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PromotionAsian football not only has the AFC Champions League, but also another tournament dedicated to clubs from developing football countries – the AFC Cup. But what is the AFC Cup? What role does this tournament play in the Asian football system? The AFC Cup is organized to create opportunities for clubs from countries with average and low rankings according to the AFC rankings. In this article, PH777 will help you learn everything about this football tournament!
What is the AFC Cup? History of formation and development
The AFC Cup was founded by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in 2004 as a separate competition for clubs from countries with low or average football coefficients, without direct entry to the AFC Champions League.
2004 – 2016 period: The tournament was mainly for clubs from West Asia and Southeast Asia. During this period, West Asian teams dominated the tournament championships.
2017 – 2023 period: The AFC changed the competition format to reduce travel costs, dividing the tournament into separate regions to reduce the financial burden on the teams.
From 2024 onwards, the AFC Cup was replaced by a new tournament called the AFC Champions League 2, with changes in the number of participating teams and competition format.
Although not the most prestigious tournament in Asia, the AFC Cup still plays an important role, helping clubs from small tournaments have the opportunity to compete and develop on the continental stage
AFC Cup competition format
The AFC Cup has undergone changes in competition format, but basically, the tournament is still divided into qualifying rounds, group stages, and knockout rounds.
Qualifying round
Teams participating in the AFC Cup qualifying round come from tournaments with low rankings in the Asian football system.
The qualifying round takes place in a knockout format, with the winning team qualifying for the group stage.
Group stage
From 2017 to 2023, the AFC Cup will have a total of 36 teams, divided into 9 groups according to geographical regions:
- West Asia: 3 groups
- Central Asia: 1 group
- South Asia: 1 group
- Southeast Asia: 3 groups
- East Asia: 1 group
- Competition format:
- Teams will compete in a two-legged round-robin (home and away).
- The top team in each group and some of the best second-placed teams will advance to the knockout stage.
Knockout stage
The knockout stage of the AFC Cup is organized by region:
- Zone semi-finals: The group winners will compete against each other to find the regional champion.
- Zone finals: The champions of each region will compete to find the best representative to advance to the final of the tournament.
- Grand Final: The two strongest teams from West Asia and the Inter-Zone will compete in a single final to find the AFC Cup champion.
From 2024, the AFC Cup will be replaced by the AFC Champions League 2, with a similar format but a reduced scale of 32 teams, divided into two zones: East and West Asia.
Which teams qualify for the AFC Cup?
Countries with average or weaker football (Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, India, Kuwait, Jordan) usually have a place in the AFC Cup.
Some teams that do not qualify directly for the AFC Champions League but have good results can still be transferred to compete in the AFC Cup.
Note: From the 2024-2025 season, the AFC Cup tournament will be officially eliminated and replaced by the AFC Champions League 2.
Notable champions in the history of the AFC Cup
In nearly 20 years of existence, the AFC Cup has witnessed the dominance of West Asian clubs. Here is a list of some of the most successful teams:
- Al-Kuwait (Kuwait) – 3-time champions (2009, 2012, 2013)
- Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (Iraq) – 3-time champions (2016, 2017, 2018)
- Al-Faisaly (Jordan) – 2-time champions (2005, 2006)
- Johor Darul Ta’zim (Malaysia) – The only Southeast Asian team to win the title (2015)
- Al-Seeb (Oman) – The reigning champions in 2022
- The success of West Asian clubs shows that the AFC Cup is still a platform for teams from this region. Southeast Asian and South Asian clubs have made significant strides in recent years.
Bonuses and benefits when participating in the AFC Cup
Teams participating in the AFC Cup not only have the opportunity to compete but also receive bonuses from the AFC.
- Preliminary round: 30,000 USD/travel support
- Knockout round: 40,000 – 100,000 USD/team
- Champion team receives: 1.5 million USD
- Runner-up team receives: 750,000 USD
The AFC Cup champion team also participates in the AFC Champions League qualifying round next season, creating the opportunity to compete in a more prestigious tournament.
