2022 AFC Cup group stage
AFC Cup group stage
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The 2022 AFC Cup group stage was played from 18 May to 30 June 2022.[1] A total of 39 teams competed in the group stage to decide the 12 places in the knockout stage of the 2022 AFC Cup.[2]
Draw
The draw for the group stage was held on 17 January 2022 at AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 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.
| Zone | Groups | Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Asia Zone | A–C |  Al-Ansar |
 Al-Seeb |
 Jableh |
 Hilal Al-Quds |
| Tishreen |
Shabab Al-Khalil |
 East Riffa |
 Al-Arabi | ||
| Al-Riffa |
Nejmeh |
Dhofar |
Al-Kuwait | ||
| South Asia Zone | D |  Gokulam Kerala |
 Bashundhara Kings |
 Maziya |
ATK Mohun Bagan (Winners of South Asia Play-off) |
| Central Asia Zone | E–F |  Sogdiana Jizzakh |
 Altyn Asyr |
 CSKA Pamir Dushanbe |
 Neftchi |
| Khujand |
Dordoi |
Köpetdag |
N/a | ||
| ASEAN Zone | G–I |  Kaya F.C.–Iloilo |
 Hougang United |
 Phnom Penh Crown |
 Young Elephants(  Hantharwady United |
 Viettel |
|
 Kedah Darul Aman |
 PSM Makassar | ||
| Kuala Lumpur City |
Bali United |
Tampines Rovers |
Visakha FC ( | ||
| East Asia Zone | J |  Eastern |
 |
 Tainan City |
Lee Man (Winners of East Asia Play-off) |
- Standby teams[note 1]
Format
In the group stage, each group is 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 advance to the Zonal semi-finals.
- The winners of each group in the Central Asia Zone advance to the Zonal finals.
- The winners of each group in the South Asia Zone and the East Asia Zone advance to the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals.
Tiebreakers
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 were applied in the following order (Regulations Article 8.3):[2]
- Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
- Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
- Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
Away goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams(Not applicable since matches will be played in centralised venues);- 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;
- Goal difference in all group matches;
- Goals scored in all group matches;
- Penalty shoot-out if only two teams playing each other in the last round of the group are tied;
- 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);
- Association ranking;
- Drawing of lots.
Schedule
The schedule of each matchday was as follows.[1]
| Matchday | Dates | Matches | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West | South | Central | ASEAN | East | Four-team groups | Three-team group | |
| Matchday 1 | 18 May 2022 | 24 June 2022 | 1 v 4, 2 v 3 | 3 v 1 | |||
| Matchday 2 | 21 May 2022 | 27 June 2022 | 4 v 2, 3 v 1 | 2 v 3 | |||
| Matchday 3 | 24 May 2022 | 30 June 2022 | 1 v 2, 3 v 4 | 1 v 2 | |||
Centralised venues
On 24 February 2022, AFC confirmed hosts for the group stage.[6][7] on 25 April 2022, the Chinese Taipei Football Association withdrew from hosting the Group J matches.[8] Later, on 5 May, Buriram were declared as the centralised venue to host the Group J matches.[9]
- Group A: Muscat, Oman (Al-Seeb Stadium)
- Group B: Kuwait City, Kuwait (Al Kuwait Sports Club Stadium)
- Group C: Arad, Bahrain (Al Muharraq Stadium)
- Group D: Kolkata, India (Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan)
- Group E: Dushanbe, Tajikistan (Pamir Stadium)
- Group F: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (Dolen Omurzakov Stadium)
- Group G: Gianyar, Indonesia (Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium)
- Group H: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur Stadium)
- Group I: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (Thống Nhất Stadium)
- Group J: Buriram, Thailand (Buriram Stadium)
Groups
Group A
| Al-Kuwait | 2–1 | Al-Seeb |
|---|---|---|
|
Report | Al-Ghassani  45+5' |
Group B
| Shabab Al-Khalil | 0–3 | Dhofar |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Attendance: 110
Referee: Sayyodjon Zainiddinov (Tajikistan)
| Al-Arabi | 1–0 | Shabab Al-Khalil |
|---|---|---|
| Mbengue 34' |
Report |
Group C
- Head-to-head points: Tishreen 3, Nejmeh 0.
| Nejmeh | 1–1 | East Riffa |
|---|---|---|
| Alaaeddine 64' (pen.) |
Report | Bodahoom 76' |
| Hilal Al-Quds | 0–2 | Nejmeh |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| East Riffa | 2–0 | Tishreen |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
| East Riffa | 2–2 | Hilal Al-Quds |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Maraaba 24', 38' |
Group D
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | MBSG | BSK | MAZ | GOK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ATK Mohun Bagan (H) |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 6 | +5 | 6[a] | Inter-zone play-off semi-finals | — | 4–0 | — | — | |
| 2 | Bashundhara Kings |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 6[a] | — | — | 1–0 | — | ||
| 3 | Maziya |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 | −3 | 3[b] | 2–5 | — | — | 1–0 | ||
| 4 | Gokulam Kerala |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3[b] | 4–2 | 1–2 | — | — |
| Bashundhara Kings | 1–0 | Maziya |
|---|---|---|
| Marong 33' |
Report |
Attendance: 34,595
Referee: Chen Hsin-chuan (Chinese Taipei)
| Maziya | 1–0 | Gokulam Kerala |
|---|---|---|
| Stewart 50' |
Report |
Group E
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | SOG | ALT | CPD | NEF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sogdiana Jizzakh |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | +5 | 9 | Zonal finals | — | 3–1 | — | 2–0 | |
| 2 | Altyn Asyr |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 4 | — | — | 1–1 | — | ||
| 3 | CSKA Pamir Dushanbe (H) |
3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 2 | 2–3 | — | — | 0–0 | ||
| 4 | Neftchi |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | −3 | 1 | — | 0–1 | — | — |
| Altyn Asyr | 1–1 | CSKA Pamir Dushanbe |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
| Neftchi | 0–1 | Altyn Asyr |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
| CSKA Pamir Dushanbe | 2–3 | Sogdiana Jizzakh |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
| Sogdiana Jizzakh | 3–1 | Altyn Asyr |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Group F
| Köpetdag | 1–3 | Khujand |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Group G
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | KED | VIS | BAL | KAY | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kedah Darul Aman |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 6[a] | Zonal semi-finals | — | 5–1 | — | 4–1 | |
| 2 | Visakha FC |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 6[a] | — | — | 5–2 | — | ||
| 3 | Bali United (H) |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 6[a] | 2–0 | — | — | — | ||
| 4 | Kaya F.C.–Iloilo |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | −5 | 0 | — | 1–2 | 0–1 | — |
- Head-to-head standings:
- Tied on head-to-head points.
- Head-to-head goal difference: Kedah Darul Aman: +2, Visakha FC –1, Bali United –1.
- Head-to-head goals scored: Visakha FC 6, Bali United 4.
| Kaya F.C.–Iloilo | 1–2 | Visakha FC |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
| Visakha FC | 5–2 | Bali United |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
| Kedah Darul Aman | 4–1 | Kaya F.C.–Iloilo |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Kaya F.C.–Iloilo | 0–1 | Bali United |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Kedah Darul Aman | 5–1 | Visakha FC |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Group H
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | PSM | KLC | TAM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PSM Makassar |
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 4[a] | Zonal semi-finals | — | 0–0 | — | |
| 2 | Kuala Lumpur City (H) |
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 4[a] | — | — | 2–1 | ||
| 3 | Tampines Rovers |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 0 | 1–3 | — | — |
- Tied on head-to-head results. Overall goal difference used as tiebreaker.
| Tampines Rovers | 1–3 | PSM Makassar |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
| Kuala Lumpur City | 2–1 | Tampines Rovers |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Group I
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | VIE | HOU | PPC | YEL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Viettel (H) |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 | +8 | 9 | Zonal semi-finals | — | 5–2 | — | 5–1 | |
| 2 | Hougang United |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 6 | — | — | 4–3 | — | ||
| 3 | Phnom Penh Crown |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0–1 | — | — | 4–2 | ||
| 4 | Young Elephants |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 12 | −8 | 0 | — | 1–3 | — | — |
| Viettel | 5–1 | Young Elephants |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Group J
| MUST CPK | Cancelled[note 3] | Tainan City |
|---|---|---|
| Tainan City | 1–3 | Lee Man |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Eastern | 3–1 | Tainan City |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Ranking of runner-up teams
West Asia Zone
Source: AFC
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Disciplinary points; 5) Drawing of lots.
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Disciplinary points; 5) Drawing of lots.
ASEAN Zone
Since Group H only had three teams, the results against fourth-placed teams in Groups G and I were omitted for this ranking.
| Pos | Grp | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | H | Kuala Lumpur City |
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 4 | Zonal semi-finals |
| 2 | G | Visakha FC |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 3 | |
| 3 | I | Hougang United |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 8 | −2 | 3 |
Source: AFC
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Disciplinary points; 5) Drawing of lots.
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Disciplinary points; 5) Drawing of lots.
Notes
- 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. Since Nasaf Qarshi advanced from the AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs to the group stage, Sogdiana Jizzakh, which were the standby team from Uzbekistan, replaced Nasaf Qarshi in the AFC Cup group stage.
- On 19 January 2022, the AFC announced that the two teams from Myanmar, Shan United and Hanthawaddy United, withdrew from the group stage after the draw.[3] As a result, on 1 March 2022, the AFC decided to cancel the ASEAN zone play-off round match between Visakha FC and Young Elephants, and promote both the participating teams to the group stage to fill the vacant group stage spots.[4]