JOHOR DARUL TA’ZIM (JDT) will face a stern test in the 2025/26 Asian Football Confederation Champions League Elite (ACL Elite).
The Malaysian champions were drawn against Chinese Super League winners Shanghai Port FC and Shanghai Shenhua FC.
Japan’s J.League titleholders Vissel Kobe and Machida Zelvia will also visit the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri.
Shanghai Port are the current Chinese champions, while Vissel Kobe claimed Japan’s top-tier league last season.
For away matches, JDT will travel to Thailand to face Thai League winners Buriram United.
The Southern Tigers will then head to Australia to take on Melbourne City FC.
Further fixtures include clashes with Japan’s Sanfrecce Hiroshima and China’s Chengdu Rongcheng FC.
JDT avoids South Korean sides Gangwon FC, Ulsan HD, and FC Seoul in this edition.
Last season, JDT’s campaign ended in the round of 16 after a 1-0 aggregate loss to Buriram United.
The 2025/26 ACL Elite will run from September 15 to April 25 next year.
Teams are split into West and East zones, with each side playing eight matches (four home, four away).
Defending champions Al Ahli Saudi FC headline the West zone alongside Al Hilal and Al Ittihad.
The top eight teams from each zone advance to the knockout stage in March 2026.
The final stages will be held in Saudi Arabia under a centralised format in April. – Bernama