Bashundhara Kings to face Lebanon's Nejmeh in AFC Challenge League opener
This is the first time the Challenge League is being organised, and the draw has placed Bashundhara Kings in Group A alongside East Bengal FC from India, Nejmeh SC from Lebanon, and Paro FC from Bhutan. The fixtures have now been finalised.
Bashundhara Kings, Bangladesh's top football team, are gearing up to participate in the newly established AFC Challenge League, which marks the third tier of Asian club football tournaments under the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The Kings will kick off their campaign against Lebanon's Nejmeh SC on 26th October, although the venue and exact timing for the match are yet to be announced. Their next encounter will be against East Bengal on 29th October, followed by a match against Paro FC on 1st November.
Despite their dominance in the domestic scene, having clinched the Bangladesh Premier League title five times in a row, Bashundhara Kings have struggled to replicate this success at the continental level.
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Since their debut in the AFC Cup in 2022, they have failed to advance past the group stages.
In 2023, Bashundhara Kings made their first appearance in the AFC Champions League qualifiers but were knocked out after a defeat against Sharjah FC. Last year's AFC Cup campaign also ended in disappointment for the Kings. They were just a draw away from progressing to the next round in their final group stage match against India's Odisha FC but succumbed to a narrow 1-0 defeat in Bhubaneswar. Throughout the group stage, they faced tough competition from Mohun Bagan, Odisha FC, and Maziya from the Maldives. Although they secured victories against these teams at home, it was not enough to see them through to the next round.
