Al Gharafa are set to face Esteghlal of Iran in a challenging encounter in the opening round of 2024-2025 AFC Champions League Elite. This match is scheduled to take place at Shahr-e Qods Stadium in Iran on Monday, September 16, 2024. The kick-off is at 9pm Doha time.

Al Gharafa secured their position in the inaugural edition of AFC Champions League Elite by beating Shabab Al Ahli of the UAE in the Preliminary Stage 2 at the Al Bayt Stadium, thus officially earning their spot in the continental competition in its new format.

Al Gharafa are poised to be formidable contenders in the tournament, bolstered by a roster of exceptional players and guided by the expertise of Portuguese coach Pedro Martins. He is expected to utilize the finest talents at his disposal to secure a victory and earn three points.

The Al Gharafa coach will also aim to rectify the mistakes made during their recent match against Al Shamal, which concluded in a 1-1 stalemate in Week 4 of the Ooredoo Stars League. He aspires to showcase a robust technical performance and achieve a favourable outcome against their Iranian rivals, marking the commencement of their campaign in the tournament and their ambition to advance to the later stages.

The tournament draw pitted clubs in two groups, each comprising 12 teams from the West and East regions. It may be noted that the league-stage matches are to be played from September 16 to February 19, 2025, with each team competing against eight different clubs within their region, playing four matches at home and as many away.

The top eight clubs from each group will progress to the Round of 16, followed by the final stages.