| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | Qualifying: 8–23 August 2023 Competition proper: 18 September 2023 – 5 May 2024 |
| Teams | Competition proper: 36 Total (maximum): 65 (from 37 associations) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  Central Coast Mariners (1st title) |
| Runners-up |  Al Ahed |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 118 |
| Goals scored | 386 (3.27 per match) |
| Attendance | 373,244 (3,163 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) |  Marco Túlio (8 goals) |
| Best player(s) | Mikael Doka[1] |
← 2022 2024–25 (ACL Two) → | |
The 2023–24 AFC Cup was the 20th edition of the AFC Cup, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the final edition under the AFC Cup title, as the competition was revamped under the name AFC Champions League Two starting in 2024–25.[2] This was the first AFC Cup season to have a two-year (autumn-to-spring) schedule, unlike the previous all-year-round (spring-to-autumn) schedule.[3]
Al-Seeb were the title holders, having won their first AFC Cup title in 2022. However, they were not able to defend their title, having failed to advance through their domestic top-division league.
Central Coast Mariners won the competition for the first time, defeating Al Ahed 1–0 in the final.[4][5] Central Coast Mariners' victory meant that Australia became the first nation to have had clubs winning both the AFC Champions League and AFC Cup, following Western Sydney Wanderers' victory in the 2014 AFC Champions League.
The 47 AFC member associations are ranked based on their club's performance over the last four years in AFC competitions (their national team's FIFA World Rankings are no longer considered).[6] The slots are allocated by the following criteria according to the Entry Manual:[7]
Reallocation of Regions
For the 2023–24 AFC Cup, the associations are allocated slots according to the November 2021 AFC club competitions ranking,[10][11][12] which takes into account their performance in the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup during the period between 2018 and 2021.[2020]
| Participation for 2023–24 AFC Cup | |
|---|---|
| Participating | |
| Not participating | |
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The schedule of the competition is as follows.[16]
| Stage | Round | Draw date | First leg | Second leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preliminary stage | Preliminary round 1 | No draw | 8 August 2023 | |
| Preliminary round 2 | 15–16 August 2023 | |||
| Play-off stage | Play-off round | 22–23 August 2023 | ||
| Group stage | Matchday 1 | 24 August 2023 | 18–21 September 2023 | |
| Matchday 2 | 2–5 October 2023 | |||
| Matchday 3 | 23–26 October 2023 | |||
| Matchday 4 | 6–9 November 2023 | |||
| Matchday 5 | 27–30 November 2023 | |||
| Matchday 6 | 11–14 December 2023 | |||
| Knockout stage | Zonal semi-finals | 28 December 2023 | 12–13 February 2024 (A) | |
| 12–13 February 2024 (W) | 19–20 February 2024 (W) | |||
| Zonal finals | 22 February 2024 (A) | |||
| 16 April 2024 (W) | 23 April 2024 (W) | |||
| Inter-zone play-off semi-finals | 6–7 March 2024 | 13–14 March 2024 | ||
| Inter-zone play-off final | 17 April 2024 | 24 April 2024 | ||
| Final | 5 May 2024 at Sultan Qaboos Stadium, Muscat | |||
A total of two teams played in the preliminary round 1.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
Machhindra 
|
3–2 |  Paro
|
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
Mohun Bagan SG 
|
3–1 | Machhindra
|
Dhaka Abahani 
|
2–1 |  Club Eagles
|
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
Merw Mary 
|
1–0 |  Alay Osh
|
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
Phnom Penh Crown 
|
3–0 |  Young Elephants
|
Yangon United 
|
2–1 |  DPMM
|
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
Al-Khaldiya 
|
2–3 |  Al-Nahda
|
Al-Ittihad 
|
2–1 |  Shabab Al-Khalil
|
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Mohun Bagan SG
|
3–1 | Dhaka Abahani
|
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
Khujand 
|
1–2 | Merw Mary
|
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
Tampines Rovers 
|
2–3 | Phnom Penh Crown
|
PSM Makassar 
|
4–0 | Yangon United
|
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
Monte Carlo 
|
1–2 |  Taichung Futuro
|
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.
Beirut
Kuwait City
Baghdad
Baghdad teams
Al-Kahrabaa
Al-Zawraa
Brown: Group A; Cyan: Group B; Orange: Group C; 
Yellow: Group D; 
Pink: Group E;
Green: Group F; 
Blue: Group G; 
Red: Group H; 
Turquoise: Group I; 
Purple: Group J
| Pos | Team
|
Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | ALN | AHD | FUT | JAB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al-Nahda
|
4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 9 | Zonal semi-finals | — | 2–1 | 2–1 | ||
| 2 | Al-Ahed
|
4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 2–1 | — | 2–1 | |||
| 3 | Al-Fotuwa
|
4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 3 | 0–1 | 1–0 | — | |||
| 4 | Jabal Al-Mukaber
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Withdrew[a] | — |
| Pos | Team
|
Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | KAH | WHD | KSC | ITT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Al-Kahrabaa
|
6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 5 | +5 | 13 | Zonal semi-finals | — | 3–1 | 0–0 | 3–1 | |
| 2 |  Al-Wehdat
|
6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 7 | +3 | 10 | 3–1 | — | 1–1 | 2–0 | ||
| 3 |  Al-Kuwait
|
6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0–1 | 2–1 | — | 1–1 | ||
| 4 | Al-Ittihad
|
6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 11 | −8 | 2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | — |
| 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 | — |
| Pos | Team
|
Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | ODI | BDK | MBSG | MAZ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Odisha
|
6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 12 | +5 | 12 | Inter-zone play-off semi-finals | — | 1–0 | 0–4 | 6–1 | |
| 2 | Bashundhara Kings
|
6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 3–2 | — | 2–1 | 2–1 | ||
| 3 | Mohun Bagan SG
|
6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 2–5 | 2–2 | — | 2–1 | ||
| 4 | Maziya
|
6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 14 | −5 | 6 | 2–3 | 3–1 | 1–0 | — |
| Pos | Team
|
Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | ABD | ALT | MRW | RAV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abdysh-Ata Kant
|
6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 6 | +12 | 16 | Inter-zone play-off semi-finals | — | 3–0 | 8–3 | 1–0 | |
| 2 | Altyn Asyr
|
6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 9 | −2 | 10 | 2–4 | — | 1–0 | 1–1 | ||
| 3 | Merw Mary
|
6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 13 | −7 | 3 | 1–1 | 1–2 | — | 1–1 | ||
| 4 | Ravshan Kulob
|
6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 3 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | — |
| Pos | Team
|
Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | MAC | CRO | DHC | SHN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Macarthur FC
|
6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 23 | 5 | +18 | 15 | Zonal semi-finals | — | 5–0 | 8–2 | 4–0 | |
| 2 | Phnom Penh Crown
|
6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 7 | +8 | 12 | 3–0 | — | 4–0 | 4–0 | ||
| 3 |  DH Cebu
|
6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 19 | −15 | 4[a] | 0–3 | 0–3 | — | 1–0 | ||
| 4 | Shan United
|
6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 14 | −11 | 4[a] | 0–3 | 2–1 | 1–1 | — |
| 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 | — |
| Pos | Team
|
Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | SAB | HFC | PSM | HOU | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sabah
|
6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 9 | +10 | 12 | Zonal semi-finals | — | 4–1 | 1–3 | 3–1 | |
| 2 |  Haiphong
|
6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 9 | +4 | 10[a] | 3–2 | — | 3–0 | 4–0 | ||
| 3 | PSM Makassar
|
6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 12 | −2 | 10[a] | 0–5 | 1–1 | — | 3–1 | ||
| 4 | Hougang United
|
6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 18 | −12 | 3 | 1–4 | 2–1 | 1–3 | — |
| 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 | — |
| Pos | Grp | Team
|
Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | Al-Ahed
|
4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 6 | Zonal semi-finals |
| 2 | C | Al-Zawraa
|
4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 | |
| 3 | B | Al-Wehdat
|
4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 4 |
| 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 |
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.
| Zonal semi-finals | Zonal finals | Inter-zone play-off semi-finals | Inter-zone play-off finals | Final | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Macarthur FC | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sabah | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Macarthur FC | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ASEAN Zone | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Central Coast Mariners (a.e.t.) | 3 | Central Coast Mariners | 4 | 0 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Central Coast Mariners | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Odisha | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Phnom Penh Crown | 0 | Central Coast Mariners | 1 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abdysh-Ata Kant | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abdysh-Ata Kant | 5 | 3 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Taichung Futuro | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Central Coast Mariners | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Al Ahed | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Al-Riffa | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Al-Nahda | 1 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Al-Nahda | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| West Asia Zone | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Al Ahed | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Al Ahed (p) | 0 | 1 | 1 (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Al-Kahrabaa | 1 | 0 | 1 (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Macarthur FC
|
3–0 | Sabah
|
| Central Coast Mariners
|
4–0 | Phnom Penh Crown
|
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al Ahed
|
3–2 | Al-Nahda
|
1–0 | 2–2 |
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Macarthur FC
|
2–3 (a.e.t.) | Central Coast Mariners
|
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 |
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 |
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 [18] |
|
Attendance: 1,930
Referee: Omar Al-Ali (United Arab Emirates)
| Rank | Player | Team | MD1 | MD2 | MD3 | MD4 | MD5 | MD6 | ZSF1 | ZSF2 | ZF1 | ZF2 | ISF1 | ISF2 | IF1 | IF2 | F | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marco Túlio
|
Central Coast Mariners
|
3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | |||||||||||
| 2 |  Shintaro Shimizu
|
Phnom Penh Crown
|
1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 7 | |||||||||||
| 3 | Darren Lok
|
Sabah
|
2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |||||||||||
| Niki Torrão
|
Chao Pak Kei
|
2 | 4 | |||||||||||||||
| 5 | Ange Kouamé
|
Taiwan Steel
|
1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | ||||||||||||
| Kayrat Zhyrgalbek uulu
|
Abdysh-Ata Kant
|
1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||||
| 7 |  Ulises Dávila
|
Macarthur FC
|
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |||||||||||
| Mikael Doka
|
Central Coast Mariners
|
1 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| Jed Drew
|
Macarthur FC
|
1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||
 Mourtada Fall
|
Odisha
|
2 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||
 Valère Germain
|
Macarthur FC
|
1 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| Hashim Sayed Isa
|
Al-Riffa
|
1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||
 Đorđe Maksimović
|
Hougang United
|
2 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| Magamed Uzdenov
|
Abdysh-Ata Kant
|
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||
|
| |
|---|---|
« 2022–23 » 2024–25 | |
| Domestic leagues |
|
| Domestic cups |
|
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|
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|
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|
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