The Asian continent’s rising teams are embarking on their AFC Champions League Two (ACL Two) 2024/25 journey this week when the revamped competition got underway with the Group Stage.
A 32-strong cast from across 23 Member Associations will vie for progress from eight groups, split evenly between the West and East regions, which will be played in a home-and-away round-robin format from September 17 to December 5.
Featuring the greatest number of teams in any of the AFC’s club competitions, the ACL Two will see 14 clubs debuts in the second-tier tournament, known as the AFC Cup, from 2003 to 2023/24.
West
The opening matchday started in the Jordanian capital of Amman, where Al Wehdat faced Sepahan SC of the Islamic Republic of Iran at the Amman International Stadium and won 2-1. The hosts are 17-time league champions and won the 12th FA Cup title last season to reach this stage, which will be their 13th appearance. Al Wehdat are three-time AFC Cup semi-finalists, while their opponents started their first tournament involvement. Sepahan are Iranian Hafzi Cup champions who were AFC Champions League (ACL) runners-up in 2007.
A 12th league title and 10th cup triumph – both records – in 2023 sealed FC Istiklol’s place in the ACL Two, and the two-time AFC Cup runners-up are set for their sixth tournament participation. The Tajik side faced Sharjah FC, six-time league winners in the United Arab Emirates, who reached the ACL last eight in 2004 and are making their competition debut. After both registered a win against the other in the ACL 2022 Group Stage, their third meeting at the Republican Central Stadium in Dushanbe, ended in an Emirati victory.
Group A kicked off on Wednesday with Mohun Bagan, who lifted their first Indian league shield in 2023/24, are making an eighth appearance and coming up against two-time Tajikistan league winners FC Ravshan, whose fifth involvement starts in Kolkata at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan Stadium.
Winners of their second Qatar Cup in 2024, Al Wakrah SC have not been involved at the Continental level since two Asian Club Championship campaigns in 2001 and 2002. The two-time Qatar league champions will relish their ACL Two debut. They play IR Iran’s Tractor FC, who also make their first competition appearance, although they do have six ACL participations; the tie will take place at the Al Janoub Stadium.
Established in 2020, Al Khaldiya SC will make their Continental bow after winning their second Bahraini league title in a row last season. They welcome Saudi Arabia’s Al Taawoun FC to the Bahrain National Stadium in Riffa, with the ACL 2020 Round of 16 finishers making their first ACL Two appearance in this Group B encounter.
Iraqi heavyweights Air Force SC are targeting a fourth title in as many participations, having lifted the AFC Cup™ trophy three times in a row from 2016 to 2018 – a feat that remains unmatched. The runners-up from 2018 were Altyn Asyr FC, who became the first side from Turkmenistan to reach the AFC Cup™ Final and the record eight-time league champions – all titles achieved back-to-back from 2014 to 2021 – will eye a similar run on their seventh appearance. This rematch kicks off at the Al-Madina International Stadium in Baghdad.
Group D duo Kuwait SC and PFC Nasaf have also met in an AFC Cup™ Final, with the latter running out 2-1 winners in 2011. Kuwait SC did win the trophy thrice (2009, 2012, 2013) – joint-most with Air Force – and the record 19-time league champions start their 12th involvement at home to their Uzbek opposition. Nasaf, 2023 domestic cup winners, are appearing for a fourth time and the game is scheduled for 7pm at the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Ardiya.
Finalists in the ACL 2015, eight-time UAE league champions Shabab Al Ahli are making their competition debut and will entertain Jordan’s Al Hussein at the Rashid Stadium in Dubai. The visitors clinched their maiden league title last season and are back in Continental action for the first time since 2005, when they reached the AFC Cup quarter-finals.
East
Hong Kong, China’s Lee Man stormed to their first-ever league title in 2023/24, winning 17 of their 20 matches in an unbeaten campaign, and the 2011 Inter-zone Playoff finalists start their third involvement at home in Group G on September 18. Their opponents are Vietnamese outfit Nam Dinh FC, whose 2023/24 league triumph came 39 years after their first. The visitors’ only previous Continental experience came in the 2008 ACL Group Stage and their participation kicks off at 8pm at the Mong Kok Stadium.
Five-time Singapore league champions Tampines Rovers FC are the most experienced side in this edition, as they gear up for their 14th appearance. Quarter-finalists on four occasions, their opening match is away at Bangkok United, who won the Thai FA Cup for the first time last season. The home side have two ACL appearances under their belt but are in the ACL Two for the first time, with kick-off scheduled for 7pm at the Thammasat Stadium in Pathum Thani.
On September 19, Sanfrecce Hiroshima end a five-year Continental absence with their ACL Two debut as the three-time J1 League winners take on Kaya FC-Iloilo at the Hiroshima Soccer Stadium in Group E. The visitors picked up their second Philippines league title in a row earlier this year and will chalk up a fourth appearance in this competition.
The Jubilee Stadium will host Sydney FC’s maiden participation as the 2023 Australia Cup winners open their campaign against Eastern of Hong Kong, China. The record five-time A-League Men champions, who have played seven times in the ACL, face the 2023/24 Hong Kong FA Cup winners – making their fourth appearance.
Muangthong United of Thailand will participate for a third time. The four-time league champions will welcome Malaysia’s Selangor FC, whose last AFC club competition involvement was the 2006 AFC Cup™, to the Thunderdome Stadium in Nonthaburi for their opening Group H match.
Having made their Continental bow in the AFC Cup last season, Dynamic Herb Cebu FC of the Philippines has returned to this stage and will square off against an Asian club giant in their first match. With two ACL titles (2006, 2016) from 16 campaigns, record nine-time K League 1 champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC will mark their ACL Two debut at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.
Persib Bandung secured their Group F place by winning the Indonesian league in 2023/24 – 10 years after their first in 2014—and their second appearance at this level brings with it an opening clash against Port FC. The Thai visitors’ sole previous involvement came in the AFC Cup™ 2010, and they will travel to Soreang for the kick-off at the Si Jalak Harupat Stadium.
A maiden triumph in the Singapore Cup in 2023 saw the Lion City Sailors qualify for their first ACL Two campaign, which sees them host Zhejiang FC at the Jalan Besar Stadium. Like their opponents, the Chinese visitors also appear for the first time at this level.
The top two finishers from each group advance to the Round of 16, to be played in February 2025. This will be followed by the Quarter-finals on March 4 2025 and Semi-finals in April 2025, before the tournament culminates in a single-leg Final on May 17, 2025.
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