The 18 hopefuls learnt their path to glory following the conclusion of the AFC Challenge League™ (ACGL) Group Stage Draw at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The 18 teams were divided into five groups – three comprising four teams from the West each and two involving three teams from the East each.
The West Zone’s Group B will see hosts Al Arabi SC of Kuwait, Turkmenistan’s FC Arkadag, Maziya Sports & Recreation from Maldives and FC Abdysh-Ata Kant of Kyrgyz Republic doing battle.
The compositions of the other groups:
West Zone
Group A: East Bengal FC (IND), Nejmeh SC (LBN), Bashundhara Kings (BAN), Paro FC (BHU, Hosts)
Group C: Al Ahli (BHR), Al Futowa SC (SYR), Al Seeb Club (OMA, H), Hilal Al-Quds (PLE)
East Zone
Group D: Shan United FC (MYA, H), Tainan City FC (TPE), Young Elephants FC (LAO)
Group E: Madura United (IDN), Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng FC (CAM), SP Falcons (MNG, H)
The group stage will be played over three Matchdays between October 26 and November 2, with each group taking place at a centralised host as each side face their opponents once.
Eight teams will progress from the group stage – the three group winners and best-ranked runners-up from the West, and the top two finishers of each group from the East – to the quarter-finals, which take place between March 5 and 13, 2025. The double-legged semi-finals will unfold from April 9 to 17, 2025 and the winners will advance to the final on May 10, 2025.
Turkmen sporty newspaper
