2023–24 AFC Cup

20th secondary club football tournament organized by the AFC
2023–24 AFC Cup
Tournament details
DatesQualifying:
8–23 August 2023
Competition proper:
18 September 2023 – 5 May 2024
TeamsCompetition proper: 36 Total (maximum): 65 (from 37 associations)
Tournament statistics
Matches played18
Goals scored48 (2.67 per match)
Top scorer(s)Brazil Marco Túlio (8 goals)
← 2022
International football competition

The 2023–24 AFC Cup is the 19th and last edition of the AFC Cup, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). From the 2024–25 season, the AFC Cup will be discontinued.[1] The AFC Champions League 2 and the AFC Challenge League will be introduced as Asia's second- and third-tier club tournaments, respectively.[2]

This is the first and only AFC Cup season to have a two-year (autumn-to-spring) schedule, unlike the previous all-year-round (spring-to-autumn) schedule.[3]

Al-Seeb were the title holders, having won their first AFC Cup title in 2022. However, they will not be able to defend their title, having failed to advance through their domestic top-division league.

The winners of the tournament will automatically qualify for the 2024–25 AFC Champions League Elite, entering the qualifying play-offs, if they have not qualified through their domestic performance.[4]

Association team allocation

The 47 AFC member associations are ranked based on their club's performance over the last four years in AFC competitions (their national team's FIFA World Rankings are no longer considered).[5] The slots are allocated by the following criteria according to the Entry Manual:[6]

Reallocation of Regions

  • Excluding the top five associations in each region for AFC Champions League slot allocation, all other associations are eligible to enter the AFC Cup.
  • The teams from associations ranked 6th, 11th and 12th which are eliminated in the AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs enter the AFC Cup group stage (Article 3.2). The following rules are applied:
    • The associations ranked 6th in both the West Region and the East Region, while allocated one direct slot in the AFC Cup group stage without taking away any direct slot from other associations, are not ranked in each zone for AFC Cup slot allocation (Article 5.3).[7]
    • If they advance to the AFC Champions League group stage, the AFC Cup group stage slot is filled by the standby team from their association if such team are available (Article 5.12).
    • The rules above do not apply to the AFC Champions League title holders and AFC Cup title holders which are allocated AFC Champions League play-off slots should they not qualify for the tournament through domestic performance.
  • In the West Asia Zone and the ASEAN Zone, there are three groups in the group stage, including 9 direct slots, with the 3 remaining slots filled through qualifying play-offs (Article 5.2). The slots in each zone are distributed as follows:
    • The associations ranked 1st to 3rd are each allocated two direct slots.
    • The associations ranked 4th to 6th are each allocated one direct slot and one play-off slot.
    • The associations ranked 7th or below are each allocated one play-off slot.
    • If any zone has an association ranked 6th for AFC Champions League slot allocation, which is allocated one direct slot in the AFC Cup group stage, there are 10 direct slots, with the 2 remaining slots filled through qualifying play-offs.
  • In the South Asia Zone, the Central Asia Zone, and the East Asia Zone, there is one group in the group stage, including 3 direct slots, with the 1 remaining slot filled through qualifying play-offs (Article 5.2). The slots in each zone are distributed as follows:[8]
    • The associations ranked 1st to 3rd are each allocated one direct slot and one play-off slot.
    • The associations ranked 4th or below are each allocated one play-off slot.
    • If any zone has an association ranked 6th for AFC Champions League slot allocation, which is allocated one direct slot in the AFC Cup group stage, there are 4 direct slots, and to ensure equal opportunity in each zone, another group is added to this zone in the group stage, with the 4 remaining slots filled through qualifying play-offs (Article 5.4.1).
    • If any zone has at least 7 play-off slots, to ensure equal opportunity in each zone, another group is added to this zone in the group stage, with the 5 remaining slots filled through qualifying play-offs (Article 5.4.2).
  • If any association with direct slots do not fulfill any one of the AFC Cup criteria, they have all their direct slots converted into play-off slots. The direct slots given up are redistributed to the highest eligible association by the following criteria (Articles 5.7 and 5.8):
    • For each association, the maximum number of total slots is two (Articles 3.4 and 3.5).
    • If any association is allocated one additional direct slot, one play-off slot is annulled and not redistributed.
  • If any association with only play-off slot(s), including those mentioned above, do not fulfill the minimum AFC Cup criteria, the play-off slot(s) are annulled and not redistributed (Articles 5.10 and 5.11).
  • For each association, the maximum number of total slots is one-third of the total number of eligible teams (excluding foreign teams) in the top division (Article 5.6). If this rule is applied, any direct slots given up are redistributed by the same criteria as mentioned above, and play-off slots are annulled and not redistributed (Article 9.10).
  • All participating teams must be granted an AFC Champions League or AFC Cup license, and, apart from cup winners, finish in the top half of their top division (Articles 7.1 and 9.5). If any association does not have enough teams which satisfy these criteria, any direct slots given up are redistributed by the same criteria as mentioned above, and play-off slots are annulled and not redistributed (Article 9.9).
  • If any team granted a license refuses to participate, their slot, either direct or play-off, is annulled and not redistributed (Article 9.11).

Association ranking

For the 2023–24 AFC Cup, the associations are allocated slots according to the November 2021 AFC club competitions ranking,[9][10][11] which takes into account their performance in the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup during the period between 2018 and 2021.[2020]

Participation for 2023–24 AFC Cup
Participating
Not participating
West Asia Zone (3 groups)
Rank Member
Association 		Points[10] Slots
Group
stage 		Play-off
Zone AFC
– 10  Jordan[JOR] 46.131 1 0
1 13  Iraq 35.223 2 0
2 18  Lebanon 23.618 2 0
3 22  Kuwait 18.307 2 0
4 25  Bahrain 16.812 1 1
5 27  Syria 12.061 1 1
6 31  Palestine 6.894 1 1
7 34  Oman 5.264 0 1
8 41  Yemen[AFC] 0.000 0 0
Total Participating associations: 8 10 4
14
Central Asia Zone (1 group)
Rank Member
Association 		Points[10] Slots
Group
stage 		Play-off
Zone AFC
1 12  Tajikistan 37.323 1 1
2 16  Turkmenistan 27.871 1 1
3 32  Kyrgyzstan 5.962 1 1
4 41  Afghanistan[AFC] 0.000 0 0
Total Participating associations: 3 3 3
6
South Asia Zone (1 group)
Rank Member
Association 		Points[10] Slots
Group
stage 		Play-off
Zone AFC
1 17  India 25.290 1 1
2 21  Bangladesh 19.452 1 1
3 29  Maldives 7.853 1 1
4 36    Nepal 1.513 0 1
5 38  Sri Lanka[AFC] 0.785 0 0
6 39  Bhutan 0.611 0 1
7 41  Pakistan[AFC] 0.000 0 0
Total Participating associations: 5 3 5
8
ASEAN Zone (3 groups)
Rank Member
Association 		Points[10] Slots
Group
stage 		Play-off
Zone AFC
– 14  Vietnam[VIE] 34.937 1 0
1 19  Philippines 23.080 2 0
2 20  Malaysia 21.087 2 0
3 23  Australia 17.277 2 0
4 24  Singapore 17.016 1 1
5 26  Indonesia 15.960 1 1
6 28  Myanmar 9.881 1 1
7 33  Cambodia 5.672 0 1
8 37  Laos 0.843 0 1
9 41  Brunei 0.000 0 1
10 41  East Timor[AFC] 0.000 0 0
Total Participating associations: 10 10 6
16
East Asia Zone (1 group)
Rank Member
Association 		Points[10] Slots
Group
stage 		Play-off
Zone AFC
1 15  North Korea[AFC] 32.286 0 0
2 30  Macau 6.981 1 1
3 35  Chinese Taipei 4.072 1 1
4 40  Mongolia 0.349 1 0
5 41  Guam[AFC] 0.000 0 0
6 41  Northern Mariana Islands[AFC] 0.000 0 0
Total Participating associations: 3 3 2
5

Notes
  1. ^
    Competition in 2020: The 2020 season is not included in the overall ranking due to the cancellation of the remaining matches in the 2020 AFC Cup caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
  2. ^
    AFC Licensing (AFC): Association did not have a licensed club.[12]
  3. ^
    Jordan (JOR): Jordan are ranked 6th in the West Region for AFC Champions League allocation, and thus are allocated one direct slot in the AFC Cup group stage without taking away any direct slot from other associations.
  4. ^
    Vietnam (VIE): Vietnam are ranked 6th in the East Region for AFC Champions League allocation, and thus are allocated one direct slot in the AFC Cup group stage without taking away any direct slot from other associations.

Teams

West Asia Zone
Group stage direct entrants
Team Qualifying method App. (last)
Jordan Al-Wehdat 2022 Jordan FA Cup winners
2022 Jordanian Pro League runners-up 		12th (2019)
Iraq Al-Zawraa 2022–23 Iraqi Premier League third place[Note IRQ] 5th (2018)
Iraq Al-Kahrabaa 2022–23 Iraqi Premier League fifth place[Note IRQ] 1st
Lebanon Al-Ahed 2022–23 Lebanese Premier League champions 12th (2021)
Lebanon Nejmeh 2022–23 Lebanese Premier League runners-up 11th (2022)
Kuwait Al-Kuwait 2021–22 Kuwaiti Premier League champions and 2022–23 Kuwaiti Premier League champions 12th (2022)
Kuwait Al-Arabi 2022–23 Kuwaiti Premier League runners-up 3rd (2022)
Bahrain Al-Riffa 2021–22 Bahraini Premier League champions 7th (2022)
Syria Al-Fotuwa 2022–23 Syrian Premier League champions[Note SYR] 1st
State of Palestine Jabal Al-Mukaber 2022–23 West Bank Premier League champions 1st
Qualifying play-off participants
Team Qualifying method App. (last)
Bahrain Al-Khaldiya 2021–22 Bahraini King's Cup champions 1st
Syria Al-Ittihad 2021–22 Syrian Cup champions 5th (2019)
State of Palestine Shabab Al-Khalil 2022–23 West Bank Premier League third place[Note PLE] 3rd (2022)
Oman Al-Nahda 2022–23 Oman Professional League champions 4th (2015)
South Asia Zone
Group stage direct entrants
Team Qualifying method App. (last)
India Odisha Winners of additional playoff between 2021–22 I-League champions and 2023 Super Cup champions 1st
Bangladesh Bashundhara Kings 2021–22 Bangladesh Premier League champions 4th (2022)
Maldives Maziya 2022 Dhivehi Premier League champions
2022 Maldives FA Cup winners 		9th (2022)
Qualifying play-off participants
Team Qualifying method App. (last)
India Mohun Bagan SG Winners of additional playoff between 2021–22 and 2022–23 Indian Super League playoffs winners (as ATK Mohun Bagan) 7th (2022 as ATK Mohun Bagan)
Bangladesh Dhaka Abahani 2021–22 Bangladesh Premier League runners-up 6th (2022)
Maldives Club Eagles 2022 Dhivehi Premier League runners-up 2nd (2021)
Nepal Machhindra 2023 Martyr's Memorial A-Division League runners-up[Note NEP] 2nd (2022)
Bhutan Paro 2022 Bhutan Premier League champions 3rd (2022)
Central Asia Zone
Group stage direct entrants
Team Qualifying method App. (last)
Tajikistan Ravshan Kulob 2022 Tajikistan Higher League runners-up 4th (2021)
Turkmenistan Altyn Asyr 2022 Ýokary Liga runners-up 9th (2022)
Kyrgyzstan Abdysh-Ata Kant 2022 Kyrgyz Premier League champions and 2022 Kyrgyzstan Cup winners 1st
Qualifying play-off participants
Team Qualifying method App. (last)
Tajikistan Khujand 2022 Tajikistan Higher League third place 7th (2022)
Turkmenistan Merw Mary 2022 Ýokary Liga third place 2nd (2006)
Kyrgyzstan Alay Osh 2022 Kyrgyz Premier League runners-up 7th (2021)
ASEAN Zone (including Australia)
Group stage direct entrants
Team Qualifying method App. (last)
Vietnam Haiphong 2022 V.League 1 runners-up 1st
Philippines DH Cebu 2022–23 Philippines Football League runners-up 1st
Philippines Stallion Laguna 2022–23 Philippines Football League third place 1st
Malaysia Terengganu 2022 Malaysia Super League runners-up 3rd (2021)
Malaysia Sabah 2022 Malaysia Super League third place 1st
Australia Macarthur FC 2022 Australia Cup winners 1st
Australia Central Coast Mariners 2022–23 A-League Men runners-up 1st
Singapore Hougang United 2022 Singapore Cup winners 3rd (2022)
Indonesia Bali United Winner of additional playoff between 2021–22 and 2022–23 Liga 1 champion 5th (2022)
Myanmar Shan United 2022 Myanmar National League champions 4th (2020)
Qualifying play-off participants
Team Qualifying method App. (last)
Singapore Tampines Rovers 2022 Singapore Premier League third place 14th (2022)
Indonesia PSM Makassar Loser of additional playoff between 2021–22 and 2022–23 Liga 1 champion 4th (2022)
Myanmar Yangon United 2022 Myanmar National League runners-up[Note MYA] 8th (2020)
Cambodia Phnom Penh Crown 2022 Cambodian Premier League champions 3rd (2022)
Laos Young Elephants 2022 Lao League 1 champions 2nd (2022)
Brunei DPMM 2022 Brunei FA Cup winners 1st
East Asia Zone
Group stage direct entrants
Team Qualifying method App. (last)
Macau Chao Pak Kei 2022 Liga de Elite champions and 2022 Taça de Macau winners 2nd (2020)
Chinese Taipei Taiwan Steel 2022 Taiwan Premier League champions 3rd (2022)
Mongolia FC Ulaanbaatar 2022–23 Mongolian National Premier League champions 1st
Qualifying play-off participants
Team Qualifying method App. (last)
Macau Monte Carlo 2022 Liga de Elite runners-up 1st
Chinese Taipei Taichung Futuro 2022 Taiwan Premier League runners-up 1st

Notes
  1. ^
    Iraq (IRQ): The 2022–23 Iraqi Premier League champions Al-Shorta were not granted an AFC license, therefore league runners-up and 2022–23 Iraq FA Cup winners Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya will participate in the AFC Champions League group stage.[12] The only other licensed Iraqi clubs, Al-Zawraa and Al-Kahrabaa, will therefore participate in the AFC Cup.[13]
  2. ^
    Syria (SYR): Al-Fotuwa, the 2022–23 Syrian Premier League champion, won 1–0 against Tishreen, the 2021–22 Syrian Premier League champion, in an additional playoff match.[14]
  3. ^
    Myanmar (MYA): Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Myanmar, the 2022 General Aung San Shield was not held. Instead, the runners-up of the 2022 Myanmar National League will participate in the AFC Cup play-off round.
  4. ^
    Nepal (NEP): Church Boys United, the 2023 Martyr's Memorial A-Division League champions, failed to obtain an AFC license. Instead, the runners-up, Machhindra will participate in the AFC Cup preliminary stage.
  5. ^
    Palestine (PLE): Hilal Al-Quds, the 2022–23 West Bank Premier League runner-up, failed to obtain an AFC license. Instead, the third place, Shabab Al-Khalil will participate in the AFC Cup play-off stage.

Schedule

The schedule of the competition is as follows.[15]

Stage Round Draw date First leg Second leg
Preliminary stage Preliminary round 1 No draw 8 August 2023
Preliminary round 2 15–16 August 2023
Play-off stage Play-off round 22–23 August 2023
Group stage Matchday 1 24 August 2023 18–21 September 2023
Matchday 2 2–5 October 2023
Matchday 3 23–26 October 2023
Matchday 4 6–9 November 2023
Matchday 5 27–30 November 2023
Matchday 6 11–14 December 2023
Knockout stage Zonal semi-finals 28 December 2023 12–13 February 2024 (A)
12–13 February 2024 (W) 19–20 February 2024 (W)
Zonal finals 22 February 2024 (A)
16 April 2024 (W) 23 April 2024 (W)
Inter-zone play-off semi-finals 6–7 March 2024 13–14 March 2024
Inter-zone play-off final 17 April 2024 24 April 2024
Final 5 May 2024
Notes
  • A = ASEAN
  • C = Central Asia
  • E = East Asia
  • S = South Asia
  • W = West Asia

Qualifying play-offs

Preliminary round 1

A total of two teams played in the preliminary round 1.

Team 1  Score  Team 2
South Asia Zone
Machhindra Nepal 3–2 Bhutan Paro

Preliminary round 2

Team 1  Score  Team 2
South Asia Zone
Mohun Bagan SG India 3–1 Nepal Machhindra
Dhaka Abahani Bangladesh 2–1 Maldives Club Eagles
Team 1  Score  Team 2
Central Asia Zone
Merw Mary Turkmenistan 1–0 Kyrgyzstan Alay Osh
Team 1  Score  Team 2
ASEAN Zone
Phnom Penh Crown Cambodia 3–0 Laos Young Elephants
Yangon United Myanmar 2–1 Brunei DPMM

Play-off round

Team 1  Score  Team 2
West Asia Zone
Al-Khaldiya Bahrain 2–3 Oman Al-Nahda
Al-Ittihad Syria 2–1 State of Palestine Shabab Al-Khalil
Team 1  Score  Team 2
South Asia Zone
Mohun Bagan SG India 3–1 Bangladesh Dhaka Abahani
Team 1  Score  Team 2
Central Asia Zone
Khujand Tajikistan 1–2 Turkmenistan Merw Mary
Team 1  Score  Team 2
ASEAN Zone
Tampines Rovers Singapore 2–3 Cambodia Phnom Penh Crown
PSM Makassar Indonesia 4–0 Myanmar Yangon United
Team 1  Score  Team 2
East Asia Zone
Monte Carlo Macau 1–2 Chinese Taipei Taichung Futuro

Group stage

The draw for the group stage was held on 24 August 2023 at AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The 36 teams were drawn into nine groups of four teams: three groups each in the West Asia Zone (Groups A–C) and the ASEAN Zone (Groups F–H), one group in the Central Asia Zone (Groups E), and one group each in the South Asia Zone (Group D) and the East Asia Zone (Group I). For each zone, teams were seeded into four pots and drawn into the relevant positions within each group, based on their association ranking and their seeding within their association, in consideration of technical balance between groups. Teams from the same association in zones with more than one group (West Asia Zone and ASEAN Zone) could not be drawn into the same group.

class=notpageimage|
Location of the 2023-24 AFC Cup Group Stage teams
Brown: Group A; Cyan: Group B; Orange: Group C; Yellow: Group D; Pink: Group E;
Green: Group F; Blue: Group G; Red: Group H; Turquoise: Group I; Purple: Group J

Group A

Pos Team
  • v
  • t
  • e
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification ALN AHD FUT JAB
1 Oman Al-Nahda 4 3 0 1 6 4 +2 9 Zonal semi-finals — 2–1 2–1 4–0
2 Lebanon Al Ahed 4 2 0 2 5 5 0 6 2–1 — 2–1 23 Oct
3 Syria Al-Fotuwa 4 1 0 3 3 5 −2 3 0–1 1–0 — 27 Nov
4 State of Palestine Jabal Al-Mukaber 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Withdrew[a] 12 Dec 6 Nov 1–0 —
Source: AFC
Notes:
  1. ^ On 26 November 2023, Jabal Al-Mukaber announced their withdrawal from the competition due to the Israel war against Hamas.[16]

Group B

Pos Team
  • v
  • t
  • e
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification KAH WHD KSC ITT
1 Iraq Al-Kahrabaa 6 4 1 1 10 5 +5 13 Zonal semi-finals — 3–1 0–0 3–1
2 Jordan Al-Wehdat 6 3 1 2 10 7 +3 10 3–1 — 1–1 2–0
3 Kuwait Al-Kuwait 6 1 4 1 5 5 0 7 0–1 2–1 — 1–1
4 Syria Al-Ittihad 6 0 2 4 3 11 −8 2 0–2 0–2 1–1 —
Source: AFC

Group C

Pos Team
  • v
  • t
  • e
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification RIF ZWR ARA NEJ
1 Bahrain Al-Riffa 6 4 1 1 15 5 +10 13 Zonal semi-finals — 1–1 2–1 6–1
2 Iraq Al-Zawraa 6 3 2 1 11 7 +4 11 2–1 — 1–2 4–1
3 Kuwait Al-Arabi 6 2 2 2 6 8 −2 8 0–3 1–1 — 0–0
4 Lebanon Nejmeh 6 0 1 5 4 16 −12 1 0–2 1–2 1–2 —
Source: AFC

Group D

Pos Team
  • v
  • t
  • e
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification ODI BDK MBSG MAZ
1 India Odisha 6 4 0 2 17 12 +5 12 Inter-zone play-off semi-finals — 1–0 0–4 6–1
2 Bangladesh Bashundhara Kings 6 3 1 2 10 10 0 10 3–2 — 2–1 2–1
3 India Mohun Bagan SG 6 2 1 3 11 11 0 7 2–5 2–2 — 2–1
4 Maldives Maziya 6 2 0 4 9 14 −5 6 2–3 3–1 1–0 —
Source: AFC

Group E

Pos Team
  • v
  • t
  • e
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification ABD ALT MRW RAV
1 Kyrgyzstan Abdysh-Ata Kant 6 5 1 0 18 6 +12 16 Inter-zone play-off semi-finals — 3–0 8–3 1–0
2 Turkmenistan Altyn Asyr 6 3 1 2 7 9 −2 10 2–4 — 1–0 1–1
3 Turkmenistan Merw Mary 6 0 3 3 6 13 −7 3 1–1 1–2 — 1–1
4 Tajikistan Ravshan Kulob 6 0 3 3 2 5 −3 3 0–1 0–1 0–0 —
Source: AFC

Group F

Pos Team
  • v
  • t
  • e
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification MAC CRO DHC SHN
1 Australia Macarthur FC 6 5 0 1 23 5 +18 15 Zonal semi-finals — 5–0 8–2 4–0
2 Cambodia Phnom Penh Crown 6 4 0 2 15 7 +8 12 3–0 — 4–0 4–0
3 Philippines DH Cebu 6 1 1 4 4 19 −15 4[a] 0–3 0–3 — 1–0
4 Myanmar Shan United 6 1 1 4 3 14 −11 4[a] 0–3 2–1 1–1 —
Source: AFC
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Ranked on head-to-head points: DH Cebu 4, Shan United 1.

Group G

Pos Team
  • v
  • t
  • e
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification CCM TFC BUF STA
1 Australia Central Coast Mariners 6 4 1 1 21 7 +14 13 Zonal semi-finals — 1–1 6–3 9–1
2 Malaysia Terengganu 6 3 3 0 10 6 +4 12 1–0 — 2–0 2–2
3 Indonesia Bali United 6 2 1 3 15 15 0 7 1–2 1–1 — 5–2
4 Philippines Stallion Laguna 6 0 1 5 9 27 −18 1 0–3 2–3 2–5 —
Source: AFC

Group H

Pos Team
  • v
  • t
  • e
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification SAB HFC PSM HOU
1 Malaysia Sabah 6 4 0 2 19 9 +10 12 Zonal semi-finals — 4–1 1–3 3–1
2 Vietnam Haiphong 6 3 1 2 13 9 +4 10[a] 3–2 — 3–0 4–0
3 Indonesia PSM Makassar 6 3 1 2 10 12 −2 10[a] 0–5 1–1 — 3–1
4 Singapore Hougang United 6 1 0 5 6 18 −12 3 1–4 2–1 1–3 —
Source: AFC
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Ranked on head-to-head points: Haiphong 4, PSM Makassar 1.

Group I

Pos Team
  • v
  • t
  • e
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification FUT ULA TAI CPK
1 Chinese Taipei Taichung Futuro 6 4 0 2 8 8 0 12[a] Inter-zone play-off semi-finals — 1–2 2–1 1–0
2 Mongolia Ulaanbaatar 6 4 0 2 7 7 0 12[a] 0–2 — 3–1 1–0
3 Chinese Taipei Taiwan Steel 6 3 0 3 15 12 +3 9 5–1 3–0 — 4–2
4 Macau Chao Pak Kei 6 1 0 5 6 9 −3 3 0–1 0–1 4–1 —
Source: AFC
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Ranked on head-to-head goal difference: Taichung Futuro +1, Ulaanbaatar –1

Ranking of runner-up teams

West Asia Zone

Pos Grp Team
  • v
  • t
  • e
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 A Lebanon Al Ahed 4 2 0 2 5 5 0 6 Zonal semi-finals
2 C Iraq Al-Zawraa 4 1 2 1 5 5 0 5
3 B Jordan Al-Wehdat 4 1 1 2 6 7 −1 4
Source: AFC

ASEAN Zone

Pos Grp Team
  • v
  • t
  • e
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 F Cambodia Phnom Penh Crown 6 4 0 2 15 7 +8 12 Zonal semi-finals
2 G Malaysia Terengganu 6 3 3 0 10 6 +4 12
3 H Vietnam Haiphong 6 3 1 2 13 9 +4 10
Updated to match(es) played on 30 November 2023. Source: AFC

Knockout stage

In the knockout stage, the 11 teams will play a single-elimination tournament. Each tie was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis, except the ASEAN Zone's semi-finals, ASEAN Zone's final and the final which will be played as a single match. Extra time and penalty shoot-out will be used to decide the winners if necessary (note that the away goals rule is abolished). (Regulations Article 11.3).

The draw for the Zonal finals and the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals was held on 28 December 2023, 14:00 MYT (UTC+8), at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Bracket

Zonal semi-finals

In the Zonal semi-finals, the four qualified teams from the West Asia Zone (Groups A–C) play in two ties, and the four qualified teams from the ASEAN Zone (Groups F–H) play in two ties, with the matchups and order of legs determined by the group stage draw and the identity of the best runners-up.

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
West Asia Zone
Al-Riffa Bahrain 2–4 Oman Al-Nahda 1–1 1–3 (a.e.t.)
Al Ahed Lebanon 1–1 (4–2 p) Iraq Al-Kahrabaa 0–1 1–0 (a.e.t.)
Team 1  Score  Team 2
ASEAN Zone
Macarthur FC Australia 3–0 Malaysia Sabah
Central Coast Mariners Australia 4–0 Cambodia Phnom Penh Crown

Zonal finals

Draw for the Zonal finals was held on 28 December. In the Zonal finals, the two winners of West Asia Zonal semi-finals play each other, with the order of legs decided by draw. The two winners of ASEAN Zonal semi-finals play each other, with the host decided by draw. The winners of the West Asia Zonal final advances to the final, while the winners of the ASEAN Zonal final advance to the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals.

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
West Asia Zone
Al Ahed Lebanon Oman Al-Nahda 16 Apr 23 Apr
Team 1  Score  Team 2
ASEAN Zone
Macarthur FC Australia 2–3 (a.e.t.) Australia Central Coast Mariners

Inter-zone play-off semi-finals

Draw for the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals was held on 28 December. In the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals, the four zonal winners other than the West Asia Zone play in two ties (the winners of the South Asia Zone (Group D), the winners of the Central Asia Zone (Group E), the winners of the East Asia Zone (Group I), and the winners of the ASEAN Zonal final. The matchups and order of legs will be decided by draw.

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Abdysh-Ata Kant Kyrgyzstan 8–1 Chinese Taipei Taichung Futuro 5–0 3–1
Central Coast Mariners Australia 4–0 India Odisha 4–0 0–0

Inter-zone play-off final

In the Inter-zone play-off final, the two winners of the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals will play each other, with the order of legs determined by the Inter-zone play-off semi-final draw. The winners of the Inter-zone play-off final advance to the final.

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Abdysh-Ata Kant Kyrgyzstan Australia Central Coast Mariners 17 Apr 24 Apr

Final

In the final, the winners of the West Asia Zonal final and the winners of the Inter-zone play-off final will play each other, with the host team (winners of the West Zone) alternated from the previous season's final.


Top scorers

  Team eliminated / inactive for this round.
  Player is not in the team but team still active for this round.
Rank Player Team MD1 MD2 MD3 MD4 MD5 MD6 ZSF1 ZSF2 ZF1 ZF2 ISF1 ISF2 IF1 IF2 F Total
1 Brazil Marco Túlio Australia Central Coast Mariners 3 2 1 2 8
2 Japan Shintaro Shimizu Cambodia Phnom Penh Crown 1 3 2 1 7
3 Malaysia Darren Lok Malaysia Sabah 2 2 1 1 6
Macau Niki Torrão Macau Chao Pak Kei 2 4
5 Chinese Taipei Ange Kouamé Chinese Taipei Taiwan Steel 1 3 1 5
Kyrgyzstan Kayrat Zhyrgalbek uulu Kyrgyzstan Abdysh-Ata Kant 1 1 2 1
7 Mexico Ulises Dávila Australia Macarthur FC 1 1 1 1 4
Australia Jed Drew Australia Macarthur FC 1 1 2
Senegal Mourtada Fall India Odisha 2 1 1
France Valère Germain Australia Macarthur FC 1 2 1
Bahrain Hashim Sayed Isa Bahrain Al-Riffa 1 1 2
Serbia Đorđe Maksimović Singapore Hougang United 2 1 1


See also

References

  1. ^ "History beckons for AFC Cup 2023/24 contenders as final edition of popular competition kicks off". the-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 15 September 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  2. ^ "AFC Executive Committee approves biggest prize purse in Asian club football history from 2024/25; announces AFC Women's Champions League". AFC. 14 August 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  3. ^ "AFC Executive Committee unveils dynamic enhancements to the AFC Club Competitions". the-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 25 February 2022. Archived from the original on 9 March 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  4. ^ "More Member Associations to benefit from inclusive AFC Champions League". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 23 November 2019. Archived from the original on 27 November 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  5. ^ "AFC Club Competitions Ranking Mechanics". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. Archived from the original on 2019-04-21. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
  6. ^ "Entry Manual for AFC Club Competitions (2021 Edition)". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. Archived from the original on 2020-11-01. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
  7. ^ "2021-2022 йилги ОЧЛ ва ОФК кубоги мусобақалари учун йўлланмалар тақсимоти эълон қилинди". Uzbekistan Professional Football League. 29 July 2020. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  8. ^ "ОФИЦИАЛЬНО: ЧЕМПИОН ТАДЖИКИСТАНА-2020 ВЫСТУПИТ В ГРУППОВОМ ЭТАПЕ ЛИГИ ЧЕМПИОНОВ АФК-2021!". Tajikistan Football Federation. 9 December 2019. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  9. ^ "Slot allocation for AFC Champions League and AFC Cup 2023 confirmed". AFC. Archived from the original on 2021-12-30. Retrieved 2022-03-22.
  10. ^ a b c d e f "AFC Club Competitions Ranking". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. Archived from the original on 2022-01-07. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
  11. ^ "AFC Country Ranking 2021". FootyRankings. 24 November 2021. Archived from the original on 2 September 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  12. ^ a b "List of Licensed Clubs for the 2023/24 AFC Cup" (PDF). the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation.
  13. ^ أندية (الزوراء ، القوة الجوية ، الكهرباء) تحصل على الرخصة الآسيوية للموسم 2023/ 2024، تمهيداً للمشاركة في بطولات الاندية على مستوى القارة (in Arabic). Iraq Football Association. 16 May 2023.
  14. ^ الفتوة يتأهل لكأس الاتحاد الآسيوي بالفوز على تشرين. Kooora (in Arabic). 25 June 2023.
  15. ^ "Asian Football Calendar (Aug 2023 - Jul 2024)". The AFC. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  16. ^ "Palestinian Jabal Al Mukaber Withdraw from AFC Cup". Qatar News Agency. 26 November 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023 – via Gulf Times.

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