Al-Ahli Saudi FC set for eight-match AFC Champions League Elite test across Gulf and Central Asia

Al-Ahli Saudi FC will begin their campaign in the 2026-27 AFC Champions League Elite league phase at home to Al Ain, before concluding with an away fixture against Al Shamal in Qatar.

The draw, held in Kuala Lumpur, has given the defending Asian champions a demanding schedule featuring a series of high-profile meetings with clubs from the Gulf and Central Asia.

Their opening match against Al Ain is expected to attract major interest, with the fixture carrying both strong regional appeal and an element of rivalry. Al-Ahli Saudi FC will then face two successive away matches, travelling first to Doha to meet Al Sadd before making the difficult trip to Uzbekistan to play Neftchi.

The Saudi club will return home for back-to-back fixtures that could prove important in their bid to reach the knockout rounds. They will host Shabab Al Ahli in an eagerly awaited Gulf derby, followed by a home game against Al Gharafa.

Those two matches give Al-Ahli Saudi FC the opportunity to collect six points in front of their own supporters and strengthen their position in the league phase. The first eight matches of the campaign will be played against a mixture of established Gulf opposition and clubs from Central Asia.

In the decisive later stages of the schedule, Al-Ahli Saudi FC will travel to the United Arab Emirates to face Al Wasl. They will then return to Jeddah to welcome Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan.

The league-phase campaign will end with another journey to Qatar, where Al-Ahli Saudi FC will take on Al Shamal. That final match could have a major bearing on whether the holders secure a place in the knockout rounds.

The complete fixture sequence for the defending champions is:

– Al Ain – home – Al Sadd – away – Shabab Al Ahli – home – Neftchi – away – Al Gharafa – home – Al Wasl – away – Pakhtakor – home – Al Shamal – away

The draw has therefore handed Al-Ahli Saudi FC a route that begins with one of the competition’s heavyweight fixtures, includes demanding travel to Qatar and Uzbekistan, and ends with another away match in Qatar.

With two consecutive home games in the middle of the schedule, the club will have a clear opportunity to build momentum before the final three fixtures against Al Wasl, Pakhtakor and Al Shamal determine the outcome of their league-phase campaign.