held in Kobe on March 15.
Last season's Australian Premier League champions Melbourne Victory were divided into Group G with South Korea's Jeonnam Tenryu, Thailand's Baton United and Philippines' United. The group's competition will be held in Thailand from April 15 to April 30.