Think Al Karama, Al Arabi, Kuwait Sports Club, Arbil and Al Zawra’a, and the AFC Champions League (ACL) comes to one’s mind.

But the radical restructuring of the ACL has seen to it that these teams - once permanent fixtures in the flagship continental club competition - are now resigned to playing in the second-tier AFC Cup.

The upside is that the large influx of teams from the top-flight has blurred the traditional boundaries between the two tournaments, where Asia’s best strut their stuff.

Even though the AFC Cup has for long been referred to as Asia’s second-tier club competition, the AFC has ensured through strict quality control that the standards are not compromised in the least.

And with the recent additions, the level playing field has been elevated to ACL heights almost overnight.

Sample this. Al Suwaiq from Oman have qualified for the AFC Cup for the first time, a big leg-up from their domestic second division hum-drum. But the Omanis might feel out of depth in the strong currents of the AFC Cup.

“It’s our first time in this tournament and it comes at a time when the competition is the strongest ever because many clubs have played in the Champions League,” said Saghroun Al Hamidi, a Suwaiq official.

Saghroun finds support from the manager of Al Faisaly, former two-time champions, Jeries Tadrus.

"This is the strongest ever AFC Cup tournament with the participation of Iraqi, Kuwaiti and Syrian clubs,” averred Tadrus.

The sentiment is not limited to West Asian clubs.

Lam Kai-tai of South China, who are one of the two teams representing Hong Kong, said, “This year the competition is much, much stronger than any time before. All the clubs face a tough time."

Mohamed Kwid, who scripted Al Karama’s run to the 2006 ACL finals and knockout stage finishes in subsequent years, summed it up in a nutshell.

“For us only the name of the tournament is different after moving to the AFC Cup,” said Kwid. “The tournament is very strong this year and we are playing in a tough group.”

If anyone can accurately predict the degree of difficulty, then the miracle-making Kwid can, having groomed the Homs club from unknowns into world beaters against mighty odds.

“Groups D and E are very tough as these comprise the strongest teams in the championship and I think the finalists will be from these two groups,” said Kwid.

The initial chatter swirled around a possible all-West Asian final, like all the five previous editions.

“I think the title will stay in West Asia for the sixth year as a lot of new, strong Arab clubs are taking part,” said Al Faisaly’s Tadrus.

Al Karama manager Fares Chahin agreed. “The title is going to remain in West Asia as there are many strong Arab clubs. We look forward to winning the title and getting back into the ACL.”

Though all the hype is centred around the big guns from the West, there is no discounting the determination and power of the East Asian groups featuring ACL everpresents - till now - Vietnamese sides Hanoi ACB and Becamex Binh Duong, and Thailand’s Chonburi FC.

Chonburi, who will be making their debut in the AFC Cup, were quietly confident.

“We certainly aim to top Group G,” said Chonburi manager Thanasak Suraprasert, hinting at the nature of the battles to come. “This is our debut in the AFC Cup but that won’t stop us from aiming high, no matter who our rivals are.”