National League champions Dempo will start their AFC Cup 2008 campaign against Al Ansar of Lebanon while East Bengal take on Ahli Sana’a of Yemen, according to the draws announced in Kuala Lumpur.

Dempo will play Al Ansar at home in the first match of Group ‘A’ on March 11. The Kolkata outfit, which qualified for Asia’s second tier club competition by virtue of winning the Federation Cup 2007, will also be the hosts in their Group ‘B’ encounter against the team from Yemen.

Dempo and East Bengal are each playing for the third time in the competition which started in 2004.

The Goan side had featured in the tournament in 2005 and 2006, while East Bengal had qualified in 2004 and 2005. The Kolkata giants had made it to the quarterfinals in 2004.

Dempo schedule: Mar 11 (home): vs Al Ansar (Lebanon); Mar 18 (away): vs Sur (Oman); Apr 2 (home): vs Al Muharraq (Bahrain); Apr 16 (away): vs Al Muharraq; Apr 30 (away): vs Al Ansar; May 14 (home): vs Sur.
East Bengal schedule: Mar 11 (away): vs Safa (Lebanon); Mar 18 (home): vs Ahli Sanaa (Yemen); Apr 2 (away): vs Al Wihdat (Jordan); Apr 16 (home): vs Al Wihdat; Apr 30 (home): vs Safa; May 14 (away): Ahli Sana’a.