(REUTERS) - The Lion City Sailors will play their Asian Champions League Group F matches in Buriram, Thailand, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said on Wednesday (Feb 16).

The Singapore Premier League champions are pooled with two-time winners Urawa Red Diamonds, Chinese champions Shandong Taishan and the winners of a play-off between South Korea's Daegu FC and Thailand's Buriram United.

The AFC said group stage matches for clubs in the east zone will be held across Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia.

Group G will be held in Bangkok. Matches in Group H will be played at Ho Chi Minh City and Johor will host Group I ties.

Group J fixtures will be held in Thailand, with the host city to be announced later.

The matches in the east zone will be played from April 15 to May 1.

The AFC added that the centralised host nations for matches in the west zone are yet to be finalised.

Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal are the defending champions, having defeated South Korea's Pohang Steelers in the final of the 2021 edition.