Former Bangladesh champions Bashundhara Kings will join Bangladesh Premier League runners-up Abahani in the playoff rounds of the AFC Challenge League, the Asian football body, AFC, said in a media release on Tuesday.

"A 26-strong cast is slated to contest the ACGL 2025/26, which will see five entries from the West region and three from the East in the Group Stage that begins on October 25." the AFC said in the media release. 

"A further 10 indirect entries will be involved in the Preliminary Stage (West), with eight clubs doing likewise in the East; match details will be finalised once all club entries are confirmed," the media release added. 

Generally league champions from Bangladesh are eligible to participate in this third-tier club competition of the continent. However, since Mohammedan, the winners of the 2024-25 Bangladesh Premier League, could not acquire an AFC Club Licensing certificate, the option was passed up to league runners-up Abahani, who already had the liecence,

Meanwhile, it is understood that some clubs from a few other South Asian countries could not avail an AFC licence, opening up a further slot from Bangladesh, based on club ranking coefficient.

And Kings, who finished third in the league and also have the AFC Licence, were deemed the eligible candidate to fill one of those slots. 

Apart from Bangladesh, there will be one entrant each from Maldives, Bhutan and Afghanistan -- three of the other South Asian nations -- in the playoff rounds. Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan will not have any participant in any of the AFC competitions this year.

India, meanwhile, will have two entrants in the AFC Champions League - 2, the second-tier club competition. Mohun Bagan will play directly while FC Goa will play in the playoff rounds of that competition.