Al-Arabi and Qadsia await the draw for the Asian Challenge Cup today

Al-Arabi and Qadsima are awaiting the group stage draw for the 2026–2027 AFC Challenge League, scheduled for 10:00 AM today (Thursday) Kuwait time, at the headquarters of the Asian Football Confederation in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, amid hopes to learn their opponents in the continental tournament.

The upcoming edition will feature 20 teams in the group stage, divided into five groups: three in the West region and two in the East, with each group comprising four clubs.

The group stage matches will be played in a centralized format from October 17 to 24 next year.

The winner of each group in the West region, along with the best runner-up, will advance.

Following the group stage, the quarter-finals will be played in a two-legged home-and-away format between March 3 and 18, 2027, while the semi-finals will take place from April 7 to 15, with the final match concluding the tournament on May 8, 2027.

Al-Arabi is placed in Pot 1 of the West region, following their loss to India’s East Bengal and being the other loser from the second qualifying round of the AFC Champions League Two, alongside Al-Ahli of Turkmenistan. Qadsima, on the other hand, is placed in Pot 2 alongside Lebanon’s Ansar and Nejmeh, according to the club and national association rankings adopted for the tournament.

This marks Qadsima’s first appearance in the group stage, and they will host one of the West region groups in a centralized format, alongside Tajikistan’s Istiklol and Bhutan’s Paro, giving the “Yellow” side the advantage of playing their matches at home in front of their fans.

It is worth noting that Kuwait hosted the group stage in the previous edition, which they won, with matches held at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium.

The West region’s pots consist of four tiers. Pot 1 includes Al-Arabi, India’s Goa, Al-Ahli of Turkmenistan, and the other loser from the second qualifying round of the AFC Champions League Two.

Seven teams qualified from the preliminary rounds to reach the group stage, joining eight teams that received direct entry, plus two teams emerging from the second qualifying round of the AFC Champions League Two in the West region. Additionally, three more teams will be determined from the East region after the remaining qualifying matches are completed.

The tournament will feature the continental debut of Indonesia’s Borneo Samarinda, Bangladesh’s Fortis, Syria’s Al-Hamraa Homs, and the Philippines’s Taguig City, while Qadsima, Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad Aleppo, Goa, and New Taipei City Hang Yuan make their first appearances in the group stage.