The 2023–24 AFC Cup knockout stage will be played from 12 February to 5 May 2024.[1] A total of 11 teams will compete in the knockout stage to decide the champions of the 2023–24 AFC Cup.[2]

Qualified teams

The following teams advanced from the group stage:

  • The winners of the groups and the best runners-up in the West Asia Zone (Groups A–C) and the ASEAN Zone (Groups F–H) advanced to the Zonal semi-finals.
  • The winners of each group in the South Asia Zone (Group D), the Central Asia Zone (Group E), and the East Asia Zone (Group I) advanced to the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals.
Key to colours
Teams which entered the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals
Teams which entered the Zonal semi-finals
Zone Group Winners Best runners-up
West Asia Zone A Oman Al-Nahda Lebanon Al Ahed
B Iraq Al-Kahrabaa —
C Bahrain Al-Riffa —
South Asia Zone D India Odisha —
Central Asia Zone E Kyrgyzstan Abdysh-Ata Kant —
ASEAN Zone F Australia Macarthur FC Cambodia Phnom Penh Crown
G Australia Central Coast Mariners —
H Malaysia Sabah —
East Asia Zone I Chinese Taipei Taichung Futuro —

Format

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 will be held on 28 December 2023, 14:00 MYT (UTC+8), at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Round Matchups
Zonal semi-finals
Zonal finals (Order of legs will be decided by draw)
Inter-zone play-off semi-finals (Matchups and order of legs will be decided by draw, involving winners of Group D, Group E, Group I, and AF)
Inter-zone play-off final (Winners of IZSF1 host first leg, Winners of IZSF2 host second leg)
  • IZF: Winners of IZSF1 vs. Winners of IZSF2
Final (Winners of West Zone host match, as alternated from previous season's final)
  • Winners of WF vs. Winners of IZF

Schedule

There is a single draw, to be held on 28 December 2023. The schedule of each round is as follows.[1]

Stage Round Leg West Asia South Asia Central Asia ASEAN East Asia
Knockout stage Zonal semi-finals First leg 12–13 February 2024 Not played Not played 13 February 2024 Not played
Second leg 19–20 February 2024
Zonal finals First leg 16 April 2024 Not played Not played 22 February 2024 Not played
Second leg 23 April 2024
Inter-zone play-off semi-finals First leg Not played 6–7 March 2024
Second leg 13–14 March 2024
Inter-zone play-off final First leg Not played 17 April 2024
Second leg 24 April 2024
Final 5 May 2024

Bracket

Zonal semi-finals

Summary

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
 West Asia Zone
Al-Riffa Bahrain West SF1 Oman Al-Nahda 12 Feb '24 19 Feb '24
Al Ahed Lebanon West SF2 Iraq Al-Kahrabaa 13 Feb '24 20 Feb '24
Team 1  Score  Team 2
 ASEAN Zone
Macarthur FC Australia 13 Feb '24 Malaysia Sabah
Central Coast Mariners Australia 13 Feb '24 Cambodia Phnom Penh Crown

West Asia Zone

Al-Riffa BahrainvOman Al-Nahda
Al-Nahda OmanvBahrain Al-Riffa
Al Ahed LebanonvIraq Al-Kahrabaa
TBC
Al-Kahrabaa IraqvLebanon Al Ahed

ASEAN Zone

Macarthur FC AustraliavMalaysia Sabah FC

Zonal finals

Summary

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
 West Asia Zone
TBD TBD 16 Apr '24 23 Apr '24
Team 1  Score  Team 2
 ASEAN Zone
TBD 22 Feb '24 TBD

West Asia Zone

v
TBC
v
TBC

ASEAN Zone

Winner ASEAN Zonal semi-finals 1 v Winner ASEAN Zonal semi-finals 2
TBC

Inter-zone play-off semi-finals

Summary

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 Kyrgyzstan Chinese Taipei Taichung Futuro 6 Mar '24 13 Mar '24
ASEAN Zone Champion India Odisha 7 Mar '24 14 Mar '24

Matches

ASEAN Zone Champion vIndia Odisha
TBC
Taichung Futuro Chinese TaipeivKyrgyzstan Abdysh-Ata Kant
TBC
Odisha Indiav ASEAN Zone Champion

Inter-zone play-off final

Summary

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
TBD TBD 17 Apr '24 24 Apr '24

Matches

v
TBC
v
TBC

Final

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.

Notes

    References

    1. 1 2 "Asian Football Calendar (Aug 2023 - Jul 2024)". The AFC. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
    2. ↑ "AFC Cup 2023/24 Competition Regulations" (PDF). Asian Football Confederation. 6 September 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
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