STAGE SET FOR 2016 AFC CUP PLAY-OFF QUALIFIERS

Kuala Lumpur: Six teams will take the first steps on the road to potentially taking part in the 2016 AFC Cup when the qualification tournament for next season’s play-offs begins in both Bhutan and Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday.

Group A

Druk United were selected to host Group A, where the Bhutanese champions will face their Mongolian counterparts Khoromkhon and K-Electric FC, who denied 2013 AFC President’s Cup runners-up KRL a fourth consecutive Pakistan Premier League crown with their maiden triumph in the 2014-15 competition.

Group B

Group B, meanwhile, takes place in Bishkek, home of five-time Kyrgyzstan champions FC Alga, who were pooled alongside Lt. Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club Limited, two-time winners of the the Bangladesh Premier League, and Casa Benfica, back-to-back champions of the top division in Macau.

Last year saw the curtain come down on the AFC President’s Cup as the Confederation opened the door for more Member Associations to participate in the continent’s flagship event, the AFC Champions League, and the ever-improving AFC Cup.

AFC Cup 2016 Play-off Qualifiers Fixtures

GROUP A
Druk United (BHU)
Khoromkhon (MNG)
K-Electric FC (PAK)

GROUP B
FC Alga (KGZ)
Lt. Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club Limited (BAN)
Casa Benfica (MAC)