2023–24_AFC_Cup

2023–24 AFC Cup

2023–24 AFC Cup

20th secondary club football tournament organized by the AFC


The 2023–24 AFC Cup was the 20th edition of the AFC Cup, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the final edition under the AFC Cup title, as the competition was revamped under the name AFC Champions League Two starting in 2024–25.[2] This was the first AFC Cup season to have a two-year (autumn-to-spring) schedule, unlike the previous all-year-round (spring-to-autumn) schedule.[3]

Quick Facts Tournament details, Dates ...

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

Central Coast Mariners won the competition for the first time, defeating Al Ahed 1–0 in the final.[4][5] Central Coast Mariners' victory meant that Australia became the first nation to have had clubs winning both the AFC Champions League and AFC Cup, following Western Sydney Wanderers' victory in the 2014 AFC Champions League.

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).[6] The slots are allocated by the following criteria according to the Entry Manual:[7]

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).[8]
    • 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:[9]
    • 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,[10][11][12] which takes into account their performance in the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup during the period between 2018 and 2021.[2020]

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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.[13]
  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

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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.[13] The only other licensed Iraqi clubs, Al-Zawraa and Al-Kahrabaa, will therefore participate in the AFC Cup.[14]
  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.[15]
  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.[16]

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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.

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Preliminary round 2

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Play-off round

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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.

Group A

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Source: AFC
Notes:
  1. On 26 November 2023, Jabal Al-Mukaber announced their withdrawal from the competition due to the Israel–Hamas war.[17]

Group B

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Source: AFC

Group C

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Source: AFC

Group D

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Source: AFC

Group E

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Source: AFC

Group F

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Source: AFC
Notes:
  1. Ranked on head-to-head points: DH Cebu 4, Shan United 1.

Group G

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Source: AFC

Group H

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Source: AFC
Notes:
  1. Ranked on head-to-head points: Haiphong 4, PSM Makassar 1.

Group I

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Source: AFC
Notes:
  1. Ranked on head-to-head goal difference: Taichung Futuro +1, Ulaanbaatar –1

Ranking of runner-up teams

West Asia Zone

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Source: AFC

ASEAN Zone

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

More information Al-Ahed, 0–1 ...
Attendance: 1,930
Referee: Omar Al-Ali (United Arab Emirates)

Top scorers

  Team eliminated / inactive for this round.
  Player is not in the team but team still active for this round.
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See also


References

  1. "Doka named MVP". AFC. 5 May 2024. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  2. "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.
  3. "AFC Club Competitions Ranking Mechanics". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. Archived from the original on 2019-04-21. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
  4. "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.
  5. "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.
  6. "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.
  7. "Slot allocation for AFC Champions League and AFC Cup 2023 confirmed". AFC. Archived from the original on 2021-12-30. Retrieved 2022-03-22.
  8. "AFC Club Competitions Ranking". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. Archived from the original on 2022-01-07. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
  9. "AFC Country Ranking 2021". FootyRankings. 24 November 2021. Archived from the original on 2 September 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  10. "List of Licensed Clubs for the 2023/24 AFC Cup" (PDF). the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation.
  11. "Asian Football Calendar (Aug 2023 - Jul 2024)". The AFC. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  12. "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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