Al Duhail join QSL champions Al Sadd and Amir Cup winners Al Gharafa in the 12-team West Asia bracket.

Al Duhail qualified for the AFC Champions League Elite overcoming an early setback to dash Iran’s Sepahan aside at the Khalifa International Stadium on Wednesday.

New signings Adil Boulbina and Krzysztof Piatek were on the scoresheet after Ibrahima Bamba’s equaliser in the 3-2 win, as Djamel Belmadi’s side became the third Qatari team to qualify for the premier Asian club competition.

Qatar Stars League champions Al Sadd and Amir Cup champions Al Gharafa had automatically qualified Al Duhail, who had missed out on the continental competition last season.

Bamba’s powerful header off Benjamin Bourigeaud’s corner cancelled out former Al Sadd defender Amin Hazbavi’s goal, which gave the visitors a lead in the third minute of the tie.

Two new signings were in action for Al Duhail’s second as Boulbina controlled Brazilian centre-back Tuta’s long ball for a finish off the bar in the 24th minute.

Both Tuta, who swapped Eintracht Frankfurt for Al Duhail, and Algerian youngster Boulbina were playing their first official games for the club.

“We look forward to delighting the fans in the tournament,” Boulbina said after the match.

Another of Al Duhail’s summer signings, Piatek, then pounced on Sepahan captain Ehsan Hajsafi’s misplaced pass to eventually score, taking the score to 3-1 just two minutes after the half-hour mark.

Although a goal from Milad Zakipour in the third minute of added time caused a brief scare, the Red Waves saw the tie off rather comfortably in the second half.

“We did the important bit by qualifying for the group stages,” head coach Belmadi said. “The goal is to compete for all titles.”

Al Duhail finished the last season trophyless after losing the league to Al Sadd in a rather dramatic fashion. Under returning head coach Belmadi and a new group of youth players, the aim will be to regain the league as well as to go as deep in Asia as possible.

Al Duhail’s journey to the semi-finals of the now-revamped AFC Champions League in 2023 remains Qatari teams’ best finish in recent years.

Last season, Al Sadd managed to go until the last eight, Al Rayyan were knocked out by eventual champions Al Ahli Saudi in the round of 16, and Al Gharafa crashed out of the group stages.

On the other hand, Chinese side Chengdo Rongcheng F.C. beat Thailand’s Bangkok United 3-0 in the other playoff on Wednesday to complete the East Region’s bracket, with the group stage draws scheduled for August 15.