AFC Champions League Two draw... tomorrow

Al-Kuwait Club is awaiting the group stage draw for the 2026-2027 AFC Champions League Two, scheduled to be held tomorrow, Tuesday, in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur.

The third edition of the tournament in its new format features strong competition, with teams aiming to follow in the footsteps of Sharjah, the 2024-2025 champions, and Gamba Osaka, the holders of the 2025-2026 title.

The competition features 32 teams, with 16 teams from each of the Eastern and Western regions.

One spot remains vacant, as Indonesian club Persib Bandung faces Filipino side Manila Digger in a single-leg preliminary round match on August 31.

Meanwhile, Indian club East Bengal and Turkmenistan’s Arkadag secured their places in the draw after defeating Kuwait’s Al-Arabi and India’s Goa, respectively, in their preliminary round ties.

According to the Western Region ranking announced by the Asian Football Confederation, Al-Jazira and Al-Ittihad Kalba from the UAE, Al-Hussein from Jordan, and Al-Taawoun from Saudi Arabia are placed in the first pot. The second pot includes Qatar’s Al-Rayyan, Iran’s Gol Gohar, Uzbekistan’s Nasaf, and Iraq’s Al-Shorta.

Al-Kuwait seeks to restore its glory in the tournament, which it won three times under its former name (AFC Cup), tying the record with Iraq’s Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya.

UAE’s Al-Jazira, Jordan’s Al-Hussein, South Korea’s Gangwon, and Australia’s Adelaide United are also targeting the title after failing to qualify for the 2026-2027 AFC Champions League Elite following their exits in the preliminary round.

The group stage matches begin on September 15, played in a home-and-away format. The top two teams from each group will advance to the round of 16. The final will be held on May 15, 2027, and will be hosted by the Eastern Region team that reaches the final. The champion will secure a spot in the preliminary round of the 2027-2028 AFC Champions League Elite.