2023–24 AFC Cup group stage
AFC Cup group stage
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The 2023–24 AFC Cup group stage was played from 18 September to 11 December 2023.[1] A total of 36 teams competed in the group stage to decide the 11 places in the knockout stage of the 2023–24 AFC Cup.
Draw
The draw for the group stage was held on 24 August 2023 at AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The 36 teams were drawn into nine groups of four teams: three groups each in the West Asia Zone (Groups A–C) and the ASEAN Zone (Groups F–H), one group in the Central Asia Zone (Groups E), and one group each in the South Asia Zone (Group D) and the East Asia Zone (Group I). 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 and ASEAN Zone) cannot be drawn into the same group.
| Zone | Groups | Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Asia Zone | A–C |  Al-Wehdat |
 Al-Kuwait |
 Jabal Al-Mukaber |
Al-Arabi |
 Al-Zawraa |
 Al-Riffa |
Al-Kahrabaa |
 Al-Ittihad(Winners of West Asia Play-off) | ||
 Al-Ahed |
Al-Fotuwa |
Nejmeh |
 Al-Nahda(Winners of West Asia Play-off) | ||
| South Asia Zone | D |  Odisha |
 Bashundhara Kings |
 Maziya |
Mohun Bagan SG (Winners of South Asia Play-off) |
| Central Asia Zone | E |  Ravshan Kulob |
 Altyn Asyr |
 Abdysh-Ata Kant |
Merw Mary (Winners of Central Asia Play-off) |
| ASEAN Zone | F–H |  Hai Phong |
 Macarthur FC |
 Shan United |
Central Coast Mariners |
 DH Cebu |
 Hougang United |
Stallion Laguna |
 PSM Makassar(Winners of ASEAN Play-off) | ||
 Terengganu |
Bali United |
Sabah |
 Phnom Penh Crown(Winners of ASEAN Play-off) | ||
| East Asia Zone | I |  Chao Pak Kei |
 Taiwan Steel |
 FC Ulaanbaatar |
Taichung Futuro (Winners of East Asia Play-off) |
Format
In the group stage, each group is played on a home-and-away round-robin format. 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 South Asia Zone, Central 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;
- 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 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West | South | Central | ASEAN | East | |
| Matchday 1 | 18–19 September 2023 | 20–21 September 2023 | |||
| Matchday 2 | 2–3 October 2023 | 4–5 October 2023 | |||
| Matchday 3 | 23–24 October 2023 | 25–26 October 2023 | |||
| Matchday 4 | 6–7 November 2023 | 8–9 November 2023 | |||
| Matchday 5 | 27–28 November 2023 | 29–30 November 2023 | |||
| Matchday 6 | 11–12 December 2023 | 13–14 December 2023 | |||
Group A
- On 26 November 2023, Jabal Al-Mukaber withdrew due to the situation in Palestine arising from the war in Gaza. Their two matches were expunged.[3]
| Jabal Al-Mukaber | Voided (1–0) | Al-Fotuwa |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
Prince Mohammad Stadium[note 1], Zarqa (Jordan)
Attendance: 600
Referee: Mohammad Mofeed Naser Ghabayen (Jordan)
Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium[note 1], Al-Hasa (Saudi Arabia)
Attendance: 450
Referee: Zaid Thamer Mohammed (Iraq)
| Al-Nahda | 2–1 | Al-Fotuwa |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
| Al Ahed | Cancelled | Jabal Al-Mukaber |
|---|---|---|
| Source |
Al-Seeb Stadium, Muscat (Oman)
King Abdul Aziz Stadium[note 1], Mecca (Saudi Arabia)
Attendance: 100
Referee: Ammar Mahfoodh (Bahrain)
| Jabal Al-Mukaber | Cancelled | Al Ahed |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
| Al-Fotuwa | Cancelled | Jabal Al-Mukaber |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
King Abdul Aziz Stadium, Mecca (Saudi Arabia)
Group B
| Al-Ittihad | 1–1 | Al-Kuwait |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
King Abdul Aziz Stadium, Mecca (Saudi Arabia)
Attendance: 114
Referee: Gamini Nivon Robesh (Sri Lanka)
| Al-Wehdat | 3–1 | Al-Kahrabaa |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Al-Kuwait | 1–1 | Al-Ittihad |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Attendance: 120
Referee: Seyed Vahid Kazemi (Iran)
Attendance: 1,100
Referee: Hettikamkanamge Perera (Sri Lanka)
| Al-Ittihad | 0–2 | Al-Wehdat |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Al-Kuwait | 0–1 | Al-Kahrabaa |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Attendance: 300
Referee: Qasim Al-Hatmi (Oman)
| Al-Kahrabaa | 3–1 | Al-Ittihad |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Group C
| Nejmeh | 0–2 | Al-Riffa |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Jasim Al-Shaikh  35'Ali Hasan Saeed Isa 41' |
Khalifa Sports City Stadium[note 1], Isa Town (Bahrain)
Attendance: 862
Referee: Nasrullo Kabirov (Tajikistan)
Attendance: 3,500
Referee: Pranjal Banerjee (India)
Attendance: 1,980
Referee: Pranjal Banerjee (India)
Attendance: 1,070
Referee: Hettikamkanamge Perera (Sri Lanka)
| Al-Zawraa | 2–1 | Al-Riffa |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Attendance: 2,127
Referee: Mohammed Ahmed Al-Shammari (Qatar)
Attendance: 400
Referee: Nasrullo Kabirov (Tajikistan)
Group D
| Mohun Bagan SG | 2–1 | Maziya |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
| Bashundhara Kings | 3–2 | Odisha |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Bashundhara Kings | 2–1 | Mohun Bagan SG |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Colaco 17' |
| Mohun Bagan SG | 2–5 | Odisha |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Attendance: 15,988
Referee: Gamini Nivon Robesh (Sri Lanka)
| Bashundhara Kings | 2–1 | Maziya |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
| Odisha | 1–0 | Bashundhara Kings |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
| Maziya | 1–0 | Mohun Bagan SG |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
Group E
| Abdysh-Ata Kant | 3–0 | Altyn Asyr |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
Attendance: 1,505
Referee: Khalid Marhoun Sulaiman Al Shaqsi (Oman)
| Merw Mary | 1–1 | Abdysh-Ata Kant |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
| Altyn Asyr | 1–1 | Ravshan Kulob |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
| Merw Mary | 1–2 | Altyn Asyr |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
| Ravshan Kulob | 0–1 | Abdysh-Ata Kant |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Altyn Asyr | 1–0 | Merw Mary |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
| Abdysh-Ata Kant | 1–0 | Ravshan Kulob |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
Attendance: 1,565
Referee: Khalid Marhoun Sulaiman Al Shaqsi (Oman)
| Merw Mary | 1–1 | Ravshan Kulob |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
| Altyn Asyr | 2–4 | Abdysh-Ata Kant |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
| Abdysh-Ata Kant | 8–3 | Merw Mary |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Group F
- Ranked on head-to-head points: DH Cebu 4, Shan United 1.
| Phnom Penh Crown | 3–0 | Macarthur FC |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
| DH Cebu | 1–0 | Shan United |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
| Shan United | 1–1 | DH Cebu |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
| Shan United | 2–1 | Phnom Penh Crown |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Group G
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | CCM | TFC | BUF | STA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central Coast Mariners |
6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 7 | +14 | 13 | Zonal semi-finals | — | 1–1 | 6–3 | 9–1 | |
| 2 | Terengganu |
6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 6 | +4 | 12 | 1–0 | — | 2–0 | 2–2 | ||
| 3 | Bali United |
6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 15 | 0 | 7 | 1–2 | 1–1 | — | 5–2 | ||
| 4 | Stallion Laguna |
6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 27 | −18 | 1 | 0–3 | 2–3 | 2–5 | — |
Attendance: 5,996
Referee: Al Majarafi Mahmood Salim Said (Oman)
| Stallion Laguna | 2–5 | Bali United |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Bali United | 1–1 | Terengganu |
|---|---|---|
| Mbarga 54' |
Report | Syahmi 84' |
| Central Coast Mariners | 6–3 | Bali United |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Central Coast Mariners | 1–1 | Terengganu |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
| Bali United | 5–2 | Stallion Laguna |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Stallion Laguna | 0–3 | Central Coast Mariners |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Group H
- Ranked on head-to-head points: Haiphong 4, PSM Makassar 1.
| Hai Phong | 3–0 | PSM Makassar |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
| Hougang United | 2–1 | Hai Phong |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
| PSM Makassar | 3–1 | Hougang United |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Hai Phong | 3–2 | Sabah |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
| Hougang United | 1–3 | PSM Makassar |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
| PSM Makassar | 1–1 | Hai Phong |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
| Hai Phong | 4–0 | Hougang United |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
| Sabah | 1–3 | PSM Makassar |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
Group I
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | FUT | ULA | TAI | CPK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taichung Futuro |
6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 12[a] | Inter-zone play-off semi-finals | — | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–0 | |
| 2 | Ulaanbaatar |
6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 12[a] | 0–2 | — | 3–1 | 1–0 | ||
| 3 | Taiwan Steel |
6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 12 | +3 | 9 | 5–1 | 3–0 | — | 4–2 | ||
| 4 | Chao Pak Kei |
6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 9 | −3 | 3 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 4–1 | — |
- Ranked on head-to-head goal difference: Taichung Futuro +1, Ulaanbaatar –1
| Chao Pak Kei | 0–1 | Taichung Futuro |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Duarte  2' (o.g.) |
| Ulaanbaatar | 3–1 | Taiwan Steel |
|---|---|---|
| Gerelt-Od 34' Cirkovic 63' Teofanov 88' |
Report | Yao Ke-chi 43' |
| Ulaanbaatar | 0–2 | Taichung Futuro |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Yokoyama 9' Hsu Heng-pin 79' |
| Taichung Futuro | 2–1 | Taiwan Steel |
|---|---|---|
| Hsu Heng-pin 74' Suganuma 90+5' |
Report | Moser 67' (pen.) |
| Chao Pak Kei | 0–1 | Ulaanbaatar |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Taiwan Steel | 5–1 | Taichung Futuro |
|---|---|---|
| Wu Chun-ching 22' Kouamé 25' (pen.), 81', 89' Yu Chia-huang 69' |
Report | Takayama 51' (pen.) |
Attendance: 352
Referee: Clifford Postanes Daypuyat (Philippines)
| Ulaanbaatar | 1–0 | Chao Pak Kei |
|---|---|---|
| Krusevac 44' |
Report |
| Taichung Futuro | 1–0 | Chao Pak Kei |
|---|---|---|
| Takayama 90+1' |
Report |
| Taiwan Steel | 3–0 | Ulaanbaatar |
|---|---|---|
| Kouamé 79' Lin Ming-wei 90+2'Lin Wei-chieh 90+6' |
Report |
| Taiwan Steel | 4–2 | Chao Pak Kei |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Chao Pak Kei | 4–1 | Taiwan Steel |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
| Taichung Futuro | 1–2 | Ulaanbaatar |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Ranking of runner-up teams
West Asia Zone
Since Group A only had three teams, the results against fourth-placed teams in Groups B and C were omitted for this ranking.
Source: AFC
ASEAN Zone
| Pos | Grp | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F | Phnom Penh Crown |
6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 7 | +8 | 12 | Zonal semi-finals |
| 2 | G | Terengganu |
6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 6 | +4 | 12 | |
| 3 | H | Haiphong |
6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 9 | +4 | 10 |
Updated to match(es) played on 30 November 2023. Source: AFC
Notes
- Team is not using their own home stadium.
- The match was originally hosting at their Campbelltown Sports Stadium in Sydney, but the match was forced to use BG Stadium in Pathum Thani (Thailand) to host after the Australian Government's refusal to grant visas to the players and staff of Shan United.[4]
- The match was originally to be played on 5 October, but was postponed due to Typhoon Koinu.[5]