Asia’s proving ground: The Challenge League begins to show its value

Blink and you would have missed it. Twenty-seven games over just seven days, charting five cities across Asia, the AFC Challenge League group stage was over in a flash.

Half the field may have been eliminated across the week, but what it offered was a brief opportunity to consider how the AFC supports development for emerging clubs across the continent.

Now in its third edition since returning to the Asian club calendar – more than a decade since the demise of its predecessor, the AFC President’s Cup – the Challenge League continues to offer a unique model amongst a crowded continental game.

Its return, like many things in Asian football, was prompted in part by developments in Europe, where UEFA’s Conference League has proved to be a success over the last five years. Yet, while the European competition has benefitted from opening up continental football to more clubs from the same few elite leagues, the AFC’s third tier is distinctly focused on developing nations at the lower end of the footballing pyramid.

Its centralised, condensed format similarly distinguishes it from the competition, particularly the season-long league phases of the two higher Champions League tiers played elsewhere in Asia; a format determined by reducing travel costs and logistical demands, more than spectacle or development it must be said.

Similar principles are set to underpin the AFC’s proposed third tier of its planned Nations League, so the immediate question is whether this approach can deliver long-term growth and whether it’s already helped clubs bridge the gap to a higher level.

The first two editions offer encouragement, with early Challenge League champions Arkadag and Al Kuwait, alongside finalists on both occasions Svay Rieng, having all stepped up to the AFC Champions League Two this year. For now, they are all competing well. In the last month, Arkadag pushed Al Jazira before succumbing to a late winner in the Emirates, Al Kuwait defeated Nasaf Qarshi, and Svay Rieng drew with Shanghai Shenhua – each offering evidence of how the Challenge League is helping its leading sides prepare for progress.

From Borneo to Kuwait City, via the historic stadiums of Hisor and Changlimithang, the tournament captured the sheer diversity of Asian football, but too often, there were far too many empty seats. The format creates a concentrated sense of occasion, although attendances remain a challenge. Host teams attracted crowds of up to 6,000 over the last week, but numbers often fell to three figures when the home side was absent.

On the pitch, the Western half of the draw belonged to the Arab clubs, with all four quarter-finalists hailing from the region. On the opposing side, Central Asia, a regular source of strength at this level, endured a week to forget. No Kyrgyz clubs even qualified, following Muras United impressive run to the semi-finals last season, while both Tajik clubs struggled to contend with their West Asian peers.

It was only five years ago, that domestic juggernauts Istiklol beat Al Hilal in Riyadh in the AFC Champions League. This last week they suffered a comfortable home defeat to debutants Homs Al-Fidaa; a key example of the wider shift in power in Asian football.

Syrian clubs provided one of the week’s more eye-catching narratives, with both Al Fidaa and Al Ittihad Ahli qualifying for the knockout phase, producing their country’s strongest collective showing in AFC competition for more than a decade.

Al Fidaa went unbeaten in Tajikistan, while Al Ittihad impressed in Bhutan, with both sides benefiting from physical and effective attacking displays. Their reward is an all-Syrian quarter-final that guarantees a first semi-final spot for a Syrian club since Al Ittihad’s AFC Cup triumph back in 2010.

Their opponents that night, Al Qadsia, join them again in the knockout phase this year, having looked the most convincing of the Western qualifiers this week. The 2014 AFC Cup winners recorded three home victories from three, with new Moroccan signing Hamza Khabba in fine form as they sought to follow in the footsteps of compatriots Al Kuwait in chasing down the Challenge League title.

In the East, the story was one of emerging forces, with both group winners having only formed within the past 12 years, reflecting the growing ambition and adaptability of Southeast Asian football.

Manila Digger are the figurehead of that ambition, but have attracted attention for their controversial recent rise, having bolstered a heavy overseas contingent that features no less than nine Gambians in their Challenge League squad.

The recruitment drive has brought with it an appealing style of play; attacking potency and pace on the break, steamrolling fellow qualifiers Shan United, showcasing fluidity, and invention few can contend with when they are on form.

Elsewhere, action in Samarinda was less smooth, as One Taguig’s late withdrawal, amid financial and compliance irregularities, left hosts Borneo FC with limited opposition or competition. Their rise from domestic outsiders to regional contenders has been rapid, recently underlined in their impressive draw with Buriram United in the Shopee Cup earlier this month. This week offered yet another indication that Indonesian clubs are regaining their place on the continental stage.

As we attempt to digest this week’s action, it’s hard to escape the feeling that the Challenge League continues to capture the essence of Asian club football; from the long spells of frustrating, slow-paced build-up play to the sudden incisive and effective counter-attacks. Crowds may have been sparse at times, but the lingering memories of Yakupmuhammat Govshudov’s stunning curler against Paro, Abd Al-Rahman Barakat’s thunderbolt against Nejmah, or Baboucar Touray’s drive against Huang Yuan will endure long after the images of the scattered crowds have faded.

The quarter-finals remain more than four months away, leaving a lengthy pause after such a fast paced and eclectic week. The Challenge League’s long-term value will take years to assess, but the early evidence is encouraging. The AFC will hope the competition continues to produce clubs capable of following Arkadag and Svay Rieng up the ladder.

For now, the latest group stage has offered another glimpse of what that progression might look like.