Shanghai Port held to a draw by Yokohama F. Marinos in AFC Champions League Round of 16

Next month, Shanghai Port is set to take on Yokohama F. Marinos in the round of 16 of the Asian Champions League Elite, following confirmation of their progression to the knockout stage by the Asian Football Confederation on Thursday.

Despite suffering a 2-0 defeat against the Japanese side in their final league phase match in Shanghai on Wednesday, Port advanced due to the withdrawal of fellow Chinese club Shandong Taishan.

The AFC solidified Shanghai’s advancement by releasing the official fixture schedule for the last 16 teams.

Yokohama, who finished atop the 12-team East Asian league standings, will visit Shanghai for the first leg on 4 March. Meanwhile, Buriram United from Thailand will host Malaysia’s Johor Darul Ta’zim on the same day, with the return matches taking place a week later.

On 5 March, Shanghai Shenhua will welcome Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale, and reigning J-League champions Vissel Kobe will entertain South Korea’s Gwangju FC, with second legs scheduled for 12 March.

The victors of these four matchups will move on to the quarter-finals, where they will join the four qualifiers from the western side of the confederation for centralised finals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, set for 25 April to 3 May.

In the western bracket, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr will face Iran’s Esteghlal, while Qatar’s Al Sadd matches up against Al Wasl from the United Arab Emirates on 3 and 10 March respectively.

Four-time champions Al Hilal will take on Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor, with fellow Saudi team Al Ahli squaring off against Qatar’s Al Rayyan on 4 and 11 March.

Shandong withdrew from their match against South Korea’s Ulsan HD on Wednesday due to health concerns, resulting in their results being erased from the tournament’s records.

According to tournament regulations, Shandong faces a fine of no less than $50,000, a minimum one-season suspension from AFC competitions, and must return all received subsidies.

Additionally, the club may be liable to compensate rival clubs and commercial entities for any incurred losses, with a ruling pending from the AFC’s disciplinary and ethics committee.