The 2023–24 AFC Cup qualifying play-offs were played from 8 to 23 August 2023.[1] A total of twenty teams competed in the qualifying play-offs to decide seven of the 36 places in the group stage of the 2023–24 AFC Cup.[2]
The following 20 teams, split into five zones (West Asia Zone, Central Asia Zone, South Asia Zone, ASEAN Zone, East Asia Zone), entered the qualifying play-offs, consisting of three rounds:
| Zone | Teams entering in play-off round | Teams entering in preliminary round 2 | Teams entering in preliminary round 1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Asia Zone |
| |||
| South Asia Zone | ||||
| Central Zone |
| |||
| ASEAN Zone | ||||
| East Asia Zone |
In the qualifying play-offs, each tie was played as a single match. Extra time and penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winner if necessary.[3]
| Round | Match date | |
|---|---|---|
| Preliminary round 1 | 8 August 2023 | |
| Preliminary round 2 | 15–16 August 2023 | |
| Play-off round | 22–23 August 2023 | |
The bracket of the qualifying play-offs for each zone was determined based on each team's association ranking, with the team from the higher-ranked association hosting the match. The seven winners of the play-off round advanced to the group stage to join the 29 direct entrants.
A total of two teams played in the preliminary round 1.|+South Asia Zone|}
A total of ten teams played in the preliminary round 2: nine teams which entered in this round, and one winner of the preliminary round 1.|+South Zone|}|+Central Zone|}|+ASEAN Zone|}
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A total of fourteen teams played in the play-off round: nine teams which entered in this round, and five winners of the preliminary round 2.|+West Zone|}|+South Zone|}|+Central Zone|}|+ASEAN Zone|}|+East Zone|}
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