Draw for the second-tier AFC Champions League with Kuwait participation today
The new edition features the participation of 32 clubs, distributed into eight groups: four for the Western region and four for the Eastern region. The group stage is scheduled to begin on September 15 and conclude on December 9. The Round of 16 will take place between February 9 and 18, 2027, followed by the quarter-finals from March 2 to 18, and the semi-finals from April 6 to 14. The tournament will culminate with the final match on May 15, 2027.
The group stage matches will be played in a double round-robin format (home and away), with each team playing six matches. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Round of 16.
Al-Kuwait is placed in the third tier of the Western region, alongside Jordan’s Al-Faisaly, Bahrain’s Al-Muharraq, and Oman’s Al-Seeb. The first tier includes UAE’s Al-Jazira, Jordan’s Al-Hussein, Saudi Arabia’s Al-Taawoun, UAE’s Al-Ittihad Kalba, Qatar’s Al-Rayyan, Iran’s Goharzar, Uzbekistan’s Nasaf, and Iraq’s Al-Shorta, along with two spots reserved for the losers of the Elite League preliminary round.
The fourth tier comprises Bahrain’s Al-Khalidiya, Oman’s Al-Nahda, and the winners of the second-tier Asian Champions League preliminary round in the West, including India’s East Bengal and Turkmenistan’s Arkadag.
Al-Kuwait hopes to make a strong showing in its continental campaign, particularly given its distinguished history in the competition. It is one of five former champions participating in the current edition, alongside Al-Faisaly, Al-Muharraq, Al-Seeb, and Nasaf, according to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) website.
The AFC previously highlighted Saad Al-Houti on its official website, describing him as one of the standout stars of Kuwait’s golden generation and captain of the national team that won the 1980 Asian Cup, the country’s only continental title to date. He played in all six tournament matches and scored two goals, including one in the final against South Korea.
The AFC noted that Al-Houti was a key member of the squad that qualified for the 1982 FIFA World Cup, participating in all three of Kuwait’s matches. He began his career with Al-Kuwait in 1967, making his first-team debut at the age of 16. He won four league titles and four Emir’s Cups with the club.
He earned more than 70 international caps, won the Gulf Cup four times, and participated in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Al-Houti retired in 1984 and later worked as a sports administrator, analyst, and commentator.
