AFC Challenge League
The 13th edition of Asia’s third-tier men’s club competition—known as the AFC President’s Cup for the first 10—features 19 contenders vying for Continental glory.
They have been divided into five groups—three in the West and two in the East—to do battle in a single round-robin centralised league format in the Group Stage from October 17 to 24, 2026.
Borneo FC Samarinda, Fortis FC and Homs Al Fidaa SC are making their Continental bows, while a further seven clubs will be debuting in the ACGL Group Stage: Ahal FC, Al Ittihad Ahli of Aleppo SC, FC Goa, Kasuka FC, New Taipei City Hang Yuan FC, Qadsia SC and Yangon United FC.
The Quarter-finals and Semi-finals—both double-legged affairs—are set for March 3-18 and April 7-15, 2027 respectively, with the Final slated for May 8 to crown the latest champions.
West
October 17
Group A
Bhutan | Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu
Kicking off their third appearance on home soil at 6pm, Paro FC will aim to advance to the knockouts for the first time. The hosts, who won a fifth league title in a row and sixth overall in 2025/26 – both records, welcome Turkmenistan’s Ahal FC, who finished as league runners-up in 2025/26.
At 9pm, reigning Lebanese champions and last season’s Quarter-finalists Al Ansar FC, who clinched a record 16th league crown in 2025/26, commence their second ACGL quest against Syria’s Al Ittihad Ahli of Aleppo SC, the 2010 AFC Cup™ winners who lifted an eighth league trophy in 2025/26.
Group B
Tajikistan | Hisor Central Stadium, Hisor
Semi-finalists on their debut in 2024/25, Al Arabi SC are making a third consecutive appearance, and the 2025/26 Kuwait league runners-up will take to the field at 4pm against Syria’s Homs Al Fidaa SC, who recorded their best-ever league finish of second in 2025/26.
After finishing as league runners-up in 2025/26, Lebanon’s Nejmeh SC return for their second ACGL showing, which starts at 7pm against Tajikistan’s FC Istiklol. With their most recent appearance in 2013 culminating in their crowning as champions, the home side will hope to add a second title, and they enter their third campaign off the back of a 12th straight league success and 14th overall – both records.
Group C
Kuwait | Mohammed Al Hamad Stadium, Hawally
The second club from India to ever take part in the ACGL, FC Goa—with one previous appearance each in the AFC Champions League Elite™ and AFC Champions League Two™—secured their spot after winning a record third AIFF Super Cup in 2025/26. Their opponents at 4.25pm are record three-time champions FC Regar-Tadaz, who became the first Tajik side to win an AFC competition with their 2005 triumph. An eighth domestic cup triumph in 2025 sealed their sixth involvement and they will seek to add to their other ACGL titles from 2008 and 2009.
Ending a Continental absence since the 2020 AFC Cup™, 17-time domestic champions Qadsia SC of Kuwait ignite their debut on home soil at 8.30pm against Fortis FC of Bangladesh. Founded in 2020, the visitors contested their first top-flight season in 2022/23 and registered their best-ever league finish of third in 2025.
East
Group D
Indonesia | Segiri Stadium, Samarinda
With their best-ever league finish of runners-up in 2025/26, Borneo FC Samarinda booked their ACGL berth and can count on partisan support at home on October 18 in their 8pm clash with Myanmar’s Yangon United FC. Placed second in their 2025/26 league, the visitors return to AFC competition for the first time since the 2019 AFC Cup™.
The withdrawal of Philippines’ One Taguig FC means that the third club in this group, Tainan City FC, will kick-start their third consecutive involvement at 8pm on October 21 against Borneo. The Chinese Taipei side, who reached the 2024/25 Quarter-finals, are domestic powerhouses and clinched a sixth league title—achieved in record consecutive fashion—in 2025/26.
Group E
Myanmar | Thuwunna Stadium, Yangon
Making their third consecutive involvement and fifth overall, Shan United FC will set their sights on surpassing the last-eight run in 2024/25. The home side are a dominant force in Myanmar and swept to a sixth straight league title—and seventh overall—in 2025/26; they went unbeaten in those six seasons, winning 84 of the 98 matches. At 4pm on October 18, they welcome New Taipei City Hang Yuan FC of Chinese Taipei, whose runners-up league finish in 2025/26 was the best in their history and meant a return to Continental action for the first time since the 2019 AFC Cup™.
Hoping to go a step further in their second consecutive appearance, last season’s semi-finalists Manila Digger FC—winners of a maiden league crown in 2025/26—begin their quest at 7pm on the same night against Kasuka FC. Placed second in their 2025/26 league, the away side progressed via the Preliminary Stage to make history as the first-ever Bruneian club to qualify for the Group Stage of an AFC competition.
Find the latest ACGL match schedule here. All timings indicated are in respective local times.
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