AFC updates club competition rules on inclusion of foreigners and player registration (2025)

The new changes will be favourable for the Indian sides.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant and East Bengal FC, two of Indian football’s biggest clubs based in Kolkata are all set to participate in the AFC Champions League Two (ACL Two) 2024-25 and the AFC Challenge League, respectively.

Mohun Bagan qualified for the competition by winning the Indian Super League (ISL) League Winners’ Shield 2023-24. On the other hand, East Bengal won the Kalinga Super Cup 2024 and qualified for the AFC Champions League 2 Preliminary Round.

On 14th August, the Red & Gold Brigade faced a 2-3 loss against Turkmenistan’s Altyn Asyr FC, in the AFC Champions League Two Preliminary Round, making them eligible to play in the AFC Challenge League, scheduled for later this year.

AFC Champions League Two draws

In the draw, Mohun Bagan was placed in Group A of the ACL Two alongside Al-Wakrah, Tractor, and Ravshan. The Mariner’s Asian journey will start on 18th September at the Salt Lake Stadium, against Ravshan Kulob, a club from Tajikistan.

Overall, 32 teams will compete in this tournament, with four teams placed in each group, and the teams finishing in the top two will qualify for the knockout stages.

East Bengal on the other hand, was drawn in Group A of the AFC Challenge League 2024-25 tournament on Thursday. The AFC Challenge League will be the first edition of the revamped third-tier men’s club football tournament in Asia, scheduled to start on 26th October.

Nejmeh FC of Lebanon, Bashundhara Kings of Bangladesh, and Paro FC of Bhutan, all reigning champions of the top-tier leagues in their respective countries, are the other three clubs in Group A.

Registration process of players

According to the newly amended tournament rulebook, there are no limits on the number of foreigners in the playing eleven. There will be three registration windows as per Clause 24, which addresses the technical side of player registration.

As per sub-clause 24.1, during each registration window, each participating club must submit two (2) lists of players as follows:

24.1.1. List A: Each participating club must register a minimum of eighteen (18) and a maximum of twenty-five (25) players. A minimum of two (2) places are reserved exclusively for homegrown players, and no club may have more than one (1) association-trained player listed in these two (2) places on List A. If a participating club has fewer than two (2) homegrown players on List A, the maximum number of players on List A is reduced accordingly.

24.1.2. List B: Each participating club may register up to ten (10) players. Only players born on or after 1 January 2003 may be registered on List B.

Implications for the Indian sides

With the Asian challenge in mind, Mohun Bagan signed Portuguese central half Nuno Reis as their seventh foreigner for the 2024-25 season. The other six foreigners currently with the team are Jason Cummings, Dimitri Petratos, Alberto Rodriguez, Tom Aldred, Greg Stewart, and Jamie Maclaren.

Similarly, East Bengal have a roster of six players in their foreign contingent that consists of Dimitrios Diamantakos, Saul Crespo, Hijazi Maher, Hector Yuste, Cleiton Silva, and Madih Talal. As per the new amendments, all foreign players from both teams can participate in their respective Asian-level club competitions.

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