The 2023–24 AFC Cup qualifying play-offs were played from 8 to 23 August 2023.[1] A total of twenty teams competed in the qualifying play-offs to decide seven of the 36 places in the group stage of the 2023–24 AFC Cup.[2]

Teams

The following 20 teams, split into five zones (West Asia Zone, Central Asia Zone, South Asia Zone, ASEAN Zone, East Asia Zone), entered the qualifying play-offs, consisting of three rounds:

  • 2 teams entered in the preliminary round 1.
  • 9 teams entered in the preliminary round 2.
  • 9 teams entered in the play-off.
Zone Teams entering in play-off round Teams entering in preliminary round 2 Teams entering in preliminary round 1
West Asia Zone
South Asia Zone
Central Zone
ASEAN Zone
East Asia Zone

Format

In the qualifying play-offs, each tie was played as a single match. Extra time and penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winner if necessary.[3]

Schedule

Round Match date
Preliminary round 1 8 August 2023
Preliminary round 2 15–16 August 2023
Play-off round 22–23 August 2023

Bracket

The bracket of the qualifying play-offs for each zone was determined based on each team's association ranking, with the team from the higher-ranked association hosting the match. The seven winners of the play-off round advanced to the group stage to join the 29 direct entrants.

South Asia play-off

 
Preliminary round 1Preliminary round 2Play-off round
 
          
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
India Mohun Bagan SG3
 
 
 
Nepal Machhindra1
 
Nepal Machhindra3
 
 
 
Bhutan Paro2
 
India Mohun Bagan SG3
 
 
Bangladesh Dhaka Abahani1
 
 
 
 
 
Bangladesh Dhaka Abahani2
 
 
Maldives Club Eagles1
 
 
 
 

West Asia play-off

 
Play-off round
 
  
 
 
 
 
Bahrain Al-Khaldiya2
 
 
Oman Al-Nahda3
 
 
Play-off round
 
  
 
 
 
 
Syria Al-Ittihad2
 
 
State of Palestine Shabab Al-Khalil1
 

Central Asia play-off

 
Preliminary round 2Play-off round
 
      
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tajikistan Khujand1
 
 
 
Turkmenistan Merw Mary2
 
Turkmenistan Merw Mary1
 
 
Kyrgyzstan Alay Osh0
 

ASEAN play-off

 
Preliminary round 2Play-off round
 
      
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Singapore Tampines Rovers2
 
 
 
Cambodia Phnom Penh Crown3
 
Cambodia Phnom Penh Crown3
 
 
Laos Young Elephants0
 
 
Preliminary round 2Play-off round
 
      
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Indonesia PSM Makassar4
 
 
 
Myanmar Yangon United0
 
Myanmar Yangon United2
 
 
Brunei DPMM1
 

East Asia play-off

 
Play-off round
 
  
 
 
 
 
Macau Monte Carlo1
 
 
Chinese Taipei Taichung Futuro2
 

Preliminary round 1

Summary

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

South Asia Zone

Machhindra Nepal3–2Bhutan Paro
Report
Attendance: 4,150
Referee: Ngô Duy Lân (Vietnam)

Preliminary round 2

Summary

A total of ten teams played in the preliminary round 2: nine teams which entered in this round, and one winner of the preliminary round 1.

Team 1  Score  Team 2
South Zone
Mohun Bagan SG India 3–1 Nepal Machhindra
Dhaka Abahani Bangladesh 2–1 Maldives Club Eagles
Team 1  Score  Team 2
Central 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

South Zone

Mohun Bagan SG India3–1Nepal Machhindra
Report
Attendance: 20,892
Referee: Ahmed Eisa Mohamed (United Arab Emirates)

Dhaka Abahani Bangladesh2–1Maldives Club Eagles
Report
Attendance: 1,823
Referee: Zainiddinov Sayyodjon (Tajikistan)

Central Zone

Merw Mary Turkmenistan1–0Kyrgyzstan Alay Osh
Nurnazarov 13' Report
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Ammar Ashkanani (Kuwait)

ASEAN Zone

Phnom Penh Crown Cambodia3–0Laos Young Elephants
Report
Attendance: 1,350
Referee: Pranjal Banerjee (India)

Yangon United Myanmar2–1Brunei DPMM
Report
Attendance: 4,785
Referee: Seyed Vahid Kazemi (Iran)

Play-off round

Summary

A total of fourteen teams played in the play-off round: nine teams which entered in this round, and five winners of the preliminary round 2.

Team 1  Score  Team 2
West 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 Zone
Mohun Bagan SG India 3–1 Bangladesh Dhaka Abahani
Team 1  Score  Team 2
Central 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 Zone
Monte Carlo Macau 1–2 Chinese Taipei Taichung Futuro

West Zone

Al-Khaldiya Bahrain2–3Oman Al-Nahda
Report
Attendance: 725
Referee: Ahmed Al Ali (Jordan)

Al-Ittihad Syria2–1State of Palestine Shabab Al-Khalil
Report
Attendance: 200
Referee: Kim Woo-sung (South Korea)

South Zone

Mohun Bagan SG India3–1Bangladesh Dhaka Abahani
Report
Attendance: 10,625
Referee: Bijan Heydari (Iran)

Central Zone

Khujand Tajikistan1–2 (a.e.t.)Turkmenistan Merw Mary
Report
Attendance: 4,500
Referee: Yahya Al-Mulla (United Arab Emirates)

ASEAN Zone

Tampines Rovers Singapore2–3Cambodia Phnom Penh Crown
Report
Attendance: 763
Referee: Mamood Al-Majarafi (Oman)

PSM Makassar Indonesia4–0Myanmar Yangon United
Report
Attendance: 156
Referee: Majed Al-Shamrani (Saudi Arabia)

East Zone

Monte Carlo Macau1–2Chinese Taipei Taichung Futuro
Report
Attendance: 1,238
Referee: Tejas Nagvenkar (India)

References

  1. ^ "AFC Cup play-offs Calendar 2023" (PDF). the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
  2. ^ "Pathways to AFC Champions League and AFC Cup 2023/24 Group Stages confirmed". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 21 June 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  3. ^ "AFC Cup 2023–24 Competition Regulations" (PDF). the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation.

External links