Al-Qadisiya and Al-Arabi: The 'Challenge' Begins on Saturday
Al-Qadisiya and Al-Arabi begin their campaigns in the AFC Challenge League on Saturday, with the former hosting Bangladesh's Fortis in Kuwait, and the latter facing Hamra Al-Fida in Dushanbe.
Translated by Qiyas from الراي — Original source
As “Al-Ahly,” who are hosting Group 3 matches in Kuwait, prepares to face Bangladesh’s Fortis, “Al-Ahli” will confront Syria’s Al-Hamra in Dushanbe as part of Group 2, hosted by Tajikistan’s Istiklol Club.
Both Kuwaiti representatives are aiming for a strong start to their continental campaign, seeking results that bolster their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals.
At the Mohammed Al-Hamad Stadium, Qadsia is looking to make a strong return to the Asian stage, where it has been absent for several years. Its last participation in the AFC Champions League Two, formerly known as the AFC Cup, was in 2020, which was canceled due to the “coronavirus” pandemic.
Al-Ahly boasts a solid record in continental competitions, having won the AFC Cup once in 2014 and reaching the final twice, as well as appearing in the AFC Champions League “Elite” (formerly the top-tier competition) semi-finals once.
The club is striving to win this edition’s title, as doing so would qualify them for next season’s AFC Champions League Two, mirroring the achievement of their Kuwaiti rivals, Al-Kuwait, in the previous edition.
Al-Ahly will enter the match under the guidance of coach Mohamed Ibrahim, who possesses extensive experience in continental competitions (having managed the team in 51 matches across various tournaments, with 28 wins, 13 draws, and 10 defeats).
In Dushanbe, Al-Ahli begins its journey to make up for its exit from the AFC Champions League Two qualifiers after a 1-4 loss to India’s East Bengal, which dropped them into the Challenge League, the less prestigious competition.
Al-Ahli will play its first match against Syria’s Al-Hamra in a group that also includes Tajikistan’s Istiklol and Lebanon’s Nejmeh, who will face each other on the same day.
Al-Ahli is undergoing a transitional period following the dismissal of Croatian coach Goran Sablic and the appointment of assistant Mohamed Abdulnabi as interim coach during the Dushanbe trip.
The “Arabians” hope that their continental participation will mark a new chapter for the team this season, which has yet to secure a league victory (one loss and three draws) and was previously eliminated from the AFC Champions League Two playoffs by the Indian side.
The club’s management hopes that the technical changes will yield positive results for the team, which is expected to present a different image before its fans, especially with other changes in the foreign player roster. New signings include Algerian Badreddine Souaadi and Moroccan-Dutch origin player Walid Ould Cheikh, who will join Nigerian Ayanu Iyalla, Palestinian Zaid Qanbar, and Ethiopian Kenyan Markini.
As for the Syrian team, formerly known as Al-Wathba, it secured its place in the Challenge League groups after a hard-fought victory over Kyrgyzstan’s Dordoi in the qualifiers, winning 8-7 on penalties following a 1-1 draw.
