JD Cymru Premier clubs have discovered their opponents for the first qualifying round of European competition in 2023/24.
In the UEFA Champions League, The New Saints have been drawn against Swedish side BK Häcken. Craig Harrison’s team will be away in the first leg on 11/12 July and at home at Park Hall in the second leg on 18/19 July.
BK Häcken won the Swedish Allsvenskan for the first time in their history in the 2022 season and are therefore making their UEFA Champions League debut this summer. They have however been regulars in European competition over the last decade, reaching the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League in 2011/12 and 2013/14.
It will be The New Saints’ third trip to Sweden and first since a 3-0 defeat against Helsingborgs IF in the UEFA Champions League in 2012.
If TNS progress from the tie, they will meet the winner of the tie between KÍ Klaksvík from the Faroe Islands and Hungarian side Ferencváros in the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round. If they are beaten by BK Häcken, they will play the loser of the tie between Slovakia’s Slovan BratislavaandSwift Hesper of Luxembourg in the UEFA Europa Conference League second qualifying round.
Last year’s JD Cymru Premier runners-up Connah’s Quay Nomads have been pitted against KA Akureyri of Iceland in the UEFA Europa Conference League. Neil Gibson’s side will go away for the first leg on 13 July and will use Park Hall as their ‘home’ stadium for the second leg on 20 July.
It will be a first visit to Iceland for the Nomads and they will face a KA side who are competing in Europe for the first time in 20 years after finishing second in the Icelandic top-flight in the 2022 campaign.
If the Nomads progress from the tie, they will face the winner of the tie between Dundalk FC from the Republic of Ireland and FCB Magpies of Gibraltar in the UEFA Europa Conference League second qualifying round.
Also facing an away first leg on 13 July and then a home second leg on 20 July, at the Cardiff City Stadium, are Haverfordwest County who face North Macedonia’s KF Shkëndija in the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Four-time champions of their nation’s top division, Shkëndija finished third in 2022/23. They are regulars in European competition, beating The New Saints in the UEFA Champions League first qualifying round in 2018/19, and last season they reached the UEFA Europa Conference League third qualifying round.
If the Haverfordwest progress from the tie, they will face the winner of the tie between B36 Tórshavn from the Faroe Islands and Estonia’s Paide Linnameeskond in the UEFA Europa Conference League second qualifying round.
Finally, first-time qualifiers Penybont have been drawn against Andorran outfit FC Santa Coloma in the UEFA Europa Conference League. Rhys Griffiths’ team will play hosts at the Dunraven Brewery Field in the first leg on 13 July and then go away for the second leg on 20 July.
FC Santa Coloma are the most successful club in Andorra’s Primera Divisió, winning 13 league titles, but finished third last season. They competed in Europe in 15 consecutive seasons between 2008/09 and 2021/22, but are yet to make it past the second qualifying round of any competition.
If Penybont progress from the tie, they will face the winner of the tie between Montenegro’s FK Sutjeska and SS Cosmos from San Marino in the UEFA Europa Conference League second qualifying round.
