2022 AFC Cup qualifying play-offs

The 2022 AFC Cup qualifying play-offs were played from 5 to 19 April 2022.[1] A total of ten teams competed in the qualifying play-offs to decide three of the 39 places in the group stage of the 2022 AFC Cup.[2]

Teams

The following 10 teams, split into five zones (West Asia Zone, Central Asia Zone, South Asia Zone, ASEAN Zone, East Asia Zone), entered the qualifying play-offs, consisting of three rounds:

  • 4 teams entered in the preliminary round 1.
  • 2 teams entered in the preliminary round 2.
  • 4 teams entered in the play-off.
Zone Teams entering in play-off round Teams entering in preliminary round 2 Teams entering in preliminary round 1
West Asia Zone
None
South Asia Zone
Central Asia Zone
None
ASEAN Zone
East Asia Zone

Format

In the qualifying play-offs, each tie was played as a single match. Extra time and penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winner if necessary.[2]

Schedule

The schedule of each round was as follows.[1]

Round Match date
Preliminary round 1 5 April 2022
Preliminary round 2 12 April 2022
Play-off round 19 April 2022

Bracket

The bracket of the qualifying play-offs for each zone was determined based on each team's association ranking, with the team from the higher-ranked association hosting the match. The three winners of the play-off round advanced to the group stage to join the 36 direct entrants.

Play-off South Asia
 
Preliminary round 1Preliminary round 2Play-off round
 
          
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ATK Mohun Bagan5
 
 
 
 Blue Star0
 
 Machhindra1
 
 
 
 Blue Star2
 
 ATK Mohun Bagan3
 
 
 Abahani Limited Dhaka1
 
 
 
 
 
 Abahani Limited Dhakaw/o
 
 
 
 Valencia
 
 Valencia (a.e.t.)2
 
 
 Paro1
 

Play-off ASEAN
 
Play-off round
 
  
 
 
 
 
 Visakha FC—
 
 
 Young Elephants—
 

Play-off East Asia
 
Play-off round
 
  
 
 
 
 
 Lee Man2
 
 
 Athletic 2201
 

Preliminary round 1

Summary

A total of four teams played in the preliminary round 1.

Team 1  Score  Team 2
South Asia Zone
Machhindra 1–2 Blue Star
Valencia 2–1 (a.e.t.) Paro

South Asia Zone
Machhindra 1–2 Blue Star
  • S. Shrestha 90+4'
 Report
  • Ihsan 24'
  • Sandesh 28'
Attendance: 2,369
Referee: Yousif Saeed Hassan (Iraq)
Valencia 2–1 (a.e.t.) Paro
 Report
  • Ellon 27'
Attendance: 0
Referee: Ahmad A'Qashah (Singapore)

Preliminary round 2

Summary

A total of four teams played in the preliminary round 2: two teams which entered in this round, and two winners of the preliminary round 1.

Team 1  Score  Team 2
South Asia Zone
ATK Mohun Bagan 5–0 Blue Star
Abahani Limited Dhaka Cancelled[note 1] Valencia

South Asia Zone
ATK Mohun Bagan 5–0 Blue Star
 Report
Attendance: 25,948
Abahani Limited Dhaka Cancelled[note 1] Valencia
Report
Referee: Akhrol Riskullayev (Uzbekistan)

Play-off round

Summary

A total of six teams played in the play-off round: four teams which entered in this round, and two winners of the preliminary round 2.

Team 1  Score  Team 2
South Asia Zone
ATK Mohun Bagan 3–1 Abahani Limited Dhaka
Team 1  Score  Team 2
ASEAN Zone
Visakha FC Cancelled[note 2] Young Elephants
Team 1  Score  Team 2
East Zone
Lee Man 2–1 Athletic 220

South Asia Zone
ATK Mohun Bagan 3–1 Abahani Limited Dhaka
Williams 6', 30', 85' Report Colindres 61'
Attendance: 31,925
Referee: Seyed Vahid Kazemi (Iran)

ASEAN Zone

East Asia Zone
Lee Man 2–1 Athletic 220
 Report
  • Murayama 7'
Attendance: 482

Notes
  1. On 11 April 2022, the AFC announced that Valencia withdrew from the preliminary stage of the qualification, citing financial constraints. Abahani Limited Dhaka advanced to the play-off round.[3][4]
  2. 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.[5] 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.[6]
  3. After the 2021–22 Hong Kong Premier League season was cancelled on 25 February 2022, due to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant spread in Hong Kong,[7] the Hong Kong clubs announced that they would train overseas for their respective Asian campaigns. Hence, Lee Man asked their playoff round match against Athletic 220 to be moved to a different venue, which was later decided to be Athletic 220's home venue MFF Football Centre in Ulaanbaatar.[8]

References
  1. "AFC Competitions Calendar 2022" (PDF). the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation.
  2. "AFC Cup 2022 Competition Regulations" (PDF). the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation.
  3. "Latest update on the AFC Cup 2022". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 11 April 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  4. "Uncertainty over Club Valencia's arrival". The Daily Star. 11 April 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  5. "AFC confirms the withdrawal of Myanmar clubs". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 19 January 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  6. "AFC's decision on withdrawal of Myanmar clubs". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 1 March 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  7. "Arrangement of 2021-2022 BOC Life Hong Kong Premier League and cup matches". Hong Kong Football Association. 25 February 2022.
  8. Chan, Kin-wa (1 March 2022). "Hong Kong side Lee Man follow Kitchee's lead, head overseas to train for AFC Cup campaign". South China Morning Post.
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