2017 AFC Cup qualifying round

The following nine teams from nine associations entered the qualifying round.^[3] Teams were not split into zones for the qualifying round.

In the following table, the number of appearances and last appearance count all those since the 2004 season (including both competition proper and qualifying rounds).

Association	Team	Qualifying method	App	Last App
Bangladesh	Sheikh Russel	2015 Bangladesh Football Premier League runners-up	2nd	2015
Bhutan	Tertons	2015 Bhutan National League champions	1st	none
Cambodia	Nagaworld	2015 Cambodian League runners-up	1st	none
Chinese Taipei	Tatung	2015–16 Intercity Football League runners-up	1st	none
Guam	Rovers	2015–16 Guam Soccer League champions	1st	none
Kyrgyzstan	Dordoi	2015 Kyrgyzstan League runners-up	2nd	2015
Macau	Benfica de Macau	2016 Campeonato da 1ª Divisão do Futebol champions	2nd	2016
Mongolia	Erchim	2015 Mongolian Premier League champions	1st	none
Nepal	Three Star Club	2015 Nepal National League champions	1st	none

Rovers were the first team from Guam to play in an AFC club competition.^[4]

The draw for the qualifying round was held on 17 June 2016, 11:00 MYT (UTC+8), at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.^[5] The nine teams were drawn into three groups of three.^[6]

For the draw, the pre-selected hosts were placed in their own pot, while the remaining teams were seeded according to the performance of their association in the 2016 AFC Cup qualifying round, with associations participating ranked and associations not participating unranked.^[7]

In the qualifying round, each group was played on a single round-robin basis at the pre-selected hosts. The winners of each group advanced to the qualifying play-offs.

The teams are ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, tiebreakers are applied in the following order (Regulations Article 10.4):^[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. Goal difference in all group matches;
5. Goals scored in all group matches;
6. Penalty shoot-out if only two teams are tied and they met in the last round of the group;
7. 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);
8. Drawing of lots.

The schedule of each matchday was as follows.^[1]