Adelaide United will have their shirts sponsored by mining development company Ausgold Mining Group for this year's Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League campaign, reports, www.sportspromedia.com/.

The agreement means the Ausgold name will appear on the front of the reigning Hyundai A-League champions's shirts in all of their matches in the elite continental competition.

Adelaide, who were AFC Champions League runners-up in 2008, played their first group match in this year's competition at home to Japan's Gamba Osaka on Wednesday, where they were beaten 0-3.

Sally Zou, Ausgold director, said: "Although the group stage opponents are quite strong, the games against these teams from China, Korea, and Japan will provide a perfect opportunity to showcase Adelaide United in Asia."

United are one of three Australian teams competing in the AFC Champions League group stage, along with Brisbane Roar and Western Sydney Wanderers, and their other Group H opponents are South Korea's Jeju United and China's Jiangsu Suning.