The ISL and I-League champions could battle it out in the AFC Cup group stages.....

Minerva Punjab and Chennaiyin FC could be facing each other in the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Cup 2019 in Group E according to the draw held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Thursday.

Indian clubs Chennaiyin FC and Minerva Punjab, by virtue of winning the Indian Super League (ISL) and I-League respectively in the 2017-18 season, will be battling it out in the continental competition next season.

In case of Minerva Punjab, they will be up against Iranian club Saipa in the first round of the Preliminary qualifiers of the ACL (AFC Champions League). They will be playing away on February 12, 2019, in a one-off game. In case they negotiate that fixture, Qatar's Al Rayyan await them on February 19, 2019 - another one-off away fixture. There shall be no standby club in case they make it.

In case they lose any of these fixtures, Minerva Punjab will drop down straight to the AFC Cup group stages in Group E:

The reigning ISL champions will begin their campaign from the AFC Cup Preliminary / Playoff Stage while their counterparts from the I-League will begin from the AFC Champions League (ACL) preliminary play-off stage.

As such, Chennaiyin FC need to negotiate a play-off round before securing their spot in the same.

Preliminary stage and playoff stage match schedule:

The Preliminary stage will see Sri Lanka's Colombo FC take on Bhutan's Transport United in a two-legged affair. The winner of that affair will play ISL champions Chennaiyin FC in the play-off stage in another two-legged tie for a spot in the group stages.

Clubs which share the stadium will not play its home matches on the same day. This applies in case of the two Indian clubs as the duo are likely to play their continental home matches at the TranStadia Arena in Ahmedabad.