KUUMAR SHYAM (ALETIHAD)
Shabab Al Ahli booked their place in the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League Elite on Tuesday with a 3-0 win over a 10-man Tractor side from Iran in Jeddah on Tuesday. The ADNOC Pro League champions from Dubai will now clash with Japan’s Machida Zelvia.
After a meandering first half, Shabab Al Ahli got two moments going their way in a match that did not impress in quality despite what the margin might suggest. Sparks were expected to fly with international Iranian veteran Sardar Azmoun as Shabab Al Ahli’s lead frontman and one who ruffled feathers by expressing his love for Dubai on social media in the past month.
While Azmoun did not find himself on the scoresheet, he managed to get Tractor goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand sent off seven minutes in to the second half for a foul tackle outside the penalty area. Then an aerial challenge was harshly interpreted by the referee even after referring to video help and Yuri Cesar scored with the penalty gift in the 64th minute.
Fifteen minutes later, it was another Iranian, the defensive midfielder Saeid Ezatolahi, who connected with a cross to double the lead. Matheus Lima then put the seal on victory for Paulo Sousa’s side eight minutes into stoppage time.
The win takes the ACL finalists of 2015 into the last eight where they will meet the reigning Emperor’s Cup holders at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium on Friday.
More Teams Next Year
The Competitions Committee of the Asian Football Confederation has recommended a series of strategic enhancements to the continent’s flagship competition, the Asian Champions League Elite (ACL Elite), headlined by a move to a 32-team format beginning in the 2026/27 season.
The reforms underscore the AFC’s commitment to further promote inclusivity and excellence across the continent whilst introducing a more rigorous qualification pathway to the Knockout Stage.
Central to this evolution is the expansion of the League Stage from 24 to 32 participating clubs. Under the new structure, the competition will continue to be divided equally with 16 teams each in the East and West Regions. This increase in scale is intended to provide opportunities for elite clubs to compete against the continent’s best, while simultaneously incentivising higher standards of professionalism and performance within domestic leagues across Asia.
The progression criteria following the League Stage – to be implemented after the 2026/27 season – will also be revised to heighten the stakes of the opening round. Upon the conclusion of the League Stage, the clubs ranked first through sixth in each Region will earn direct qualification to the Round of 16.
In a departure from previous formats, clubs that finish seventh to 10th will not be eliminated but will instead progress to a newly established Knockout Stage Play-off.
To reward superior performance during the League Stage, the higher-ranked club in each pairing — specifically the seventh- and eighth-ranked teams will retain home advantage. The winners of these Play-off encounters will then secure the remaining berths in the Round of 16, ensuring that every position in the League Stage remains consequential until the final matchday.
Due to the congested global competitions calendar currently, the Knockout Stage Playoff will not be implemented for the 2026/27 season.
