National Women’s League 2022 champions Armed Police Force (APF) Club have been drawn in Group C and will face Uzbekistan's FC Nasaf and Malaysia's Sabah FA in the preliminary round of the AFC Women’s Champions League.

The preliminary round of the inaugural season of Asia's premier club women's football tournament will take place from August 25 to August 31.

The official draw was conducted on Thursday at the AFC House.

APF Club will play against Nasaf on August 25 and Sabah on August 28. Nasaf and Sabah will play each other on August 31. All Group C matches will be hosted by Malaysia.

The women’s champions league will have a total of 21 teams.

In the preliminary stage, 13 teams have been divided into four groups.

Myanmar’s Myawady Women’s Football Club, Young Elephants FC of Laos, United Arab Emirates’ Abu Dhabi Country Club and Al Nassr Club of Saudi Arabia are drawn in Group A. The Group A matches will be played in Saudi Arabia.

Group B includes Odisha Football Club of India, hosts Etihad Club of Jordan and Singapore’s Lion City Sailors FC.

Bam Khatoon FC of Iran, Kitchee SC of Hong Kong, Royal Thimphu College FC of Bhutan have been drawn in Group D. Bhutan will host the Group D matches.

The four group winners will qualify for the group stage, where they will join Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC of China, Red Angels Women’s FC of South Korea, Australia’s Melbourne City, Philippines’ Kaya FC-Iloilo, College of Asian Scholars of Thailand, Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies of Japan, Ho Chi Minh City Women’s FC of Vietnam and Chinese Taipei’s Taichung Blue Whale.

If APF win their group, they will face China’s Wuhan Jiangda and Korea’s Red Angel and the group winners of preliminary stage Group A in the group stage of the tournament.

The group stage will take place from October 6–12.

The clubs from top eight member associations of Asian Football Confederation—ranked as per the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings—got direct entry for the group stage.

The top two finishers of each group and the two best third-placed sides from the group stage will progress into the quarter-finals which will be played on March 22 and 23 next year.

The semi-finals and the final will be played between May 21 to 24, 2025.

Preliminary Stage

Group A: Myawady Women Football Club (Myanmar), Young Elephants FC (Laos), Abu Dhabi Country Club (UAE), Al Nassr Club (Saudi Arabia - Hosts)

Group B: Odisha Football Club (India), Lion City Sailors FC (Singapore), Etihad Club (Jordan - Hosts)

Group C: PFC Nasaf (Uzbekistan), Sabah FA (Malaysia), APF Club (Nepal)

Group D: Bam Khatoon FC (Iran), Kitchee SC (Hong Kong), Royal Thimphu College FC (Bhutan - Hosts)

Group Stage

Group A: Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC (China - Hosts), Red Angels Women’s FC (South Korea), Winners of Preliminary Stage Group C, Winners of Preliminary Stage Group A

Group B: Melbourne City FC (Australia), Kaya FC – Iloilo (Philippines), College of Asian Scholars (Thailand - Hosts), Winners of Preliminary Stage Group D

Group C: Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies (Japan), Ho Chi Minh City Women’s FC (Vietnam - Hosts), Taichung Blue Whale Women’s Football Team (Chinese Taipei), Winners of Preliminary Stage Group B