2020 AFC Cup

2020 AFC Cup
Tournament details
DatesQualifying:
21 January – 26 February 2020
Competition proper:
10 February – 7 November 2020
TeamsCompetition proper: 36
Total: Maximum of 55 (from Maximum of 34 associations)
← 2019
2021 →

The 2020 AFC Cup will be the 17th edition of the AFC Cup, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

Association team allocation

The 46 AFC member associations (excluding the associate member Northern Mariana Islands) are ranked based on their national team's and clubs' performance over the last four years in AFC competitions, with the allocation of slots for the 2019 and 2020 editions of the AFC club competitions determined by the 2017 AFC rankings (Entry Manual Article 2.3):[1]

  • The associations are split into five zones:
  • All associations which do not receive direct slots in the AFC Champions League group stage 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 top associations participating in the AFC Cup in each zone as per the AFC rankings get at least one direct slot in the group stage (including losers of the AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs), while the remaining associations get only play-off slots:
    • 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.
  • The maximum number of slots for each association is one-third of the total number of eligible teams in the top division.
  • If any association gives up its direct slots, they are redistributed to the highest eligible association, with each association limited to a maximum of two direct slots.
  • If any association gives up its play-off slots, they are annulled and not redistributed to any other association.
  • If the number of teams in the play-offs in any zone is fewer than twice the number of group stage slots filled through play-offs, the play-off teams of the highest eligible associations are given byes to the group stage.

For the 2020 AFC Cup, the associations are allocated slots according to their association ranking which was published on 15 December 2017,[2] which takes into account their performance in the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup, as well as their national team's FIFA World Rankings, during the period between 2014 and 2017.[1][3]

Participation for 2019 AFC Cup
Participating
Not participating

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

Notes
  1. ^
    Hong Kong (HKG): R&F, the 2018–19 Hong Kong Premier League runners-up, are not a full member of the Hong Kong Football Association and are not eligible to represent Hong Kong in the AFC club competitions.[4] As a result, Southern, the league 3rd place, will enter as the standby team.
  2. ^
    Indonesia (IDN): PSM Makassar will qualify as Indonesia 1 (group stage) if they are 2019 Liga 1 champions.
  3. ^
    Singapore (SIN): DPMM, the 2019 Singapore Premier League champions, is a team from Brunei and thus ineligible to represent Singapore in AFC club competitions. As a result, Tampines Rovers, the league runners-up, will enter the group stage, and Hougang United, the league 3rd place, will enter as the standby team. Hougang United will qualify as Singapore 2 (group stage) if they, Tampines Rovers, DPMM or Albirex Niigata (S) are 2019 Singapore Cup winners.
  4. ^
    Vietnam (VIE): Hồ Chí Minh City will qualify as Vietnam 2 (group stage) if they or Hà Nội are 2019 Vietnamese Cup winners.

Schedule

The schedule of the competition is as follows.[5]

Stage Round Draw date First leg Second leg
Preliminary stage Preliminary round No draw 4–5 February 2020 (C, S, E) 11–12 February 2020 (C, S, E)
Play-off stage Play-off round 21–22 January 2020 (W, A),
18–19 February 2020 (C, S, E) 		28–29 January 2020 (W, A),
25–26 February 2020 (C, S, E)
Group stage Matchday 1 21 November 2019 10–12 February 2020 (W, A), 10–11 March 2020 (C, S, E)
Matchday 2 24–26 February 2020 (W, A), 14–15 April 2020 (C, S, E)
Matchday 3 9–11 March 2020 (W, A), 28–29 April 2020 (C, S, E)
Matchday 4 13–15 April 2020 (W, A), 12–13 May 2020 (C, S, E)
Matchday 5 27–29 April 2020 (W, A), 26–27 May 2020 (C, S, E)
Matchday 6 11–13 May 2020 (W, A), 16–17 June 2020 (C, S, E)
Knockout stage Zonal semi-finals 25–27 May 2020 (W, A) 15–17 June 2020 (W, A)
Zonal finals TBA June/July 2020 4–5 August 2020 (A),
29 September 2020 (W) 		11–12 August 2020 (A),
20 October 2020 (W)
Inter-zone play-off semi-finals 25–26 August 2020 15–16 September 2020
Inter-zone play-off final 30 September 2020 21 October 2020
Final 7 November 2020

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Entry Manual: AFC Club Competitions 2017–2020" (PDF). AFC.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "AFC Club Competitions Ranking (as of 15 December 2017)" (PDF). AFC.
  3. ^ "AFC Club Competitions Ranking Mechanics (2017 version)" (PDF). AFC.
  4. ^ "富力R&F:"争取两年后参加亚冠"". Information Times. 30 August 2018. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  5. ^ "AFC Competitions Calendar 2020". AFC. 6 April 2018.
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