Al-Qadisiya and Al-Arabi in balanced groups at the 'Asian Challenge'
The draw for the group stage of the 2026-2027 AFC Challenge League yielded balanced matchups for Al-Qadsia and Al-Arabi, the representatives of Kuwait in the upcoming edition of the tournament, after the draw was held yesterday at the headquarters of the Asian Football Confederation in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur.
Arab clubs, represented by Kuwait, Lebanon, and Syria, were distributed across the three Western region groups, competing against each other for two spots to advance to the semi-finals of the tournament. The competition’s groups are divided into five: three in the West and two in the East. The group stage matches will be played in a centralized format between October 17 and 24 next year.
Al-Qadsia Club was drawn in Group 3 alongside Indian hosts GEA FC, Bangladeshi side Fortis, and Tajik team Regar-TadAZ. Meanwhile, Al-Arabi Club was placed in Group 2 with Lebanese club Al-Najma, Syrian side Al-Hamraa Homs, and Tajik hosts Istiklol. Group 1 features Lebanese club Al-Ansar, Syrian team Al-Ittihad Aleppo, Turkmenistan’s Ahal, and Bhutan’s Buthan FC, who are the group hosts.
The Western clubs are competing for three direct spots in the quarter-finals, with one qualification place awarded to each group winner. The best runner-up among the three groups will secure the fourth qualifying spot.
In the Eastern region, Group 4 includes Indonesian hosts Borneo Samarinda, Filipino side Davao Aguilas, Taiwanese team Tainan City, and either Myanmar’s Yangon United or Laos’s Lao Toyota. Group 5 features Indonesian club Persib Bandung or Filipino side Manila Digger, Myanmar’s Shan United (group hosts), Taiwanese team New Taipei City Hang Yuen, and either Brunei’s Kasuka or Timor-Leste’s Karketu Dili.
The quarter-finals will be played in a two-legged home-and-away format between March 3 and 18, 2027. The semi-final matches will take place between April 7 and 15 of the same year, while the final is scheduled for May 8, 2027.
Al-Qadsia Matches:
- Al-Qadsia vs. Fortis (Bangladesh) – October 17
- Al-Qadsia vs. Regar-TadAZ (Tajikistan) – October 20
- Al-Qadsia vs. GEA FC (India) – October 23
Al-Arabi Matches:
- Al-Arabi vs. Al-Hamraa Homs (Syria) – October 17
- Al-Arabi vs. Istiklol (Tajikistan) – October 20
- Al-Arabi vs. Al-Najma (Lebanon) – October 23
Al-Ahli Announces Signing of Al-Khabizi
Al-Arabi Club officially announced the signing of former national team player and Al-Kuwait SC star Youssef Al-Khabizi during the current summer transfer window in preparation for the new season. The Green, led by Croatian coach Goran Sablić, aims to finalize the squad list during the current period before entering the competitive phase of the season.
