# 2024–25 AFC Challenge League

The 2024–25 AFC Challenge League is the eleventh edition of the Asia's third-tier continental club football competition, organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the first season since it was rebranded from the AFC President's Cup to the AFC Challenge League. It is the first edition since 2014, with the tournament being re-introduced in 2024 with a revamped format. The winner will be given a direct slot for the 2025–26 AFC Champions League Two group stage, if they haven't already qualified through their domestic performance.

## Association team allocation

The associations are allocated slots according to their club competitions ranking, which was published after the 2022 competitions were completed.
Participation for 2024–25 AFC Challenge League :
* Participating
* Not participating

### Notes

* ^ AFC Licensing (AFC): Association did not have a licensed club.

## Teams

The number of appearances and last appearance include the AFC President's Cup as the predecessor of the AFC Challenge League.
West Region :
| Team | Qualifying method | App. (last) |
| East Bengal | 2024–25 AFC Champions League Two qualifying round losers | 1st |
| Al-Ahli Club | 2024–25 AFC Champions League Two qualifying round losers | 1st |
| Al-Arabi | 2023–24 Kuwaiti Premier League runners-up | 1st |
| Arkadag | 2023 Ýokary Liga champions 2023 Turkmenistan Cup champions | 1st |
| Nejmeh | 2023–24 Lebanese Premier League champions | 1st |
| Al-Fotuwa | 2023–24 Syrian Premier League champions | 1st |
| Bashundhara Kings | 2023–24 Bangladesh Premier League champions | 1st |
| Al-Seeb | 2023–24 Oman Professional League champions | 1st |
| Maziya | 2023 Dhivehi Premier League champions | 1st |
| Hilal Al-Quds | 2022–23 West Bank Premier League runners-up | 2nd (2013) |
Qualifying play-off participants :
| Team | Qualifying method | App. (last) |
| Abdysh-Ata Kant | 2023 Kyrgyz Premier League champions | 1st |
| Church Boys United | 2023 Martyr's Memorial A-Division League champions | 1st |
| Paro | 2023 Bhutan Premier League champions | 1st |
| Attack Energy | 2024 Afghanistan Champions League champions | 1st |
East Region :
| Team | Qualifying method | App. (last) |
| Madura United | 2023–24 Liga 1 runners-up | 1st |
| Shan United | 2023 Myanmar National League champions | 3rd (2009) |
| Svay Rieng FC | 2023–24 Cambodian Premier League champions | 2nd (2014) |
| Tainan City | 2023 Taiwan Football Premier League champions | 1st |
| Young Elephants | 2023 Lao League 1 champions | 1st |
| SP Falcons | 2023–24 Mongolian National Premier League champions | 1st |

### Notes

* ^ Palestine (PLE): Due to the Israel–Hamas war, the 2023–24 West Bank Premier League was not organized by the Palestinian Football Association. The teams from Palestine are determined by the results of the 2022–23 West Bank Premier League. Jabal Al-Mukaber, the 2022–23 West Bank Premier League champions, failed to obtain an AFC license. Instead, the runners-up Hilal Al-Quds participate in the AFC Challenge League group stage.
* ^ Turkmenistan (TKM): Arkadag, the 2023 Turkmenistan Cup winners, also won the league title and qualified for the AFC Challenge League group stage as they lacked an AFC Champions League Two license. They were replaced by Altyn Asyr, the 2023 Ýokary Liga runners-up in AFC Champions League Two qualifying play-offs.

## Schedule

The schedule of the competition is as follows.
| Stage | Round | Draw date | First leg | Second leg |
| Preliminary stage | Preliminary stage | No draw | 13 August 2024 | 13 August 2024 |
| Group stage | Matchday 1 | 22 August 2024 | 26 October 2024 (West), 27 October 2024 (East) | 26 October 2024 (West), 27 October 2024 (East) |
| Group stage | Matchday 2 | 22 August 2024 | 29 October 2024 (West), 30 October 2024 (East) | 29 October 2024 (West), 30 October 2024 (East) |
| Group stage | Matchday 3 | 22 August 2024 | 1 November 2024 (West), 2 November 2024 (East) | 1 November 2024 (West), 2 November 2024 (East) |
| Knockout stage | Quarter-finals | No draw | 5 March 2025 (West), 6 March 2025 (East) | 12 March 2025 (West), 13 March 2025 (East) |
| Knockout stage | Semi-finals | No draw | 9 April 2025 (West), 10 April 2025 (East) | 16 April 2025 (West), 17 April 2025 (East) |
| Knockout stage | Final | No draw | 10 May 2025 at TBD | 10 May 2025 at TBD |
* 1 2 Pre-determined format

## Preliminary stage

The bracket of the preliminary stage was determined based on each team's association ranking and their seeding within their association, with the team from the higher-ranked association hosting the match. The two winners of the preliminary stage advanced to the group stage and joined the 16 direct entrants.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| Church Boys United | 1–2 | Paro |
| Abdysh-Ata Kant | 2–0 | Attack Energy |

## Group stage

The draw for the group stage took place on 22 August at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The 18 teams were drawn into five groups: three comprising four teams from the West each (Groups A–C) and two involving three teams from the East each (Groups D–E). Teams were seeded into pots: four pots for West region and three pots for East region, and drawn into the relevant positions within each group, based on their association ranking. Teams from the same association could not be drawn into the same group. Teams of every group will play at a neutral venue of a single-legged tie against every opponent.

### West Region
#### Group A

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | EAB | NJM | PAR | BSK |
| 1 | East Bengal | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 7 | Advance to Quarter-finals | | 3–2 | 2–2 | |
| 2 | Nejmeh | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 6 | | | | | 1–0 |
| 3 | Paro (H) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 4 | | | 1–2 | | |
| 4 | Bashundhara Kings | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 | −6 | 0 | | 0–4 | | 1–2 | |

#### Group B

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | AKG | AAK | ABD | MAZ |
| 1 | Arkadag | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 6 | Advance to Quarter-finals | | | | 2–1 |
| 2 | Al-Arabi (H) | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 6 | Advance to Quarter-finals | 3–2 | | 0–1 | |
| 3 | Abdysh-Ata Kant | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 6 | | 0–2 | | | |
| 4 | Maziya | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 | −6 | 0 | | | 0–2 | 0–3 | |
* 1 2 3 Head-to-head goal difference: Arkadag +1; Al-Arabi 0; Abdysh-Ata Kant –1.

#### Group C

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | ASB | AAM | AFT | HAQ |
| 1 | Al-Seeb (H) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | +9 | 9 | Advance to Quarter-finals | | 1–0 | | 3–0 |
| 2 | Al-Ahli Club | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 2 | | | | 1–1 | 0–0 |
| 3 | Al-Fotuwa | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | −5 | 2 | | 0–5 | | | |
| 4 | Hilal Al-Quds | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | −3 | 2 | | | | 0–0 | |
* 1 2 3 Head-to-head goals scored: Al-Ahli Club 1, Al-Fotuwa 1, Hilal Al-Quds 0; Overall goal difference: Al-Ahli Club –1, Al-Fotuwa –5.

#### Ranking of runners-up teams

| Pos | Grp | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | B | Al-Arabi | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 6 | Advance to Quarter-finals |
| 2 | A | Nejmeh | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 6 | |
| 3 | C | Al-Ahli Club | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 2 | |

### East Region
#### Group D

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | SNU | TNC | YEP |
| 1 | Shan United (H) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 4 | Advance to Quarter-finals | | 2–2 | |
| 2 | Tainan City | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 4 | Advance to Quarter-finals | | | 3–2 |
| 3 | Young Elephants | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 0 | | 0–2 | | |

#### Group E

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | MDU | PRR | SPF |
| 1 | Madura United | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 4 | Advance to Quarter-finals | | 2–1 | |
| 2 | Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | Advance to Quarter-finals | | | 2–1 |
| 3 | SP Falcons (H) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 1 | | 0–0 | | |

## Knockout stage
### Bracket

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals |
| E2 | Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng | 6 | 1 | 7 | | |
| D1 | Shan United | 2 | 2 | 4 | | |
| D1 | Shan United | 2 | 2 | 4 | Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng | Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng |
| East Region | East Region | East Region | East Region | East Region | Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng | Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng |
| East Region | East Region | East Region | East Region | East Region | Madura United | Madura United |
| D2 | Tainan City | 0 | 0 | 0 | Madura United | Madura United |
| E1 | Madura United | 0 | 3 | 3 | | |
| B2 | Al-Arabi (a.e.t.) | 1 | 2 | 3 | | |
| C1 | Al-Seeb | 0 | 2 | 2 | | |
| C1 | Al-Seeb | 0 | 2 | 2 | Al-Arabi | Al-Arabi |
| West Region | West Region | West Region | West Region | West Region | Al-Arabi | Al-Arabi |
| West Region | West Region | West Region | West Region | West Region | Arkadag | Arkadag |
| A1 | East Bengal | 0 | 1 | 1 | Arkadag | Arkadag |
| B1 | Arkadag | 1 | 2 | 3 | | |

### Quarter-finals

In the quarter-finals, the eight qualified teams play in two ties, with the matchups and order of legs determined by the group stage draw and the identity of the best runners-up in the West region.
West Region :
| Team 1 | Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Al-Arabi | 3–2 | Al-Seeb | 1–0 | 2–2 (a.e.t.) |
| East Bengal | 1–3 | Arkadag | 0–1 | 1–2 |
East Region :
| Team 1 | Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng | 7–4 | Shan United | 6–2 | 1–2 |
| Tainan City | 0–3 | Madura United | 0–0 | 0–3 |

### Semi-finals

In the Semi-finals, the winners of quarter-finals from each region will face each other in two leg matches. The winners of each tie advance to the final.
West Region :
| Team 1 | Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Al-Arabi | SF1 | Arkadag | 9 Apr | 16 Apr |
East Region :
| Team 1 | Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng | SF2 | Madura United | 10 Apr | 17 Apr |

### Final
## Top scorers

    As of 13 March 2025
| Rank | Player | Team | MD1 | MD2 | MD3 | QF1 | QF2 | Total |
| 1 | Dimitrios Diamantakos | East Bengal | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | 4 |
| 1 | Cristian Roque | Svay Rieng FC | | 1 | | 3 | | 4 |
| 1 | Ye Yint Aung | Shan United | 2 | | 1 | | 1 | | 4 |
| 4 | Zahir Al-Aghbari | Al Seeb | 2 | | 1 | | | 3 |
| 4 | Altymyrat Annadurdyýew | Arkadag | 1 | | | | 2 | 3 |
| 6 | Abdul Aziz Al-Muqbali | Al Seeb | 1 | | 1 | | | 2 |
| 6 | Ali Khalaf | Al Arabi | | 1 | 1 | | | 2 |
| 6 | Min Ratanak | Svay Rieng FC | | | 1 | 1 | | 2 |
| 6 | Toninho | Tainan City | | 1 | 1 | | | | 2 |
| 6 | Brylian Aldama | Young Elephants | | 2 | | | | | | 2 |

### Note

* Goals scored in the qualifying play-offs and matches voided by AFC are not counted when determining top scorer (Regulations Article 64.4)