AFC Women’s Champions League:
Khatoon to face Kobe Leonessa in Group A opener
Iranian top-flight champion Bam Khatoon will take on Japan’s INAC Kobe Leonessa in its AFC Women’s Champions League Group A opener in Yangon, Myanmar, today.
Khatoon is making its fifth appearance in AFC competitions – the most of any women’s club on the continent. Having won a 12th domestic league title and a fifth in a row last season, Marzieh Jafari’s side will aim to improve on its quarterfinal finish in the 2024/25 campaign.
INAC Kobe Leonessa ended a four-year wait for a second league title in the 2025/26 season to earn its place in the competition.
The Iranian outfit will face defending champion Naegohyang Women’s FC of North Korea in its second game at Thuwunna Stadium on Wednesday before concluding its group campaign against hosts AYEYAWADY FC next Saturday.
The top two teams from each of the three groups will be joined in the quarterfinals by the two best third-placed teams. The quarterfinals will be played in single-leg ties in March, hosted by the three group winners and the best-ranked runner-up.