FOOTBALL – Bahrain's top football clubs Muharraq and Al Khaldiya will both be flying the kingdom’s flag in the group stage of the 2026-27 AFC Champions League (ACL) Two, it was confirmed yesterday.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced that 25 teams – 12 from West Asia and 13 from East Asia – have been granted direct entry into this phase in the prestigious annual tournament.
Muharraq and Khaldiya are the kingdom’s representatives for the second straight campaign.
The ACL Two is the AFC’s second-tier club competition.
It was rebranded from the AFC Cup entering the 2024-25 season.
It is one level below the AFC Champions League Elite and one above the AFC Challenge League.
The announcement yesterday came as the AFC revealed the list of participating clubs for the three aforementioned men’s tournaments.
Muharraq and Khaldiya earned their ACL Two berths as the first and second-placed teams from this past season’s Nasser bin Hamad Bahrain Premier Football League.
Muharraq were crowned champions but not without a fight from Khaldiya, with the title race going down to the last matchday and being decided by just a single point.
The Bahraini clubs will be a part of a 32-team field in the upcoming ACL Two season.
The 25 confirmed participants will be joined by four losing clubs from the ACL Elite preliminary stage, as well as three clubs that will progress from the ACL Two preliminaries.
The other West Asian teams with direct berths to the group phase are Al Taawoun FC from Saudi Arabia, Al Wahda FC from the UAE, Al Rayyan SC from Qatar, Golgohar Sirjan SC from Iran, PFC Nasaf from Uzbekistan, Al Shorta from Iraq, Al Faisaly from Jordan, Al Seeb and Al Nahda from Oman, and Kuwait SC from Kuwait.
From East Asia, the confirmed participants are FC Machida Zelvia from Japan, FC Seoul from South Korea, BG Pathum United from Thailand, Shanghai Shenhua FC from China, Melbourne Victory FC from Australia, Kuching City FC from Malaysia, The Cong-Viettel FC from Vietnam, Lion City Sailors FC and Tampines Rovers FC from Singapore, Kitchee SC and Tai Po FC from Hong Kong, and Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng FC and Phnom Penh Crown FC from Cambodia.
The draw for the competition’s group stage is set for August 18, the AFC said yesterday, adding that the first matchday of the new ACL Two season has been scheduled for September 15.
In the 2025-26 tournament, both Muharraq and Khaldiya did not make it out of their respective groups.
Muharraq finished third in Group A after winning two, drawing one, and losing three of their six fixtures; while Khaldiya won once, drew thrice, and lost twice in their contests.
Khaldiya also took part in the ACL Two’s inaugural season in its current format in 2024-25, when they made it to the round of 16.
Bahrain’s Al Ahli also had an opportunity to punch their ticket to the group stage then, but lost their preliminary round qualifier.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh