Reports emerging from Southeast Asian football circles suggest that Indonesian side Dewa United Banten and Cambodian champions Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng have been awarded hosting rights for the East Zone group stage of the 2025/26 AFC Challenge League.
The news, first reported by ASEAN Football on August 20, confirmed that the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) selected Dewa United and last season’s runners-up Svay Rieng as East Zone hosts. Meanwhile, group stage fixtures in the West Zone will be staged by Al-Kuwait (Kuwait), Paro FC (Bhutan), and Muras United (Kyrgyzstan).
Notably, both Dewa United and Svay Rieng will contest their continental campaigns away from their traditional home grounds.
Svay Rieng will once again utilize the Morodok Techo National Stadium in Phnom Penh—some 144 kilometers from their provincial base—having already relocated their domestic matches there for the 2025/26 season.
Dewa United, despite recently moving into the modern Banten International Stadium in Serang Regency, will host their Challenge League matches at the Indomilk Arena in Tangerang Regency. The choice reflects logistical considerations, with the Serang venue’s isolated location lacking adequate accommodation and public transport access. The Banten Warriors are no strangers to the Indomilk Arena, having ground-shared with Persita Tangerang from their inception in 2021 until the conclusion of the 2024/25 season.
In line with AFC competition regulations, which restrict commercial naming rights, the Indomilk Arena will appear in official tournament publications as the Kelapa Dua Sports Center Stadium.