2022 AFC Cup

The 2022 AFC Cup will be the 19th edition of the AFC Cup, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

2022 AFC Cup
Tournament details
DatesQualifying:
11 January – 2 March 2022
Competition proper:
14 February – 15 October 2022
TeamsCompetition proper: between 36 and 48 (depending on number of groups)
Total (maximum): 58 (from 37 associations)

The winners of the tournament will automatically qualify for the 2023 AFC Champions League, entering the qualifying play-offs, if they have not qualified through their domestic performance.[1]

Association team allocation

The 47 AFC member associations are ranked based on their clubs' performance over the last four years in AFC competitions (their national team's FIFA World Rankings no longer considered).[2] The slots are allocated by the following criteria according to the Entry Manual:[3]

  • The associations are split into five zones (Article 5.1):
  • 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).[4]
    • 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 get 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:[5]
    • 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 do not have enough teams which satisfy this 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 2022 AFC Cup, the associations are allocated slots according to their association ranking which was published on 29 November 2019,[6][7] which takes into account their performance in the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup during the period between 2016 and 2019.

Participation for 2022 AFC Cup
Participating
Not participating
Notes
  1. ^
    Uzbekistan (UZB): Uzbekistan 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.
  2. ^
    Philippines (PHI): Philippines 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

Teams in italics will play in the AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs, and will play in the AFC Cup group stage if they fail to advance to the AFC Champions League group stage. Should they advance to the AFC Champions League group stage, they will not play in the AFC Cup, and will be replaced by the standby team from their association if such team are available.

Note: Only teams assured of a place (including standby teams) are displayed.

Notes
  1. ^
    Bangladesh (BAN): If Bashundhara Kings win the 2021 Bangladesh Premier League, they will qualify for the 2022 AFC Cup group stage as Bangladesh 1. If they win the 2021 AFC Cup, they will qualify for the 2022 AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs. If they fail to advance to the 2022 AFC Champions League group stage, they will enter the 2022 AFC Cup group stage. If they advance to the 2022 AFC Champions League group stage, they will not play in the 2022 AFC Cup.
  2. ^
    Hong Kong (HKG): Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong, the 2020–21 Hong Kong FA Cup was cancelled and declared null and void by the Hong Kong Football Association. The teams from Hong Kong playing in the 2022 AFC Cup are determined only by the results of the 2020–21 Hong Kong Premier League.[8]
  3. ^
    India (IND): If the 2020–21 Indian Super League regular season premiers win the playoffs, the regular season runners-up will qualify for the 2022 AFC Cup as India 3.

Schedule

The schedule of the competition is as follows.[9]

Notes:

  • W: West Asia Zone
  • S: South Asia Zone
  • C: Central Asia Zone
  • A: ASEAN Zone
  • E: East Asia Zone
Stage Round Draw date First leg Second leg
Preliminary stage Preliminary round 1 No draw TBD (if necessary) TBD (if necessary)
Preliminary round 2 11–12 January 2022 (W, A)
8–9 February 2022 (S, C, E)		 18–19 January 2022 (W, A)
15–16 February 2022 (S, C, E)
Play-off stage Play-off round 25–26 January 2022 (W, A)
22–23 February 2022 (S, C, E)		 1–2 February 2022 (W, A)
1–2 March 2022 (S, C, E)
Group stage Matchday 1 TBD 14–16 February 2022 (W, A); 15–16 March 2022 (S, C, E)
Matchday 2 28 February – 2 March 2022 (W, A); 5–6 April 2022 (S, C, E)
Matchday 3 14–16 March 2022 (W, A); 12–13 April 2022 (S, C, E)
Matchday 4 4–6 April 2022 (W, A); 3–4 May 2022 (S, C, E)
Matchday 5 11–13 April 2022 (W, A); 17–18 May 2022 (S, C, E)
Matchday 6 2–4 May 2022 (W, A); 24–25 May 2022 (S, C, E)
Knockout stage Zonal semi-finals 16–18 May 2022 (W, A) 23–25 May 2022 (W, A)
Zonal finals TBD 26–27 July 2022 (A)
6 September 2022 (W)
TBD (S, C, E if two groups)		 2–3 August 2022 (A)
13 September 2021 (W)
TBD (S, C, E if two groups)
Inter-zone play-off semi-finals 16–17 August 2022 23–24 August 2022
Inter-zone play-off final 7 September 2022 14 September 2022
Final 15 October 2022

See also

References
  1. "More Member Associations to benefit from inclusive AFC Champions League". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 23 November 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  2. "AFC Club Competitions Ranking Mechanics". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation.
  3. "Entry Manual for AFC Club Competitions (2021 Edition)". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation.
  4. "2021-2022 йилги ОЧЛ ва ОФК кубоги мусобақалари учун йўлланмалар тақсимоти эълон қилинди". Uzbekistan Professional Football League. 29 July 2020.
  5. "ОФИЦИАЛЬНО: ЧЕМПИОН ТАДЖИКИСТАНА-2020 ВЫСТУПИТ В ГРУППОВОМ ЭТАПЕ ЛИГИ ЧЕМПИОНОВ АФК-2021!". Tajikistan Football Federation. 9 December 2019.
  6. "AFC Club Competitions Ranking". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation.
  7. "AFC Country Ranking 2019". FootyRankings. 24 November 2019. Archived from the original on 9 June 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  8. "今屆足總盃及銀牌取消 港足主帥麥柏倫延長合約至6月". 明報. 4 February 2021.
  9. "AFC Competitions Calendar 2022". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 29 November 2019.
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