Al-Arabi and Al-Qadsia handed challenging groups in the AFC Challenge Cup

Kuwait's Al-Arabi and Al-Qadsia football clubs face tough draws in the upcoming AFC Challenge Cup. Al-Arabi has been placed in Group B alongside Lebanon's Al-Najma, Tajikistan's Istiklol, and Syria's Homs Al-Fida. Meanwhile, Al-Qadsia will compete in Group C against India's Goa, Bangladesh's Fortis, and Tajikistan's Regar-TadAZ.

The group stage matches are set to take place from October 17 to 24. The tournament will then proceed to the quarter-finals, scheduled as two-legged ties from March 3 to 18, 2027. The semi-finals will follow from April 7 to 15, culminating in the final on May 8, 2027.

Al-Qadsia, which will host its Group C matches, begins its campaign against Fortis. They will then face Regar-TadAZ before concluding the group stage against Goa. Al-Arabi's journey starts against Homs Al-Fida, followed by a match against hosts Istiklol, and a final group fixture against Al-Najma.

Al-Qadsia returns to Asian competition after participating in the Gulf Champions League for the past two seasons. The club, a winner of the AFC Cup in 2014, will be aiming to add another continental trophy to its collection. Al-Arabi, on the other hand, participated in the previous Challenge Cup but was eliminated in the group stage after a 1-1 draw with Kyrgyzstan’s Muras United, which saw them miss out on qualification on goal difference.