The 2023-24 edition of the AFC Champions League, the extravaganza to celebrate the continent's finest clubs, is inching closer every passing day. The curtain raiser for the tournament will be the group-stage draw that will take place at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Thursday, August 24.After completing the qualifier rounds, 40 teams in total have secured a berth in the group stages of the premier continental club competition. Mumbai City FC, the only club from India in the tournament, have been slotted into Pot 3 in the West Zone.Des Buckingham and Co. earned a shot at qualifying for the ACL after winning the Indian Super League (ISL) Shield in the 2022-23 season. However, they had to square off against the previous holders of the title, Jamshedpur FC, in a one-off qualifying fixture, where they reigned supreme in a 3-1 victory. For Mumbai, this will be their second consecutive appearance in the Champions League.Last season, the Islanders scripted history by becoming the first Indian club to register a win in the AFC Champions League when they defeated Iraqi Air Force Club 2-1. However, they finished fifth among the second-placed teams across groups and could not progress further.The group stages will commence on September 18, where each team will face the other three teams from their group twice for a place in the knockouts beginning in February next year. the tournament will come to a close in May 2024 with the two-legged final.Format of the AFC Champions League group-stage drawThe 40 qualified teams will be divided into 10 groups of four according to their respective zones. While the West Zone has Groups A to E, the East Zone will feature Groups F to J.Teams from the same countries cannot be placed in the same group.Pots for the AFC Champions League group-stage drawWest ZonePot 1: Al Ittihad (KSA), Persepolis FC (IRN), Al Sadd SC (QAT), Pakhtakor (UZB), Al Hilal SFC (KSA)Pot 2: Sepahan SC (IRN), Al Duhail SC (QAT), FC Nasaf (UZB), Al Fayha FC (KSA), Nassaji Mazandaran FC (IRN)Pot 3: Al Faisaly (JOR), FC Istiklol (TJK), Air Force Club (IRQ), Ahal FC (TKM), Mumbai City FC (IND)Pot 4: Al Ain FC (UAE), Al Nassr (KSA), Sharjah FC (UAE), AGMK FC (UZB), Navbahor (UZB)East ZonePot 1: Ulsan Hyundai FC (KOR), Yokohama F. Marinos (JPN), Wuhan Three Towns FC (CHN), Buriram United (THA), Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC (KOR)Pot 2: Ventforet Kofu (JPN), Shandong Taishan FC (CHN), Bangkok United (THA), Pohang Steelers (KOR), Kawasaki Frontale (JPN)Pot 3: Hanoi FC (VIE), Kaya FC-Iloilo (PHI), Johor Darul Ta’zim (MAS), Melbourne City FC (AUS), Lion City Sailors (SGP)Pot 4: Kitchee SC (HKG), Incheon United FC (KOR), Urawa Red Diamonds (JPN), Zhejiang FC (CHN), BG Pathum United (THA)AFC Champions League group-stage draw: Telecast and live-stream detailsThere is no telecast of the 2023-24 AFC Champions League group-stage draw in India but the event will be live-streamed on the AFC Hub YouTube channel from 1:30 PM IST onwards on Thursday, August 24.