Evergrande, Asian champions in 2013 and 2015, have Cannavaro back at the helm for the second time and open their campaign at home to Thailand’s Buriram United on Wednesday in Group G.
Oscar, a 60-million-euro (RM290 million) signing a year ago, is looking for a first trophy with SIPG after they crashed out in the semifinals last season under André Villas-Boas, having beaten Evergrande in the quarterfinals.
Villas-Boas has been replaced at SIPG by fellow Portuguese Vitor Pereira who has vowed to win a trophy and gets the first test of his management away to Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale, who reached the quarterfinals last season, on Tuesday.
“The opening match is particularly important if we want to qualify for the knockout stage, so we have to prepare well,” said Kawasaki’s Yu Kobayashi, who scored six goals in the competition last season.
“Shanghai have Oscar and Hulk, who are experienced, high-quality players.”
Joining them in Group F are South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai, who open with a long journey south to Melbourne Victory in Australia.
Cannavaro resigned at Tianjin Quanjian just days after steering them into the Champions League for the first time.
Tianjin have a new Portuguese coach in Paulo Sousa who is already beginning to like what he is seeing from Cannavaro’s high-profile French recruit Anthony Modeste, who scored both goals to beat Ceres Negros of the Philippines 2-0 in a playoff to reach the group phase.
Sousa’s side will begin at home to Hong Kong debutants Kitchee, who have signed 38-year-old former Manchester United and Uruguay striker Diego Forlán to bolster their challenge.
Shanghai Shenhua, minus expensive misfit Carlos Tevez who has returned to Argentina, complete the Chinese quartet with Wu Jingui in charge for their first group match since 2011, having replaced Gus Poyet in September.
But they face a tough game away to Japan’s Kashima Antlers in Group H which also sees Sydney FC host Suwon Bluewings, who will field new signing Dejan Damjanović up front after snaring the 36-year-old from FC Seoul last month.
For the second year running there will be no defending champions taking part. Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds failed to qualify despite beating Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal in November’s two-legged final.
Last season, the 2016 winners Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors were kicked out of the Champions League for their part in a match-fixing, scouting, and bribery scandal, though they return this year after serving their ban.
The tournament will feature Monday games in the Western region, which will remain separated from the Eastern region until the final.
Al-Hilal and Al-Ain have come closest to breaking the East’s stranglehold on the trophy in recent times by finishing as runners-up in 2017 and 2016 respectively, and they face off in one of the clashes of the round in Group D in Riyadh on Tuesday.
The UAE’s Al-Ain have strengthened their line-up by signing former Asian player of the year Ahmed Khalil to team up with Afro-clad star Omar Abdulrahman in a formidable attacking line-up.
Abu Dhabi’s Al-Jazira, fresh from hosting the FIFA Club World Cup in December, welcome Qatar’s Al-Gharafa, who will have former Real Madrid and Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder, 33, making his AFC Champions League debut.
The Dutch veteran will play alongside another new signing, Iran’s Mehdi Taremi, who bagged seven goals last season for Persepolis, who reached the semifinals for the first time in their history.