Hussein, Faisali Kick Off Asian Matches

(MENAFN- Jordan Times) AMMAN - The 2026-27 AFC Champions League Two kicks off with Jordan's League champs Hussein and runner-up Faisali starting their Asian journeys with higher competitive expectations after many players on both lineups represented Jordan at the World Cup.

Hussein kick off their Group D matches hosting India's East Bengal while Oman's Al Seeb play Iraq's Shorta. On the other hand, Faisali have a tough away match againstQatar's Al Rayyanin Group C asOman's Nahda play Saudi Arabia's Taawoun.

The second-tier club competition organized by the Asian Football Confederation will see Group A matchesgrouping Uzbekistan's Nasaf, Kuwait's SC,UAE's Al-Wahda and Bahrain's Khaldiya, while Group B includes Bahrain's Muharraq, UAE's Jazira, Iran's Gol Gohar Sirjan and Turkmenistan's Arkadag.

The group-stage matches run until December 3 before the knockout stage begins on February 9, 2027, with the final scheduled for May 15, 2027.

Last month, Hussein played a preliminary round match in the top tier Asian competition - the ACL Elite – losing to Uzbekistan's Pakhtakor 3-0. The early elimination moved Hussein to playin the second tier competition alongsideFaisali.

Hussein started the local season on a sour note, losing to Faisali in the Super Cup. Two weeks into the league, they lost their opening match 5-0 to Jazira before tying Baqa'a 0-0 leading to the departure of their coach Ahmad Hayel who had secured three titles for the team last year.

Faisali have started the season on a more confident note, winning the season opening Super Cup. As the league kicked off they tied Wihdat 0-0 before beating newcomers Doqarah 2-0.

In the 2025/26 season, the Jordanian league champs, combined a first-time triple titles: Jordan Cup, the Super Cup alongside their third consecutive Pro League crown while Faisali won the JFA Shield.

Regionally, last year saw Hussein and Wihdat representing Jordan in the Asian Champions League Two for the second year running. Wihdat, failed to advance past Round 1while Hussein reached the quarterfinals losing 3-1 to Qatar's Ahli. Saudi Arabi's Nassr beat Ahli 5-1 in the semis and moved to play the final against eventual champs Japan's Gamba Osaka. Both Hussein and Wihdat were eliminated from the Round of 16 in 2024/25 when UAE's Sharja were crowned champions.

Hussein were the first Jordanian club to reach the quarters of the ACL Two in 2025/26. It was their 2nd and Wihdat's 14th time in the Asian Champions League Two which was won by Faisali twice in back-to-back seasons in 2005-2006 and Shabab Urdun once in 2007 when it was called the Asian Champions League Cup. Wihdat reached the semis in 2006, 2007 and 2011. No Jordanian clubs played in 2022.

In the Asian Champions League, Wihdat played the group stages of the competition in 2021 and 2022, before it was renamed the Asian Champions League (ACL) Elite. None of the other Jordanian clubs had ever made it past the ACL preliminary round where Faisali played in 2020 and 2018, Wihdat in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019 and Shabab Urdun in 2014.

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