In the preliminary round they drew 1–1 with Nepal’s
APF FC and defeated Uzbekistan’s
PFC Nasaf 2–1 to top group C. The team’s success was spearheaded by key players such as Myanmar international
Win Theingi Tun, who scored both goals against Nasaf, and goalkeeper
Nurul Azurin Mazlan, whose performance was instrumental throughout the qualification stage. In the AWCL group stage held in
Wuhan, China, Sabah faced
Hyundai Steel Red Angels (
South Korea),
Wuhan Jiangda, and
Abu Dhabi Country Club (
United Arab Emirates). Despite losing the first two matches, Sabah managed a 2–2 draw against Abu Dhabi CC, earning their first point in the continental competition. == Home ground ==