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The stage is set for the AFC Women’s Champions League™ 2026/27 with the Preliminary Stage Draw finalised at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Thursday.
The 24 clubs — five more than last season — were divided into six groups with the Preliminary Stage to be contested from August 17 to 23, 2026.
The six group winners will join six clubs that qualified directly: defending champions Naegohyang Women’s FC (PRK) and the top-ranked quintet of Melbourne City FC (AUS), Hwacheon KSPO WFC (KOR), INAC Kobe Leonessa (JPN), Beijing Jingtan Football Club (CHN) and Ho Chi Minh City Women’s FC (VIE).
Group A, which will be hosted by Malaysia’s Sabah FA, will also feature India’s East Bengal FC, Guam’s Rovers FC and Rajshahi Stars FC of Bangladesh while Kyrgyz Republic’s FC Ilbirs will welcome Kaya FC-Iloilo of the Philippines, Hong Kong’s TSL FC and Phnom Penh Crown FC of Cambodia for the Group B challenge.
Group C will see UAE’s Banaat FC, Uzbekistan’s PFC Nasaf (hosts), Master FC of Laos and Bhutan’s Royal Thimphu College FC vying for the sole ticket while hosts College of Asian Scholars of Thailand, DPR Korea’s 4.25 SC, Mongolia’s Kharaatsai FC and S’Amuser FC of Timor Leste are the Group D cast.
Hosts FC CSKA Dushanbe of Tajikistan will have to contend with IR Iran’s Bam Khatoon FC, Etihad Club of Jordan and Al Nassr Club of Saudi Arabia in Group E with Chinese Taipei’s New Taipei City Hang Yuan FC (TPE), Myanmar’s Ayeyawady FC – Women (hosts), FC Jurong of Singapore and Lebanon’s No Limits FC battling it out in Group F.
The Group Stage – which will also be contested in a centralised format, will be played on November 1 to 7, 2026. The Draw is scheduled for September 3.
Draw Result
Group A: East Bengal FC (IND), Sabah FA (MAS, H), Rovers FC (GUM), Rajshahi Stars FC (BAN)
Group B: Kaya FC-Iloilo (PHI), TSL FC (HKG), Phnom Penh Crown FC (CAM), FC Ilbirs (KGZ, H)
Group C: Banaat FC (UAE), PFC Nasaf (UZB, H), Master FC (LAO), Royal Thimphu College FC (BHU)
Group D: College of Asian Scholars (THA, H), 4.25 SC (PRK), Kharaatsai FC (MNG), S’Amuser FC (TLS)
Group E: Bam Khatoon FC (IRN), Etihad Club (JOR), Al Nassr Club (KSA), FC CSKA Dushanbe (TJK, H)
Group F: New Taipei City Hang Yuan FC (TPE), Ayeyawady FC – Women (MYA, H), FC Jurong (SGP), No Limits FC (LBN)
