Challenging Path Awaits JDT In ACL Elite League Stage

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 15 (Bernama) -- Eleven-time consecutive Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) have been handed a challenging draw for the 2025/26 Asian Football Confederation Champions League Elite (ACL Elite) which includes some of the top clubs from East and Southeast Asia.

At the league stage draw held here today, JDT will host Chinese Super League champions Shanghai Port FC and Shanghai Shenhua FC of China, as well as Japan’s Vissel Kobe and Machida Zelvia at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, Iskandar Puteri.

Shanghai Port are the reigning Chinese Super League champions while Vissel Kobe hold the J.League title.

For their away fixtures, the Southern Tigers under Xisco Munoz will travel to Thailand to face Thai League holders Buriram United followed by to Australia against Melbourne City FC before taking on Japan’s Sanfrecce Hiroshima and China’s Chengdu Rongcheng FC.

However, JDT will avoid facing three South Korean clubs namely Gangwon FC, Ulsan HD and FC Seoul in this season’s campaign.

For the record, JDT's campaign last season ended in the round of 16 after losing to Buriram United 0-1 on aggregate.

The 2025/26 ACL Elite is scheduled to take place from Sept 15 to April 25 next year.

Under the tournament format, the teams are divided into two leagues, the West zone and East zone with each side in their respective league set to face eight different opponents, comprising four home matches and four away fixtures.

The West zone features defending champions Al Ahli Saudi FC of Saudi Arabia, together with Al Sadd SC, Shabab Al Ahli, Tractor FC, PFC Nasaf, Al Shorta, Al Duhail SC, Sharjah FC, Al Hilal SFC, Al Gharafa SC, Al Wahda FC and Al Ittihad Club.

The top eight teams from each league will qualify for the Round of 16, scheduled for March next year, while the remaining stages up to the final will be held in a centralised format in Saudi Arabia in April.

The full draw for the ACL Elite league stage is as follows:

West Zone:

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Al Ahli Saudi (Saudi Arabia), Al Sadd SC (Qatar), Shabab Al Ahli (UAE), Tractor FC (Iran), PFC Nasaf (Uzbekistan), Al Shorta (Iraq), Al Duhail SC (Qatar), Sharjah FC (UAE), Al Hilal SFC (Saudi Arabia), Al Gharafa SC (Qatar), Al Wahda FC (UAE) and Al Ittihad Club (Saudi Arabia).

East Zone:

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Vissel Kobe (Japan), Ulsan HD FC (South Korea), Shanghai Port FC (China), Buriram United (Thailand), Melbourne City FC (Australia), JDT (MALAYSIA), Sanfrecce Hiroshima (Japan), Gangwon FC (South Korea), Shanghai Shenhua FC (China), FC Machida Zelvia (Japan), FC Seoul (South Korea) and Chengdu Rongcheng FC (China).

-- BERNAMA