2021 AFC Cup

The 2021 AFC Cup will be the 18th edition of the AFC Cup, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

2021 AFC Cup
Tournament details
DatesQualifying:
5 January – 24 February 2021
Competition proper:
8 February – 6 November 2021
TeamsCompetition proper: 36
Total (maximum): 56 (from 35 associations)

The winners of the tournament will automatically qualify for the 2022 AFC Champions League, entering the qualifying play-offs, if they have not qualified through their domestic performance.[1]

Association team allocation

The 47 AFC member associations are ranked based on their clubs' performance over the last four years in AFC competitions (their national team's FIFA World Rankings no longer considered):[2]

  • The associations are split into five zones:
  • All associations which receive fewer than two total (direct and play-off) slots in the AFC Champions League are eligible to enter the AFC Cup.
  • In each zone, the number of groups in the group stage is determined based on the number of entries, with the number of slots filled through play-offs same as the number of groups:
    • In the West Asia Zone and the ASEAN Zone, there are three groups in the group stage, including a total of 9 direct slots, with the 3 remaining slots filled through play-offs.
    • In the Central Asia Zone, the South Asia Zone, and the East Asia Zone, there is one group in the group stage, including a total of 3 direct slots, with the 1 remaining slot filled through play-offs.
  • The slots in each zone are distributed as follows:[3]
    • For the West Asia Zone and the ASEAN zone:
      • The associations ranked 1st to 3rd each get two direct slots.
      • The associations ranked 4th to 6th each get one direct slot and one play-off slot.
      • The associations ranked 7th or below each get one play-off slot.
    • For the Central Asia Zone, the South Asia Zone, and the East Asia zone:
      • The associations ranked 1st to 3rd each get one direct slot and one play-off slot.
      • The associations ranked 4th or below each get one play-off slot.

Association ranking

For the 2021 AFC Cup, the associations are allocated slots according to their association ranking which was published on 29 November 2019,[4][5] which takes into account their performance in the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup during the period between 2016 and 2019.

Participation for 2021 AFC Cup
Participating
Not participating
Notes
  1. ^
    Northern Mariana Islands (NMI): The Northern Mariana Islands, although not a FIFA member, are an AFC associate member, and their participation in AFC club competitions is dependent on AFC's approval.

Teams

Teams in italics will play in the AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs, and will play in the AFC Cup group stage if they fail to advance to the AFC Champions League group stage. Should they advance to the AFC Champions League group stage, they will not play in the AFC Cup, and will be replaced by the standby team from the same association if such team are available.

Note: Only teams assured of a place (including standby teams) are displayed.

Notes
  1. ^
    Bangladesh (BAN): Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh, the 2020 Bangladesh Premier League was cancelled and declared null and void by the Bangladesh Football Federation.[6] The team which will qualify as Bangladesh 1 (AFC Cup group stage) is yet to be confirmed. Bashundhara Kings, the 2019–20 Bangladesh Federation Cup winners, may qualify as Bangladesh 1.
  2. ^
    India (IND): Originally, Mohun Bagan, the 2019–20 I-League champions (they were already assured of the title before the league was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in India), would qualify as India 2 (AFC Cup group stage), and ATK, the 2019–20 Indian Super League playoffs winners, would qualify as India 3 (AFC Cup qualifying play-offs).[7] However, the two teams merged to form ATK Mohun Bagan for the 2020–21 Indian Super League season, and the new team will qualify as India 2. The All India Football Federation decided that Bengaluru FC, the 2019–20 Indian Super League regular season 3rd place (behind FC Goa, which qualified for the 2021 AFC Champions League, and ATK), will qualify as India 3.[8]
  3. ^
    Lebanon (LIB): Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon, the 2019–20 Lebanese Premier League and the 2019–20 Lebanese FA Cup were cancelled and declared null and void by the Lebanese Football Association (the competitions were previously suspended due to domestic issues including protests and financial problems).[9][10] The teams (if any) which will qualify as Lebanon 1, Lebanon 2 (both AFC Cup group stage) and Lebanon 3 (standby team) are yet to be confirmed.
  4. ^
    Malaysia (MAS): Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia, the 2020 Malaysia FA Cup was cancelled and declared null and void by the Football Association of Malaysia.[11] As a result, the 2020 Malaysia Cup winners will qualify as Malaysia 2 (AFC Cup group stage).[12]
  5. ^
    Maldives (MDV): Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Maldives, the 2020 Maldives FA Cup was cancelled and declared null and void by the Football Association of Maldives.[13] As a result, the 2019–20 Dhivehi Premier League runners-up will qualify as Maldives 2 (AFC Cup qualifying play-offs).[14]

Schedule

The schedule of the competition is as follows.[15]

Stage Round Draw date First leg Second leg
Preliminary stage Preliminary round No draw 5–6 January 2021 (W, A),
2–3 February 2021 (C, S, E)		 12–13 January 2021 (W, A),
9–10 February 2021 (C, S, E)
Play-off stage Play-off round 19–20 January 2021 (W, A),
16–17 February 2021 (C, S, E)		 26–27 January 2021 (W, A),
23–24 February 2021 (C, S, E)
Group stage Matchday 1 TBA November/December 2020 8–10 February 2021 (W, A), 9–10 March 2021 (C, S, E)
Matchday 2 22–24 February 2021 (W, A), 16–17 March 2021 (C, S, E)
Matchday 3 8–10 March 2021 (W, A), 6–7 April 2021 (C, S, E)
Matchday 4 15–17 March 2021 (W, A), 20–21 April 2021 (C, S, E)
Matchday 5 5–7 April 2021 (W, A), 18–19 May 2021 (C, S, E)
Matchday 6 19–21 May 2021 (W, A), 25–26 May 2021 (C, S, E)
Knockout stage Zonal semi-finals 17–19 May 2021 (W, A) 24–26 May 2021 (W, A)
Zonal finals TBA May/June 2021 3–4 August 2021 (A),
28 September 2021 (W)		 10–11 August 2021 (A),
19 October 2021 (W)
Inter-zone play-off semi-finals 24–25 August 2021 14–15 September 2021
Inter-zone play-off final 29 September 2021 20 October 2021
Final 6 November 2021

See also

References
  1. "More Member Associations to benefit from inclusive AFC Champions League". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 23 November 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  2. "AFC Club Competitions Ranking Mechanics". AFC.
  3. "ОФИЦИАЛЬНО: ЧЕМПИОН ТАДЖИКИСТАНА-2020 ВЫСТУПИТ В ГРУППОВОМ ЭТАПЕ ЛИГИ ЧЕМПИОНОВ АФК-2021!". Tajikistan Football Federation. 9 December 2019.
  4. "AFC Club Competitions Ranking". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation.
  5. "AFC Country Ranking 2019". FootyRankings. 24 November 2019. Archived from the original on 9 June 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  6. "BPL 2019-20 abandonned". Dhaka Tribune. 17 May 2020.
  7. "Clarification over AFC Club Competition slots from 2021 onwards". All India Football Federation. 10 March 2020.
  8. "Bengaluru FC to play in AFC Cup playoffs as AIFF confirms all three continental spots for ISL teams". Scroll.in. 4 June 2020.
  9. "الاتحاد اللبناني لكرة القدم يعلن إلغاء الموسم بسبب كورونا". The New Arab. 28 May 2020.
  10. "Football season called off in Lebanon". Asian Football Confederation. 28 May 2020.
  11. "September restart for M-League". New Strait Times. 1 May 2020.
  12. "'This is a lose-lose situation for everyone'". New Strait Times. 2 May 2020.
  13. "Coronavirus - FAM cancels FA cup and President cup". boalha.mv. 31 March 2020.
  14. "Rejoice for Eagles as AFC cup qualification looms on the horizon". boalha.mv. 31 March 2020.
  15. "AFC Competitions Calendar 2021". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 5 December 2019.
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