FOOTBALL – BAHRAIN clubs Muharraq and Al Khaldiya return to the pitch tonight in the 2025-26 AFC Champions League (ACL) Two.
Muharraq are away to Al Wehdat of Jordan at King Abdullah II Stadium in Amman, while Khaldiya host Al Ahli SC of Qatar at the Late Shaikh Ali bin Mohammed bin Isa Al Khalifa Stadium in Arad.
Muharraq’s game with Wedhat is scheduled for a 9.15pm kick-off, Bahrain time, while Khaldiya and Ahli clash at 7pm.
The ACL Two is the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) second-tier club competition – one level below the AFC Champions League Elite and one above the AFC Challenge League.
Muharraq and Khaldiya are amongst a 32-strong cast representing 22 AFC member associations who are playing in a home-and-away round-robin format.
Muharraq are coming off their first defeat of the competition last week – a 0-1 result at home against undefeated Group A leaders Al Wasl of the UAE.
Both Wasl and Esteghlal FC from Iran are not in action this week in the ACL Two.
Tonight’s contest will be Muharraq’s return game against the Jordanians, who they defeated 4-0 in their first meeting in Bahrain held in September.
Khaldiya, meanwhile, will be aiming to maintain their position atop Group B in their home fixture against Ahli, who are ranked right behind them.
The Bahrainis played to a goalless draw against PFC Andijon of Uzbekistan in their previous assignment last week, held in the Uzbek city of Andijon.
Both Andijon and FK Arkadag of Turkmenistan have byes this week.
In Khaldiya’s previous meeting against Ahli in Doha in September, the two teams shared the points in a goalless stalemate.
Following tonight’s fixtures, both Bahraini clubs will have two games remaining in the ACL Two’s group stage. They will be on November 5 and on December 24, which is the final day of this preliminary round.
Both teams will be hoping to advance to the round of 16, which is scheduled for February 10 to 19 in 2026. The quarter-finals and semis will then be held in March and April, respectively, with the final pencilled in for May 16.
Muharraq and Khaldiya are both competing as part of the ACL Two’s West Asia region, which also features Foolad Mobarakeh Sepahan SC of Iran, Al Hussein of Jordan, Mohun Bagan Super Giant of India, and Ahal FC of Turkmenistan in Group C; and Al Nassr Club of Saudi Arabia, Al Zawraa SC of Iraq, FC Istiklol of Tajikistan, and FC Goa of India in Group D.
Groups E to H feature four East Asian clubs apiece. They are from China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, South Korea, the Philippines, and Australia.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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