Kuwait Club handed a balanced Champions League 2 draw

In this file photo, a Kuwait Club player controls the ball as opponents look on.

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 18: Kuwait Club has been handed a balanced draw in the AFC Champions League Two, while Saudi Arabia’s representatives face a series of challenging fixtures in the AFC Champions League Elite.

The AFC Champions League Two draw in Kuala Lumpur placed Kuwait Club in Group A alongside UAE side Al-Wahda, Uzbekistan’s Nasaf and Bahrain’s Al-Khaldiya.

Kuwait Club former captain Saad Al-Houti represented the club during the draw ceremony, which attracted a large gathering of football officials from across Asia.

The Whites open their group campaign on September 15 against Nasaf. The group stage will be played on a home-and-away basis.

UAE’s Al-Jazeera, Iran’s Gol Gohar Sirjan, Bahrain’s Al-Muharraq and Turkmenistan’s Arkadag make up Group B.

Group C features Saudi Arabia’s Al-Taawoun, Qatar’s Al-Rayyan, Jordan’s Al-Faisaly and Oman’s Al-Nahda, while Group D brings together Jordan’s Al-Hussein, Iraq’s Al-Shorta, Oman’s Al-Seeb and India’s East Bengal.

South Korea’s Seoul, Australia’s Melbourne Victory, Vietnam’s The Cong-Viettel, and the winner of the preliminary-round tie between Indonesia’s Persib Bandung and the Philippines’ Manila Diggers comprise Group E.

Group F includes Adelaide United of Australia, Thailand’s Pathum United, Singapore’s Lion City Sailors and Hong Kong, China’s Tai Po.

Japan’s Machida Zelvia, China’s Shanghai Shenhua, Cambodia’s Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng and Singapore’s Tampines Rovers were drawn in Group G, while Group H consists of South Korea’s Gangwon, Malaysia’s Kuching City, Hong Kong’s Kitchee and Cambodia’s Phnom Penh Crown.

The group stage will conclude on December 9, with the round of 16 scheduled for February 9-18, 2027. The quarterfinals will take place from March 2-18, followed by the semifinals from April 6-14. The final is scheduled for May 15, 2027.

Meanwhile, the AFC Champions League Elite draw handed Saudi Arabia’s five clubs a demanding schedule.

Defending champion Al-Ahli, along with Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, and Al-Qadsiah, will each face eight opponents from the UAE, Qatar, and Uzbekistan.

The Saudi clubs will meet UAE sides Al-Ain, Shabab Al-Ahli and Al-Wasl, Qatar’s Al-Sadd, Al-Gharafa and Al-Shamal, and Uzbekistan’s Neftchi and Pakhtakor.

Al-Ahli will begin the campaign seeking to retain the continental crown and become the first club to win the title three times in a row.

By Hassan Mosa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff