AFC Champions League Round of 16 Draw: Jeonbuk to face Pohang

There's an all-K League affair in the 2023-2024 AFC Champions League Round of 16 as Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Pohang Steelers have been drawn together.

K League's other representative in the first stage of the ACL knockouts, Ulsan HD, will take on debutants Ventforet Kofu of Japan.

Elsewhere, Shandong Taishan FC of China will host Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale while Bangkok United of Thailand will play Yokohama F. Marinos. 

Jeonbuk made it all the way to the semis in 2022 and were ever so close to reaching the final, having lost on penalties to eventual winners Urawa Reds.

Pohang, meanwhile, are back in the competition for the first time since their runners-up finish in 2021.

Ulsan, on the other hand, famously won the competition in 2020 but were knocked out in the group stage in 2022 and were knocked out by Pohang in the 2021 semis.

All three of K League's Round of 16 teams have won the competition on more than one occasion - Jeonbuk twice (2006, 2016), Ulsan twice (2012, 2020), and Pohang three times (1996-97, 1997-98, 2009).

Yokohama F. Marinos, Shandong Taishan, Kawasaki Frontale, and Bangkok United are all looking to win the competition for the very first time.

Schedule

Round of 16 

East (February 13, 14; February 20, 21)

R16-5: Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC (KOR) vs. Pohang Steelers (KOR)

R16-6: Ulsan Hyundai FC (KOR) vs, Ventforet Kofu (JPN)

R16-7: Shandong Taishan (CHN) vs. Kawasaki Frontale (JPN)

R16-8: Bangkok United (THA) vs. Yokohama F. Marinos (JPN)

Quarter-finals 

East (March 5, 6; March 12,13)

QF3: Winners of R16-5 vs. Winners of R16-6

QF4: Winners of R16-7 vs. Winners of R16-8

Semi-finals 

East (April 17, 24)

SF2: Winners of QF3 v Winners of QF4

Final (May 11, 25)

Winners of SF2 v Winners of SF1