AFC Cup group stage
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) could not be drawn into the same group.
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 Source: AFC Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers Notes:
18 September 2023 (2023-09-18 )
20:00 UTC+4
18 September 2023 (2023-09-18 )
19:00 UTC+3
Attendance: 600
Referee: Mohammad Mofeed Naser Ghabayen (
Jordan )
2 October 2023 (2023-10-02 )
21:00 UTC+4
Attendance: 325
Referee: Ismaeel Habib Ali (
Bahrain )
2 October 2023 (2023-10-02 )
19:00 UTC+3
Attendance: 450
Referee: Zaid Thamer Mohammed (
Iraq )
23 October 2023 (2023-10-23 )
21:00 UTC+4
23 October 2023 (2023-10-23 )
6 November 2023 (2023-11-06 )
19:00 UTC+3
6 November 2023 (2023-11-06 )
27 November 2023 (2023-11-27 )
21:00 UTC+4
Attendance: 486
Referee: Bijan Heydari (
Iran )
27 November 2023 (2023-11-27 )
12 December 2023 (2023-12-12 )
20:00 UTC+4
12 December 2023 (2023-12-12 )
18:00 UTC+2
Group B Source: AFC Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
19 September 2023 (2023-09-19 )
21:00 UTC+3
Attendance: 10,231
Referee: Bijan Heydari (
Iran )
19 September 2023 (2023-09-19 )
19:00 UTC+3
Attendance: 3,121
Referee: Qasim Al-Hatmi (
Oman )
3 October 2023 (2023-10-03 )
21:00 UTC+3
3 October 2023 (2023-10-03 )
19:00 UTC+3
24 October 2023 (2023-10-24 )
19:00 UTC+3
24 October 2023 (2023-10-24 )
21:00 UTC+3
7 November 2023 (2023-11-07 )
19:00 UTC+3
Attendance: 120
Referee: Seyed Vahid Kazemi (
Iran )
7 November 2023 (2023-11-07 )
19:00 UTC+3
28 November 2023 (2023-11-28 )
21:00 UTC+3
Attendance: 400
Referee: Ismaeel Habib Ali (
Bahrain )
28 November 2023 (2023-11-28 )
19:00 UTC+3
Attendance: 300
Referee: Qasim Al-Hatmi (
Oman )
11 December 2023 (2023-12-11 )
18:00 UTC+3
11 December 2023 (2023-12-11 )
19:00 UTC+3
Attendance: 650
Referee: Mouood Bonyadifar (
Iran )
Group C Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification RIF ZWR ARA NEJ 1 Al-Riffa 6 4 1 1 15 5 +10 13 Zonal semi-finals — 1–1 2–1 6–1 2 Al-Zawraa 6 3 2 1 11 7 +4 11 2–1 — 1–2 4–1 3 Al-Arabi 6 2 2 2 6 8 −2 8 0–3 1–1 — 0–0 4 Nejmeh 6 0 1 5 4 16 −12 1 0–2 1–2 1–2 —
Source: AFC Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
18 September 2023 (2023-09-18 )
19:00 UTC+3
Attendance: 0
Referee: Seyed Vahid Kazemi (
Iran )
18 September 2023 (2023-09-18 )
21:00 UTC+3
2 October 2023 (2023-10-02 )
19:00 UTC+3
2 October 2023 (2023-10-02 )
21:00 UTC+3
23 October 2023 (2023-10-23 )
21:00 UTC+3
23 October 2023 (2023-10-23 )
19:00 UTC+3
Attendance: 6,372
Referee: Ahmad Yacoub Ibrahim (
Jordan )
6 November 2023 (2023-11-06 )
21:00 UTC+3
Attendance: 1,310
Referee: Payam Heydari (
Iran )
6 November 2023 (2023-11-06 )
19:00 UTC+3
27 November 2023 (2023-11-27 )
21:00 UTC+3
27 November 2023 (2023-11-27 )
19:00 UTC+3
12 December 2023 (2023-12-12 )
19:00 UTC+3
Attendance: 2,127
Referee: Mohammed Ahmed Al-Shammari (
Qatar )
12 December 2023 (2023-12-12 )
19:00 UTC+3
Group D Source: AFC Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
19 September 2023 (2023-09-19 )
19:30 UTC+5:30
19 September 2023 (2023-09-19 )
15:00 UTC+5
National Football Stadium, Malé Attendance: 874
2 October 2023 (2023-10-02 )
19:30 UTC+5:30
Attendance: 26,795
Referee: Payam Heydari (
Iran )
2 October 2023 (2023-10-02 )
18:00 UTC+6
Attendance: 7,137
Referee: Mohammad Hasan Mahmoud Arafah (
Jordan )
24 October 2023 (2023-10-24 )
17:30 UTC+5:30
24 October 2023 (2023-10-24 )
21:30 UTC+5:30
7 November 2023 (2023-11-07 )
20:00 UTC+6
7 November 2023 (2023-11-07 )
15:00 UTC+5
National Football Stadium, Malé Attendance: 240
Referee: Mohammad Hasan Mahmoud Arafah (
Jordan )
27 November 2023 (2023-11-27 )
19:30 UTC+5:30
27 November 2023 (2023-11-27 )
18:00 UTC+6
Attendance: 6,552
Referee: Mohammad Hasan Mahmoud Arafah (
Jordan )
11 December 2023 (2023-12-11 )
19:30 UTC+5:30
11 December 2023 (2023-12-11 )
15:00 UTC+5
National Football Stadium, Malé Attendance: 100
Group E Source: AFC Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
21 September 2023 (2023-09-21 )
19:00 UTC+5
Attendance: 6,750
Referee: Abdullah Jamali (
Kuwait )
21 September 2023 (2023-09-21 )
18:00 UTC+6
Attendance: 1,505
Referee: Khalid Marhoun Sulaiman Al Shaqsi (
Oman )
5 October 2023 (2023-10-05 )
17:00 UTC+5
5 October 2023 (2023-10-05 )
21:00 UTC+5
Attendance: 16,000
Referee: Hussein Abo Yehia (
Lebanon )
26 October 2023 (2023-10-26 )
21:00 UTC+5
26 October 2023 (2023-10-26 )
19:00 UTC+5
9 November 2023 (2023-11-09 )
19:00 UTC+5
Attendance: 10,070
Referee: Ismaeel Habib Ali (
Bahrain )
9 November 2023 (2023-11-09 )
18:00 UTC+6
Attendance: 1,565
Referee: Khalid Marhoun Sulaiman Al Shaqsi (
Oman )
30 November 2023 (2023-11-30 )
17:00 UTC+5
30 November 2023 (2023-11-30 )
21:00 UTC+5
14 December 2023 (2023-12-14 )
19:00 UTC+5
14 December 2023 (2023-12-14 )
16:00 UTC+6
Attendance: 155
Referee: Shen Yinhao (
China )
Group F Source: AFC Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers Notes:
^ a b Ranked on head-to-head points: DH Cebu 4, Shan United 1. 21 September 2023 (2023-09-21 )
20:00 UTC+8
Attendance: 393
Referee: Ismaeel Habib Ali (
Bahrain )
21 September 2023 (2023-09-21 )
18:30 UTC+6:30
5 October 2023 (2023-10-05 )
19:00 UTC+7
5 October 2023 (2023-10-05 )
19:00 UTC+11
Attendance: 2,012
Referee: Hiroki Kasahara (
Japan )
26 October 2023 (2023-10-26 )
19:00 UTC+7
Attendance: 4,789
Referee: Zaid Thamer Mohammed (
Iraq )
26 October 2023 (2023-10-26 )
20:00 UTC+8
9 November 2023 (2023-11-09 )
19:00 UTC+11
9 November 2023 (2023-11-09 )
18:30 UTC+6:30
30 November 2023 (2023-11-30 )
19:00 UTC+7
30 November 2023 (2023-11-30 )
15:00 UTC+7
14 December 2023 (2023-12-14 )
20:00 UTC+8
14 December 2023 (2023-12-14 )
18:30 UTC+6:30
Attendance: 1,100
Referee: Tejas Nagvenkar (
India )
Group G Source: AFC Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
20 September 2023 (2023-09-20 )
20:00 UTC+8
Attendance: 5,996
Referee: Al Majarafi Mahmood Salim Said (
Oman )
20 September 2023 (2023-09-20 )
16:00 UTC+8
Attendance: 350
Referee: Zaid Thamer Mohammed (
Iraq )
4 October 2023 (2023-10-04 )
19:00 UTC+11
4 October 2023 (2023-10-04 )
20:00 UTC+8
Attendance: 2,180
Referee: Bijan Heydari (
Iran )
26 October 2023 (2023-10-26 )
19:00 UTC+11
26 October 2023 (2023-10-26 )
16:00 UTC+8
8 November 2023 (2023-11-08 )
20:00 UTC+8
8 November 2023 (2023-11-08 )
18:00 UTC+8
Attendance: 200
Referee: Ahmad Yacoub Ibrahim (
Jordan )
29 November 2023 (2023-11-29 )
19:00 UTC+11
29 November 2023 (2023-11-29 )
20:00 UTC+8
13 December 2023 (2023-12-13 )
20:00 UTC+8
Attendance: 1,450
Referee: Qasim Al-Hatmi (
Oman )
13 December 2023 (2023-12-13 )
16:00 UTC+8
Group H Source: AFC Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers Notes:
^ a b Ranked on head-to-head points: Haiphong 4, PSM Makassar 1. 21 September 2023 (2023-09-21 )
19:00 UTC+7
Attendance: 16,860
Referee: Zhang Lei (
China )
21 September 2023 (2023-09-21 )
20:00 UTC+8
5 October 2023 (2023-10-05 )
20:00 UTC+8
5 October 2023 (2023-10-05 )
20:00 UTC+8
25 October 2023 (2023-10-25 )
20:00 UTC+8
25 October 2023 (2023-10-25 )
17:00 UTC+7
Attendance: 7,235
Referee: Qasim Al-Hatmi (
Oman )
9 November 2023 (2023-11-09 )
18:00 UTC+8
9 November 2023 (2023-11-09 )
20:00 UTC+8
Attendance: 7,441
Referee: Qasim Al-Hatmi (
Oman )
30 November 2023 (2023-11-30 )
20:00 UTC+8
Attendance: 215
Referee: Hassan Akrami (
Iran )
30 November 2023 (2023-11-30 )
20:00 UTC+8
14 December 2023 (2023-12-14 )
19:00 UTC+7
14 December 2023 (2023-12-14 )
20:00 UTC+8
Group I Source: AFC Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers Notes:
^ a b Ranked on head-to-head goal difference: Taichung Futuro +1, Ulaanbaatar –1 21 September 2023 (2023-09-21 )
18:00 UTC+8
21 September 2023 (2023-09-21 )
16:00 UTC+8
Attendance: 1,023
Referee: Abdul Hakim Mohd Haidi (
Brunei )
5 October 2023 (2023-10-05 )
16:00 UTC+8
26 October 2023 (2023-10-26 )
18:00 UTC+8
26 October 2023 (2023-10-26 )
20:00 UTC+8
Attendance: 689
Referee: Ramachandran Venkatesh (
India )
9 November 2023 (2023-11-09 )
16:00 UTC+8
9 November 2023 (2023-11-09 )
14:00 UTC+8
30 November 2023 (2023-11-30 )
13:00 UTC+8
Attendance: 41
Referee: Seyed Vahid Kazemi (
Iran )
30 November 2023 (2023-11-30 )
18:00 UTC+8
Attendance: 136
Referee: Ahmad Yacoub Ibrahim (
Jordan )
14 December 2023 (2023-12-14 )
20:00 UTC+8
14 December 2023 (2023-12-14 )
16:00 UTC+8
Attendance: 96
Referee: Mahmood Al Majarafi (
Oman )
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 Updated to match(es) played on 30 November 2023. Source: AFC
Notes ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay 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] References ^ a b "AFC Competitions Calendar 2022" (PDF) . the-afc.com . Asian Football Confederation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-01-13. Retrieved 2022-01-13 . ^ "AFC Cup 2023/24 Competition Regulations" (PDF) . Asian Football Confederation . 6 September 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023 . ^ "Palestinian Jabal Al Mukaber Withdraw from AFC Cup". Qatar News Agency . 26 November 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023 – via Gulf Times. ^ "Macarthur FC forced to play AFC Cup home game in Thailand after Australian Government intervention". The Sporting News . 2023-11-28. Retrieved 2023-12-03 . ^ "澳科鄒北記亞協盃分組賽第二場比賽,原定5/10(周四)作客南巿台鋼;受颱風「小犬」抵台影響,亞足協宣布賽事延期。" [AFC postponed the second matchday of AFC Cup for Chao Pak Kei, which was originally to be played away against Tainan City Taiwan Steel on 5 October, due to Typhoon Koinu.]. Facebook (in Chinese). Chao Pak Kei . 4 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023 . External links
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