AFC Challenge League draw pits Arab teams against regional rivals

The draw for the 2026/2027 AFC Challenge League has set the stage for the upcoming season, with matches scheduled to take place in a centralized format from October 17 to 24. The draw, held at the Asian Football Confederation headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, divided teams into five groups: three in the Western region and two in the Eastern region.

In the Western region, Group 1 features Lebanon's Al-Ansar, Syria's Al-Ittihad Aleppo, Turkmenistan's Ahal, and Bhutan's Paro, with Paro hosting the matches. Group 2 includes Kuwait's Al-Arabi, Lebanon's Al-Nejmeh, Syria's Al-Fidaa Homs, and Tajikistan's Istiqlol, which will host the group's games. Group 3 comprises Kuwait's Al-Qadsia, India's Goa as the host, Bangladesh's Fortis, and Tajikistan's Regar-TadAZ.

Teams in the Western region will compete for three direct spots in the quarterfinals, with one spot awarded to the best second-placed team across the three groups. The Eastern region's Group 4 includes Indonesia's Borneo Samarinda as host, the Philippines' United City, Taiwan's Tainan City, and either Myanmar's Yangon United or Laos' Ezra. Group 5 features either Indonesia's Persib Bandung or the Philippines' Manila Digger, Myanmar's Shan United as host, Taiwan's New Taipei City Hang Yuan, and a team from Brunei or East Timor.

Quarterfinal matches are scheduled on a home-and-away basis from March 3 to 18, 2027. The semifinals will take place from April 7 to 15, 2027, with the final match set for May 8, 2027.