The Kuwaiti club "Al-Arabi," "Maziya Sports and Recreation" from the Maldives, and "Abdysh-Ata" from Kyrgyzstan were drawn against Turkmenistan's "Arkadag" following today's draw in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) for the AFC Challenge League 2024/25 season.
The new season will be the first for the revamped third-tier men's club tournament in Asia, featuring 18 teams divided geographically into two zones: West and East. The AFC Challenge League, where all teams receive $100,000 for participating in the group stage, aims to promote clubs from developing leagues on the continent and showcase their talents.
It is worth noting that before the draw, "Arkadag" was placed in the second pot along with clubs "Nejmeh" (Lebanon) and "Al-Futowa" (Syria), which excluded the reigning champion and Turkmenistan Cup holder from playing against these clubs in the group stage.
A few words about "Arkadag's" upcoming opponents.
Founded in 1953, the sports club "Al-Arabi" is the oldest in Kuwait. Its record includes over 60 official trophies, including 2 international ones won in 1982 and 2003 in the Gulf Cooperation Council Champions League. "Al-Arabi" participated four times in the Asian Club Championship and the AFC Champions League and three times in the AFC Cup, reaching the quarter-finals twice – in 2009, losing on penalties to the Syrian "Al-Karamah" 4:5 (0:0 in regular time), and in 2022, losing to the Omani club "Al-Seeb" 1:2.
The professional football club "Maziya Sports and Recreation" from the Maldives was founded in 1996. It represents the Maziya Sports and Recreation Club. The team has won the Maldivian championship five times, the National Football Federation Cup three times, and the President’s Cup twice. Since 2013, "Maziya Sports and Recreation" has participated nine times in the AFC Cup but has not achieved success in the second most prestigious Asian club tournament.
The football club "Abdysh-Ata" from the Kyrgyz city of Kant was founded in 2000. Since the 2003 season, it has regularly played in the Kyrgyzstan Premier League. "Abdysh-Ata" has won the Kyrgyzstan Cup five times (in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2015, and 2022) and the national championship twice (in 2022 and 2023). Last year, "Abdysh-Ata" debuted in the AFC Cup and was quite successful, becoming the first club from Kyrgyzstan to not only advance from the group stage of the second most prestigious Asian club tournament but also reach the semi-finals. Since March 2023, Turkmenistan national team midfielder Teymur Charyev has successfully played for "Abdysh-Ata," becoming the champion of Kyrgyzstan and a semi-finalist of the AFC Cup.
"Arkadag" and its opponents formed Group B in the West zone, with matches to be held in a centralized format in Kuwait.
The compositions of the other groups:
West Zone
Group "A": "East Bengal" (India), "Nejmeh" (Lebanon), "Bashundhara Kings" (Bangladesh), "Paro" (Bhutan, group host).
Group "C": "Al-Ahli" (Bahrain), "Al-Futowa" (Syria), "Al-Seeb" (Oman, group host), "Hilal Al-Quds" (Palestine).
East Zone
Group "D": "Shan United" (Myanmar, group host), "Tainan City" (Taiwan), "Young Elephants" (Laos).
Group "E": "Madura United" (Indonesia), "Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng" (Cambodia), "SP Falcons" (Mongolia, group host).
The group matches will take place over three matchdays from October 26 to November 2 in a centralized format, where each team will meet its opponents once.
At the end of the group stage, eight teams will advance to the quarter-finals: three group winners and the best runner-up in the West zone, as well as the two best from each group in the East zone.
The playoff matches will be held on a home-and-away basis. The quarter-final matches will take place from March 5 to 13, 2025, the semi-finals from April 9 to 17, 2025, and the final is scheduled for May 10, 2025.
