Urawa face Chonbuk Motors in Champions League quarters

KUALA LUMPUR, June 13 (Reuters) Japanese double winners Urawa Red Diamonds will face defending champions Chonbuk Motors of South Korea in the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League following today's draw.

Urawa, along with Kawasaki Frontale, became the first Japanese teams to qualify for the knockout phase of Asia's premier club competition during the preliminary rounds earlier this year.

But the Reds could not have asked for a more difficult opening assignment against Chonbuk, who broke West Asia's domination of the tournament with their victory over Syria's Al Karameh in last year's final.

Urawa manager Morihiko Yamaji is confident his team can overcome the Koreans when they face each other in the first leg in Japan on Sept 19.

''We are pleased with the draw,'' Yamaji told reporters.

''Chonbuk are the defending champions, which means we know a lot about them and in terms of research, it will be easy.

''We already won the J-League and now we want to win the Asian Champions League. These are our two main goals.'' Yamaji said the Reds would also draw confidence from their recent 1-0 victory over another South Korean Champions League side, Seongnam Ilhwa, in the A3 Cup in China.

Kawasaki, who emerged from Group F of the preliminary phase, also have a tough task over two legs against Iran's Sepahan.

Karameh, last year's surprise runners-up, edged Uzbekistan's Neftchi in Group C and were rewarded with a quarter-final tie with Seongnam, who won Group G.

In the other quarter-final, Group A winners Al Wahda of United Arab Emirates take on Saudi Arabia's Group B representatives Al Hilal.

Al Wahda said they would look to reschedule their match in Saudi Arabia because it fell during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadhan.

''We would have to play the match at a later time because of Ramadhan,'' Al Wahda general secretary Abdullah Al Junaibi said.

''The quarter-final is also before the start of our domestic season. But apart from that, we are looking forward to playing Al Hilal.'' Chonbuk, as defending champions, received a bye into the quarter-finals. The first leg matches take place on Sept. 19 with the second legs a week later.

REUTERS BJR VV1619