𝐀𝐅𝐂 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐀 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛𝐬

…𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒉𝒖 𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒔 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒑 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘𝒄𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝑨𝒔𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒃 𝒇𝒐𝒐𝒕𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒍

By Tashi Tshewang

Group A of the AFC Challenge League 2025 featured four competitive sides: Al Shabab Club (Oman), AltynAsyr FC (Turkmenistan), FC Abdysh-Ata (Kyrgyzstan), and Paro FC (Bhutan). The group stage, held at Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu, and other regional venues, delivered exciting encounters and highlighted the growing competitiveness of Asian club football.

The group opened with AltynAsyr FC defeating FC Abdysh-Ata 1-0 in a closely fought match that highlighted the tactical discipline of the Turkmen side. Bhutan’s Paro FC faced Al Shabab Club in their opening match on October 25. Despite strong home support, Paro FC narrowly lost 1-0, signaling the challenges of competing against more experienced teams.

In the second round, Al Shabab Club earned a 2-1 victory over FC Abdysh-Ata, consolidating their position at the top of the group. Paro FC faced AltynAsyr FC on October 28 and showed resilience and attacking intent but ultimately went down 3-1 after late goals from the Turkmen champions.

The fifth match of the group saw Al Shabab Club defeating AltynAsyr FC 3-1, emphasizing Oman’s dominance in the group. Paro FC concluded their campaign on October 31 with a thrilling 3-3 draw against FC Abdysh-Ata, earning their first and only point of the tournament and ending their continental journey on an exciting note.

Overall, Al Shabab Club emerged as the strongest side in Group A, demonstrating consistency and attacking strength throughout the matches. AltynAsyr FC showed strong offensive play and competitiveness, though they fell short against Oman’s side. FC Abdysh-Ata displayed resilience, managing to secure a draw against Paro FC and push other teams to the limit. Paro FC, while exiting at the group stage, gained valuable international experience and showed moments of attacking brilliance, particularly in their final high-scoring draw.

The completion of Group A matches highlighted the competitive balance between established Central Asian clubs and emerging teams from Bhutan. Fans enjoyed thrilling matches, intense moments, and high-quality football, reflecting the importance of the AFC Challenge League in developing club football across Asia.

Hassan Rustom Al Balushi, Al Shabab FC Coach, said, “We came here with the aim to win, and we managed to earn all the points necessary to potentially qualify directly, without relying on other results. This wasn’t sudden; we prepared very thoroughly for this matchup and were fully aware of the challenge ahead. The players are true champions, and they showed it on the field.”

The coach highlighted the team’s meticulous preparation and mental readiness, noting that their consistent focus and discipline were key to handling the challenge. He emphasized that every player understood their role and executed it with precision, which ultimately reflected in their strong performance on the field.

Al Shabab FC Coach added, “The match was played at night, but I won’t get into the specifics of the timing. As I mentioned earlier, we gave clear instructions to the players to perform at a high level in order to secure the win and that’s exactly what they did. They executed the plan perfectly and delivered the result we aimed for.”
Pushpalal Sharma, Paro FC Coach said, “Nevertheless, I think we need to sit down, review what happened, and technically assess how we can adjust going forward. We have hosted the AFC Challenge twice, and I don’t think we will get to host it again next year.”

The coach reflected on the team’s recent performance and emphasized the importance of learning from the experience. He noted that future strategies will not only rely on thorough preparation but will also be influenced by whether the team plays at home or faces opponents away, underlining the challenges of competing in different conditions.

Paro FC Coach added, “Our future approach will depend not only on our preparation but also on whether we get to play at home or face the other teams in the away match. We thank all the supporters for supporting us.”
Khurshit Lutfullaev, FC Abdysh-Ata Coach, said, “We want to sincerely thank our fans, both in our country and here, who made the long journey to support us. Secondly, we extend our gratitude to our club president and the entire club for their tremendous support in making it possible for us to participate in this tournament.”

The coach expressed his heartfelt appreciation for the unwavering support from fans and the club, highlighting how crucial their encouragement and backing were in helping the team take part in the tournament. He acknowledged the collective effort behind the team’s participation and emphasized the value of such support for future campaigns.
The coach added, “Of course, this is football, and unfortunately, we didn’t achieve the results we had hoped for. However, we will carefully analyze our performance and work hard to improve for the future.”

Yazguly Hojageldiyev, AltynAsyr FC Coach, said, “We did our best throughout the match, and the players gave everything they had on the field. Every member of the team worked hard, followed the strategy, and showed great determination, even though the result was not what we expected.”

The coach reflected on the team’s performance, highlighting their discipline, teamwork, and commitment. He acknowledged that while the outcome wasn’t ideal, the players’ efforts were commendable, and the experience provides valuable lessons for future matches.

The coach concluded, “Nevertheless, we would like to sincerely thank our supporters and fans for standing by us through every challenge. Their encouragement means a lot, and we hope to have the same unwavering support in the future as we continue to grow and improve as a team.”