2021 AFC Cup group stage

The 2021 AFC Cup group stage will be played from 14 May to 28 June 2021.[1] A total of 39 teams will compete in the group stage to decide the 12 places in the knockout stage of the 2021 AFC Cup.[2]

Draw

The draw for the group stage was held on 27 January 2021, 14:30 MYT (UTC+8), at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[3] The 39 teams were drawn into nine groups of four and one group of three (in the Central Asia Zone): three groups each in the West Asia Zone (Groups A–C) and the ASEAN Zone (Groups G–I), two groups in the Central Asia Zone (Groups E–F), and one group each in the South Asia Zone (Group D) and the East Asia Zone (Group J). 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, Central Asia Zone, and ASEAN Zone) could not be drawn into the same group.[4]

The following 39 teams entered into the group stage draw, which included the 35 direct entrants and the four winners of the play-off round of the qualifying play-offs, whose identity was not known at the time of the draw.

Zone Groups Pot 1 Pot 2 Pot 3 Pot 4
West Asia Zone A–C Al-Salt Al-Hidd Al-Faisaly Al-Muharraq
Al-Ahed Al-Seeb Al-Ansar Al-Nasr
Tishreen Markaz Balata Al-Wahda TBD
(Winners of Play-off West Asia)
South Asia Zone D ATK Mohun Bagan Bashundhara Kings Maziya TBD
(Winners of Play-off South Asia)
Central Asia Zone E–F AGMK Altyn Asyr Khujand Alay
Ravshan Kulob Dordoi Ahal N/A
ASEAN Zone G–I Kaya–Iloilo Lion City Sailors Boeung Ket Geylang International
Hà Nội Shan United Sài Gòn TBD
(Winners of Play-off ASEAN 1)
Kedah Bali United Terengganu TBD
(Winners of Play-off ASEAN 2)
East Asia Zone J Eastern Tainan City Athletic 220 Lee Man
Standby teams[note 1]

Format

In the group stage, each group will be played on a single round-robin basis in centralised venues. The following teams will advance to the knockout stage:

  • The winners of each group and the best runners-up in the West Asia Zone and the ASEAN Zone will advance to the Zonal semi-finals.
  • The winners of each group in the Central Asia Zone will advance to the Zonal finals.
  • The winners of each group in the South Asia Zone and the East Asia Zone will advance to the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals.

Tiebreakers

The teams will be ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, tiebreakers will be applied in the following order (Regulations Article 8.3):[2]

  1. Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  2. Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  3. Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  4. Away goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams (Not applicable since matches will be played in centralised venues);
  5. If more than two teams are tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams are still tied, all head-to-head criteria above are reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams;
  6. Goal difference in all group matches;
  7. Goals scored in all group matches;
  8. Penalty shoot-out if only two teams playing each other in the last round of the group are tied;
  9. Disciplinary points (yellow card = 1 point, red card as a result of two yellow cards = 3 points, direct red card = 3 points, yellow card followed by direct red card = 4 points);
  10. Association ranking;
  11. Drawing of lots.

Schedule

The schedule of each matchday is as follows (W: West Asia Zone; S: South Asia Zone; C: Central Asia Zone; A: ASEAN Zone; E: East Asia Zone).[1][5]

Matchday Dates Matches
S, C, E W A Four-team groups Three-team group
Matchday 1 14 May 2021 23 May 2021 22 June 2021 Team 1 vs. Team 4, Team 2 vs. Team 3 Team 3 vs. Team 1
Matchday 2 17 May 2021 26 May 2021 25 June 2021 Team 4 vs. Team 2, Team 3 vs. Team 1 Team 2 vs. Team 3
Matchday 3 20 May 2021 29 May 2021 28 June 2021 Team 1 vs. Team 2, Team 3 vs. Team 4 Team 1 vs. Team 2

Groups

Group A
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification AHE HID WAH NAS
1 Al-Ahed 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Zonal semi-finals —
2 Al-Hidd 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Zonal semi-finals if best runner-up —
3 Al-Wahda 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 —
4 Al-Nasr 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 —
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Group B
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification SAL MBA ANS MUH
1 Al-Salt 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Zonal semi-finals —
2 Markaz Balata 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Zonal semi-finals if best runner-up —
3 Al-Ansar 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 —
4 Al-Muharraq 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 —
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Group C
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification TIS SEE FAI C4
1 Tishreen 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Zonal semi-finals —
2 Al-Seeb 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Zonal semi-finals if best runner-up —
3 Al-Faisaly 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 —
4 Winners of Play-off West Asia 3.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 —
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Group D
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification MOH BAS MAZ D4
1 ATK Mohun Bagan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Inter-zone play-off semi-finals —
2 Bashundhara Kings 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 —
3 Maziya 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 —
4 Winner of Play-off South Asia 3.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 —
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Group E
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification RAV DOR AHA
1 Ravshan Kulob 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Zonal finals —
2 Dordoi 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 —
3 Ahal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 —
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Group F
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification AGM ALT KHU ALA
1 AGMK[lower-alpha 1] 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Zonal finals —
2 Altyn Asyr 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 —
3 Khujand 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 —
4 Alay 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 —
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
Notes:
  1. If AGMK reach the 2021 AFC Champions League group stage, they will be replaced in the 2021 AFC Cup group stage by Nasaf.

Group G
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification HAN BAL BOE G4
1 Hanoi 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Zonal semi-finals —
2 Bali United 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Zonal semi-finals if best runner-up —
3 Boeung Ket 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 —
4 Winners of ASEAN 3.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 —
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Group H
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification KED LIO SGN H4
1 Kedah Darul Aman 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Zonal semi-finals —
2 Lion City Sailors 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Zonal semi-finals if best runner-up —
3 Saigon 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 —
4 Winners of ASEAN 3.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 —
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Group I
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification KAY SHA TER GEY
1 Kaya–Iloilo[lower-alpha 1] 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Zonal semi-finals —
2 Shan United[lower-alpha 2] 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Zonal semi-finals if best runner-up —
3 Terengganu 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 —
4 Geylang International 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 —
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
Notes:
  1. If Kaya–Iloilo reach the 2021 AFC Champions League group stage, they will not play in the 2021 AFC Cup group stage.
  2. If Shan United reach the 2021 AFC Champions League group stage, they will be replaced in the 2021 AFC Cup group stage by Ayeyawady United.

Group J
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification EAS TNC ATH LEE
1 Eastern 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Inter-zone play-off semi-finals —
2 Tainan City 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 —
3 Athletic 220 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 —
4 Lee Man 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 —
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Ranking of runner-up teams

West Asia Zone
Pos Grp Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 A A2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Zonal semi-finals
2 B B2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 C C2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: AFC
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Disciplinary points; 5) Drawing of lots.

ASEAN Zone
Pos Grp Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 G G2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Zonal semi-finals
2 H H2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 I I2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: AFC
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Disciplinary points; 5) Drawing of lots.

Notes
  1. The standby teams would replace a team from the same association which played in the AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs and advanced to the AFC Champions League group stage. There is no standby team from Philippines (for Kaya–Iloilo)

References
  1. "AFC Competitions Calendar 2021". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 5 December 2019.
  2. "AFC Cup 2021 Competition Regulations" (PDF). Asian Football Confederation.
  3. "Group Stage draw sets stage for thrilling 2021 AFC Cup". AFC. 27 January 2021.
  4. "AFC CUP 2021 Draw Mechanism". youtube.com. AFC. 26 January 2021.
  5. "AFC Club Competitions' Group Stages to be played in centralised venues". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 25 January 2021.
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