FOOTBALL – BAHRAIN clubs Al Khaldiya and Muharraq are set for crucial clashes this evening in the 2025-26 AFC Champions League (ACL) Two.
Both sides suffered narrow 1-2 defeats in their previous outings in the competition last week, and will be looking not to slip up again as they play their penultimate fixtures in this ACL Two preliminary stage.
Khaldiya host PFC Andijon from Uzbekistan in their Group B clash tonight, scheduled for a 7pm kick-off at the Late Shaikh Ali Bin Mohammed Bin Isa Al Khalifa Stadium in Arad.
Muharraq, on the other hand, are away against Al Wasl FC of the UAE. Their Group A game is scheduled for a 4.45pm kick-off, Bahrain time, and it will be played at Zabeel Stadium in Dubai.
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.
Khaldiya and Muharraq are amongst a 32-strong cast representing 22 AFC member associations who are playing in a home-and-away round-robin format.
Khaldiya have dropped points in each of their last two matches and currently sit in second place on the Group B table with five points, right behind Al Ahli SC of Qatar, who beat them in their last outing to rise to first place with six markers.
Andijon are presently third with three points but have a game in hand over Khaldiya and Ahli. FK Arkadag from Turkmenistan are in last place with two points. They host Ahli in today’s other Group B fixture, scheduled for a 4.45pm start at Arkadag Stadium, also Bahrain time.
Khaldiya’s Bahraini head coach Ali Ashoor said yesterday that his players are determined to triumph in this evening’s clash and are fully ready to battle hard.
“We are expecting a difficult game – it is a difficult group, and all the four teams are competing to get the ticket to the second round,” Ashoor said last night during his pre-match Press conference.
“We prepared our team with our best technical staff and players. All the teams are ready after four games now – this is the fifth. We are ready to win this game and we will try our best to compete against Andijon.
“Inshaallah, we will get the three points in our home and with our fans.”
In their previous meeting against the Uzbeks away, Khaldiya held the hosts to a goalless draw.
Following this evening’s contest, they play their final game against Arkadag away on December 24.
Meanwhile, Muharraq take on Wasl with the hopes of ending a two-game skid in the competition – one that has kept them stuck on six points after opening the ACL Two with back-to-back victories against Al Wehdat of Jordan and Esteghlal FC of Iran.
The Bahrainis lost 0-1 to their Emirati counterparts in their first clash last month, and are now in second place in Group A, three points behind Wasl who have played a game less. Esteghlal follow while Wehdat are last, both with three points apiece.
Muharraq’s concluding outing of the group stage will be on December 24 against Esteghlal at home.
Both Khaldiya and Muharraq are aiming to finish in their pool’s top two 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.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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