Riffa set to kick off AFC Cup campaign

TDT | Manama    

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain’s Riffa Club kick off their title bid in the 2023/2024 AFC Cup tomorrow against Nejmeh SC of Lebanon. Riffa and Nejmeh are in Group C for the preliminary round along with Al Zawraa of Iraq and Al Arabi of Kuwait.

Tomorrow’s match is scheduled for a 9pm kick off, Bahrain time, at Khalifa Sports City Stadium.

In the same evening, Zawraa host Arabi in Basra. Following Riffa’s opening fixture, they host Zawraa at home on 2 October, before flying to Kuwait City to take on Arabi on 23 October.

The Bahrainis are then set to go against Arabi on 6 November in Bahrain before facing Nejmeh on 27 November. They complete their group campaign on 12 December away at Zawraa.

The AFC Cup is the annual continental club competition of the AFC for top teams not competing in the AFC Champions League. A total of 36 participating teams are participating, divided into nine groups across the five AFC zones.

The West zone teams are in Groups A, B and C. Group A features Al Ahed FC of Lebanon, Al Futuwa of Syria, Jabal Al Mukaber Club of Palestine and Al Nahda of Oman.

Group B comprises Al Wehdat of Jordan, Kuwait SC of Kuwait, Al Kahrbaa SC of Iraq and Al Ittihad Al Ahli of Aleppo from Syria.

The three group winners and best runners-up advance to the zonal semi-finals, which are set for February of next year.

The zonal finals will take place in April, while the inter-zone play-off semis are scheduled for March and the inter-zone play-off final also for April. The AFC Cup final will be played in May.

Riffa are the lone Bahraini representatives in this year’s competition. They qualified being the national league champions from the 2021/2022 season.