The2023–24 AFC Cup was the 20th edition of theAFC Cup,Asia's secondary clubfootball tournament organized by theAsian Football Confederation (AFC), and the final edition under the AFC Cup title, as the competition was revamped under the nameAFC 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]
The 47AFC member associations are ranked based on their club's performance over the last four years in AFC competitions (their national team'sFIFA World Rankings are no longer considered).[6] The slots are allocated by the following criteria according to the Entry Manual:[7]
The associations are split into five zones (Article 5.1):
The AFC may reallocate one or more associations to another zone if necessary for sporting reasons
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).
Competition in 2020: The 2020 season is not included in the overall ranking due to the cancellation of the remaining matches in the2020 AFC Cup caused by theCOVID-19 pandemic.
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.
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.
The draw for the group stage was held on 24 August 2023 at AFC House inKuala 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 theirassociation 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.
Location of the2023-24 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
In the knockout stage, the 11 teams will play asingle-elimination tournament. Each tie was played on a home-and-awaytwo-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 andpenalty 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, 14:00MYT (UTC+8), at the AFC House inKuala Lumpur,Malaysia.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Central Coast Mariners (1st title)
Al Ahed
Marco Túlio (8 goals)
Paro
Club Eagles
Alay Osh
Young Elephants
DPMM
Al-Nahda
Shabab Al-Khalil
Taichung Futuro
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
Al-Kahrabaa
Al-Wehdat
Al-Kuwait
DH Cebu
Terengganu
Haiphong
Taichung Futuro
Ulaanbaatar
Shintaro Shimizu
Ulises Dávila
Mourtada Fall
Valère Germain
Đorđe Maksimović
