Article

Thursday, August 28, 2025
search-icon

Kuwait Club and Al-Arabi await the AFC Challenge League group stage draw

publish time

27/08/2025

publish time

27/08/2025

A file photo of Al Arabi players celebrating.

KUWAIT CITY, Aug 27: Kuwait Club and Al-Arabi are set to discover their group stage opponents today as the 2025-2026 AFC Challenge League draw takes place at the AFC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Kuwait qualified directly for the group stage, while Al-Arabi secured its spot by defeating Maldivian side Mazya Spur 4-0 in the playoff round.

This marks Kuwait Club’s first participation in the revamped AFC Challenge League, following last year’s exit from the AFC Champions League 2 group stage. Al-Arabi will compete for the second consecutive year after being eliminated in the West Zone final last year.

The draw will feature a protection mechanism to ensure that no two teams from the same country face each other. Group stage matches are scheduled from October 25 to November 1, 2025, in a single round-robin format.

In the West Zone, Kuwait, Baro (Bhutan), and Muras United (Kyrgyzstan) will host their group matches, while East Zone fixtures will take place in Indonesia (Diva United) and Cambodia (Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng).

The knockout stages, including the quarterfinals and semifinals (home and away), are set for March and April 2026, with the grand final scheduled for May 9, 2026.

By Hassan Mosa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff