2022 AFC Cup explained

Tourney Name:AFC Cup
Year:2022
Dates:Qualifying:

Competition proper:
Num Teams:Competition proper: 38 (originally)
Total: 44
Associations:27
Champion Other: Al-Seeb
Count:1
Second Other: Kuala Lumpur City
Matches:62
Goals:204
Player: Eid Al-Farsi[1]
Prevseason:2021
Nextseason:2023–24

The 2022 AFC Cup was the 19th edition of the AFC Cup, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

This season was the last in an all-year-round (spring-to-autumn) schedule; from 2023 the competition was switched to an autumn-to-spring schedule.[2]

Bahraini club Al-Muharraq were the title holders, having won their second AFC Cup title in 2021. As they failed to obtain the AFC license, they did not defend their title. Al-Seeb of Oman won its first continental title. They automatically qualified for the 2023–24 AFC Champions League and entered the qualifying play-offs, since Omani teams were unable to qualify through domestic performance.[3]

Association team allocation

The 47 AFC member associations were ranked based on their clubs' performance over the last four years in AFC competitions (their national team's FIFA World Rankings no longer considered).[4] The slots were allocated according to the following criteria according to the Entry Manual:[5]

Association ranking

For the 2022 AFC Cup, the associations were allocated slots according to their AFC Club Competitions Ranking which was published on 29 November 2019,[8] [9] which takes into account their performance in the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup during the period between 2016 and 2019.

bgcolor=#f7f8ff colspan=2Participation for 2022 AFC Cup
bgcolor=#90ee77 width=20Participating
bgcolor=#ffcccc width=20Not participating
align=center width=20(N) Number of teams/associations originally entered, before withdrawal of teams from the competition after the draw
+West Asia Zone (3 groups)
RankMember
Association
PointsSlots
Group
stage
Play-off
11233.8520000
22124.7462000
32222.5052000
42417.7492000
5298.5312000
6307.2972000
7344.7112000
8420.0000000
TotalParticipating associations: 612000
0
12
+Central Asia Zone (2 groups)
RankMember
Association
PointsSlots
Group
stage
Play-off
11045.5621000
21728.3612000
32026.5322000
4335.4662000
5410.2060000
TotalParticipating associations: 47000
0
7
+South Asia Zone (1 group)
RankMember
Association
PointsSlots
Group
stage
Play-off
11523.8881010
22516.69011 (0)0 (1)0
32614.7981001
4361.1480001
5370.7740001
6380.6880001
7420.0000000
TotalParticipating associations: 63114
6
9
+ASEAN Zone (3 groups)
RankMember
Association
PointsSlots
Group
stage
Play-off
11332.1301000
21628.5711000
31826.9602000
41926.6072000
52712.7560 (2)000
62812.5502000
7316.7702 (1)0 (1)00
8352.2411 (0)0 (1)00
9420.0000000
10420.0000000
TotalParticipating associations: 7 (8)110 (2)00
0 (2)
11 (13)
+East Asia Zone (1 group)
RankMember
Association
PointsSlots
Group
stage
Play-off
11430.1000000
22319.9451100
3325.4890(1)000
4390.4571000
5400.2740100
6420.0000000
7420.0000000
TotalParticipating associations: 42(3)200
2
4(5)
Notes

Teams

+Group stage direct entrants (Groups A–C)
width=25%Teamwidth=60%Qualifying methodwidth=15%
Al-Ansar2020–21 Lebanese Premier League champions and 2020–21 Lebanese FA Cup winners8th
Nejmeh2020–21 Lebanese Premier League runners-up10th
Tishreen2020–21 Syrian Premier League champions2nd
Jableh2020–21 Syrian Cup winners1st
Al-Riffa2020–21 Bahraini Premier League champions and 2020–21 Bahraini King's Cup winners6th
East Riffa2020–21 Bahraini Premier League runners-up1st
Al-Seeb2019–20 Oman Professional League champions1st
Dhofar2020–21 Sultan Qaboos Cup winners6th
Shabab Al-Khalil2020–21 West Bank Premier League champions2nd
Hilal Al-Quds2020–21 West Bank Premier League third place5th
Al-Arabi2020–21 Kuwaiti Premier League champions2nd
Al-Kuwait2020–21 Kuwait Emir Cup winners11th
+Group stage direct entrants (Group D)
width=25%Teamwidth=60%Qualifying methodwidth=15%
Gokulam Kerala2020–21 I-League champions1st
Bashundhara Kings2021 Bangladesh Premier League champions and 2020–21 Bangladesh Federation Cup winners3rd
Maziya2020–21 Dhivehi Premier League champions8th
Qualifying play-off participants: Entering in play-off round
width=25%Teamwidth=60%Qualifying methodwidth=15%App
2021 Bangladesh Premier League third place5th
Qualifying play-off participants: Entering in preliminary round 2
width=25%Teamwidth=60%Qualifying methodwidth=15%
ATK Mohun Bagan2020–21 Indian Super League regular season runners-up6th [10]
Qualifying play-off participants: Entering in preliminary round 1
width=25%Teamwidth=60%Qualifying methodwidth=15%
Valencia2020–21 Dhivehi Premier League runners-up5th
Machhindra2021 Martyr's Memorial A-Division League Matchday 7 leaders1st
Blue Star2021 Sri Lanka Super League champions1st
Paro2021 Bhutan Premier League champions2nd
+Group stage direct entrants (Groups E–F)
width=25%Teamwidth=60%Qualifying methodwidth=15%
Sogdiana Jizzakh2021 Uzbekistan Super League runners-up1st
Khujand2021 Tajikistan Cup winners6th
CSKA Pamir Dushanbe2021 Tajikistan Higher League third place1st
Altyn Asyr2021 Ýokary Liga champions8th
Köpetdag Aşgabat2021 Ýokary Liga fourth place1st
Dordoi Bishkek2021 Kyrgyz Premier League champions7th
Neftchi Kochkor-Ata2021 Kyrgyzstan Cup winners2nd
+Group stage direct entrants (Groups G–I)
width=25%Teamwidth=60%Qualifying methodwidth=15%
Kaya F.C.–Iloilo2021 Copa Paulino Alcantara winners4th
Viettel2021 V.League 1 second place 1st
Kuala Lumpur City2021 Malaysia Cup winners1st
Kedah Darul Aman2021 Malaysia Super League runners-up4th
Hougang United2021 Singapore Premier League third place2nd
Tampines Rovers2021 Singapore Premier League fourth place13th
Bali United2019 Liga 1 champions4th
PSM Makassar2018–19 Piala Indonesia winners3rd
Phnom Penh Crown2021 C-League champions2nd
Visakha FC2021 Hun Sen Cup winners2nd
Young Elephants2020 Lao Premier League third place1st
Withdrawn teams
width=25%Teamwidth=60%Qualifying methodwidth=15%App.
Shan United2020 Myanmar National League champions4th
Hantharwady United2020 Myanmar National League runners-up1st
+Group stage direct entrants (Group J)
width=25%Teamwidth=60%Qualifying methodwidth=15%
Eastern2020–21 Hong Kong Premier League runners-up3rd
Tainan City2021 Taiwan Premier League champions2nd
Qualifying play-off participants
width=25%Teamwidth=60%Qualifying methodwidth=15%
Lee Man2020–21 Hong Kong Premier League third place2nd
Athletic 2202021 Mongolian Premier League champions2nd
Withdrawn teams
width=25%Teamwidth=60%Qualifying methodwidth=15%App.
MUST CPK2021 Liga de Elite champions and 2021 Taça de Macau winners2nd
Notes

Schedule

The tournament ran from April to October 2022, so as not to clash with the World Cup.[11]

The final schedule of the competition was as follows:

StageRoundDraw datesMatch dates
Preliminary stagePreliminary round 117 January 20225 April 2022 (S)
Preliminary round 212 April 2022 (S)
Play-off stagePlay-off round19 April 2022 (S, E)
Group stageMatchday 118 May 2022 (W, S), 24 June 2022 (C, A, E)
Matchday 221 May 2022 (W, S), 27 June 2022 (C, A, E)
Matchday 324 May 2022 (W, S), 30 June 2022 (C, A, E)
Knockout stageZonal semi-finals9–10 August 2022 (A), 5–6 September 2022 (W)
Zonal finals14 July 202217 August 2022 (C)
24 August 2022 (A), 4 October 2022 (W)
Inter-zone play-off semi-finals6–7 September 2022
Inter-zone play-off final5 October 2022
Final22 October 2022 at Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur
Notes

Qualifying play-offs

Play-off round

Group stage

See main article: 2022 AFC Cup group stage.

Ranking of runner-up teams

ASEAN Zone

Knockout stage

See main article: 2022 AFC Cup knockout stage.

Final

Top scorers

RankPlayerTeamTotal
1 Jasur Hasanov Sogdiana Jizzakh1225
Paulo Josué Kuala Lumpur City221
Pedro Paulo Viettel32
4 Pedro Bortoluzo Hougang United1124
Liston Colaco ATK Mohun Bagan13
Mahmoud Al-Mardi Kedah Darul Aman13
Shokhruz Norkhonov Sogdiana Jizzakh211
Fayadh Zulkifli Kedah Darul Aman211
9 Kamil Al-Aswad Al-Riffa213
Víctor Bertomeu Eastern21
Bounphachan Bounkong Young Elephants111
Muhsen Al-Ghassani Al-Seeb111
Ablaye Mbengue Al-Arabi111

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Al Seeb’s Eid Al Farsi scoops Most Valuable Player Award . AFC . 23 October 2022 . 22 October 2022.
  2. Web site: AFC Executive Committee unveils dynamic enhancements to the AFC Club Competitions . 25 February 2022. 25 February 2022. the-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation . en.
  3. Web site: More Member Associations to benefit from inclusive AFC Champions League. the-afc.com . Asian Football Confederation. 23 November 2019 . 14 January 2020.
  4. Web site: AFC Club Competitions Ranking Mechanics. the-afc.com . Asian Football Confederation.
  5. Web site: Entry Manual for AFC Club Competitions (2021 Edition). the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation.
  6. Web site: 2021-2022 йилги ОЧЛ ва ОФК кубоги мусобақалари учун йўлланмалар тақсимоти эълон қилинди. Uzbekistan Professional Football League. 29 July 2020. ru. 24 October 2020. 27 October 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201027181308/https://www.pfl.uz/uz/news/detail/12218. dead.
  7. Web site: ОФИЦИАЛЬНО: ЧЕМПИОН ТАДЖИКИСТАНА-2020 ВЫСТУПИТ В ГРУППОВОМ ЭТАПЕ ЛИГИ ЧЕМПИОНОВ АФК-2021!. Tajikistan Football Federation. ru. 9 December 2019.
  8. Web site: AFC Club Competitions Ranking. the-afc.com . Asian Football Confederation.
  9. Web site: AFC Country Ranking 2019. FootyRankings. 24 November 2019. 28 January 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20190609161839/https://footyrankings.com/afc-ranking/crank2019/. 9 June 2019. dead.
  10. Web site: AFC Cup 2021: Mohun Bagan to ATK Mohun Bagan - How have the Mariners performed in Asia?. goal.com.
  11. Web site: AFC Competitions Calendar 2022. the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 29 November 2019.