2023–24 AFC Cup knockout stage

The 2023–24 AFC Cup knockout stage was played from 12 February to 5 May 2024.[1] A total of 11 teams competed in the knockout stage to decide the champions of the 2023–24 AFC Cup.[2]

Qualified teams

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The following teams advanced from the group stage:

  • The winners of the groups and the best runners-up in the West Asia Zone (Groups A–C) and the ASEAN Zone (Groups F–H) advanced to the Zonal semi-finals.
  • The winners of each group in the South Asia Zone (Group D), the Central Asia Zone (Group E), and the East Asia Zone (Group I) advanced to the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals.
Key to colours
Teams which entered the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals
Teams which entered the Zonal semi-finals
Zone Group Winners Best runners-up
West Asia Zone A   Al-Nahda   Al Ahed
B   Al-Kahrabaa
C   Al-Riffa
South Asia Zone D   Odisha
Central Asia Zone E   Abdysh-Ata Kant
ASEAN Zone F   Macarthur FC   Phnom Penh Crown
G   Central Coast Mariners
H   Sabah
East Asia Zone I   Taichung Futuro

Format

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In the knockout stage, the 11 teams will play a single-elimination tournament. Each tie was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis, except the ASEAN Zone's semi-finals, ASEAN Zone's final and the final which will be played as a single match. Extra time and penalty shoot-out will be used to decide the winners if necessary (note that the away goals rule is abolished). (Regulations Article 11.3).

The draw for the Zonal finals and the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals was held on 28 December 2023, 14:00 MYT (UTC+8), at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Round Matchups
Zonal semi-finals
Zonal finals (Order of legs decided by draw)
Inter-zone play-off semi-finals (Matchups and order of legs decided by draw, involving winners of Group D, Group E, Group I, and AF)
Inter-zone play-off final (Winners of IZSF1 host first leg, Winners of IZSF2 host second leg)
  • IZF: Winners of IZSF1 vs. Winners of IZSF2
Final (Winners of West Zone host match, as alternated from previous season's final)
  • Winners of WF vs. Winners of IZF

Schedule

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After the draw, the schedule of each round is as follows.[1]

Stage Round Leg West Asia South Asia Central Asia ASEAN East Asia
Knockout stage Zonal semi-finals First leg 12–13 February 2024 Not played Not played 13 February 2024 Not played
Second leg 19–20 February 2024
Zonal finals First leg 16 April 2024 Not played Not played 22 February 2024 Not played
Second leg 23 April 2024
Inter-zone play-off semi-finals First leg Not played 6–7 March 2024
Second leg 13–14 March 2024
Inter-zone play-off final First leg Not played 17 April 2024
Second leg 24 April 2024
Final 5 May 2024

Bracket

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Zonal semi-finals

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Summary

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In the Zonal semi-finals, the four qualified teams from the West Asia Zone (Groups A–C) play in two ties, and the four qualified teams from the ASEAN Zone (Groups F–H) play in two ties, with the matchups and order of legs determined by the group stage draw and the identity of the best runners-up.

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
West Asia Zone
Al-Riffa   2–4   Al-Nahda 1–1 1–3 (a.e.t.)
Al Ahed   1–1 (4–2 p)   Al-Kahrabaa 0–1 1–0 (a.e.t.)
Team 1  Score  Team 2
ASEAN Zone
Macarthur FC   3–0   Sabah
Central Coast Mariners   4–0   Phnom Penh Crown

West Asia Zone

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Al-Riffa  1–1  Al-Nahda
Haram   62' Report Gui   77'
Attendance: 919
Referee: Hassan Akrami (Iran)
Al-Nahda  3–1 (a.e.t.)  Al-Riffa
Report Isa   33'
Attendance: 4,324
Referee: Dae-yong Kim (South Korea)

Al-Nahda won 4–2 on aggregate.


Al Ahed  0–1  Al-Kahrabaa
Report Midani   20'
Attendance: 150
Referee: Ahmed Faisal Mohammad Al Ali (Jordan)
Al-Kahrabaa  0–1 (a.e.t.)  Al Ahed
Report Erwin   85'
Penalties
2–4
Attendance: 12,754
Referee: Sadullo Gulmurodi (Tajikistan)

1–1 on aggregate. Al Ahed won on penalties.

ASEAN Zone

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Macarthur FC  3–0  Sabah FC
Report
Attendance: 2,225
Referee: Nasrullo Kabirov (Tajikistan)
Central Coast Mariners  4–0  Phnom Penh Crown
Report

Zonal finals

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Summary

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Draw for the Zonal finals was held on 28 December. In the Zonal finals, the two winners of West Asia Zonal semi-finals play each other, with the order of legs decided by draw. The two winners of ASEAN Zonal semi-finals play each other, with the host decided by draw. The winners of the West Asia Zonal final advances to the final, while the winners of the ASEAN Zonal final advance to the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals.

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
West Asia Zone
Al Ahed   3–2   Al-Nahda 1–0 2–2
Team 1  Score  Team 2
ASEAN Zone
Macarthur FC   2–3 (a.e.t.)   Central Coast Mariners

West Asia Zone

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Al Ahed  1–0  Al-Nahda
Report
Attendance: 7,632
Referee: Faisal Al Balawi (Saudi Arabia)
Al-Nahda  2–2  Al Ahed
Report

Al Ahed won 3–2 on aggregate.

ASEAN Zone

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Macarthur FC  2–3 (a.e.t.)  Central Coast Mariners
Report
Attendance: 2,827
Referee: Ammar Ebrahim Hasan Mahfoodh (Bahrain)

Inter-zone play-off semi-finals

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Summary

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Draw for the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals was held on 28 December. In the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals, the four zonal winners other than the West Asia Zone play in two ties (the winners of the South Asia Zone (Group D), the winners of the Central Asia Zone (Group E), the winners of the East Asia Zone (Group I), and the winners of the ASEAN Zonal final. The matchups and order of legs will be decided by draw.

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Abdysh-Ata Kant   8–1   Taichung Futuro 5–0 3–1
Central Coast Mariners   4–0   Odisha 4–0 0–0

Matches

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Abdysh-Ata Kant  5–0  Taichung Futuro
Report
Attendance: 4,059
Referee: Bijan Heydari (Iran)
Taichung Futuro  1–3  Abdysh-Ata Kant
Report
Attendance: 115
Referee: Yahya Almulla (United Arab Emirates)

Abdysh-Ata Kant won 8–1 on aggregate.


Central Coast Mariners  4–0  Odisha
Report
Attendance: 2,674
Referee: Qasim Al-Hatmi (Oman)
Odisha  0–0  Central Coast Mariners
Report
Attendance: 2,711
Referee: Majed Mohammed Alshamrani (Saudi Arabia)

Central Coast Mariners won 4–0 on aggregate.

Inter-zone play-off final

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Summary

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In the Inter-zone play-off final, the two winners of the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals will play each other, with the order of legs determined by the Inter-zone play-off semi-final draw. The winners of the Inter-zone play-off final advance to the final.

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Abdysh-Ata Kant   1–4   Central Coast Mariners 1–1 0–3

Matches

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Abdysh-Ata Kant  1–1  Central Coast Mariners
Report
Attendance: 10,663
Referee: Gamini Nivon Robesh (Sri Lanka)
Central Coast Mariners  3–0  Abdysh-Ata Kant
Report

Central Coast Mariners won 4–1 on aggregate.

Final

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In the final, the winners of the West Asia Zonal final and the winners of the Inter-zone play-off final will play each other, with the host team (winners of the West Zone) alternated from the previous season's final.


Al-Ahed  0–1  Central Coast Mariners
Report [3]
Attendance: 1,930
Referee: Omar Al-Ali (United Arab Emirates)


Notes

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Asian Football Calendar (Aug 2023 - Jul 2024)". The AFC. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  2. ^ "AFC Cup 2023/24 Competition Regulations" (PDF). Asian Football Confederation. 6 September 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  3. ^ https://www.the-afc.com/en/matches/afc-cup/20232024/2420055
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