The 2021 AFC Cup was the 18th edition of the AFC Cup, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The winners of the tournament automatically qualified for the 2022 AFC Champions League, entering the qualifying play-offs, if they had not qualified through their domestic performance.
Lebanese club Al-Ahed, having won their first AFC Cup title in 2019, were the title holders, since the 2020 edition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia after several group stage matches and the title was not awarded. However, Al-Ahed were eliminated by the eventual winners Al-Muharraq in the West Asia Zonal semi-finals.
Association team allocation The 46 AFC member associations (excluding the Northern Mariana Islands, which became a full member in December 2020 and are not eligible for this season) are ranked based on their clubs' performance over the last four years in AFC competitions (their national team's FIFA World Rankings no longer considered). The slots are allocated by the following criteria according to the Entry Manual: The associations are split into five zones (Article 5.1): West Asia Zone consists of the 12 associations from the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF). South Asia Zone consists of the 7 associations from the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF). Central Asia Zone consists of the 6 associations from Central Asian Football Association (CAFA). ASEAN Zone consists of the 12 associations from the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). East Asia Zone consists of the 9 associations from the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF). The AFC may reallocate one or more associations to another zone if necessary for sporting reasons. Excluding the top five associations in each region for AFC Champions League slot allocation, all other associations are eligible to enter the AFC Cup. The teams from associations ranked 6th, 11th and 12th which are eliminated in the AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs enter the AFC Cup group stage (Article 3.2). The following rules are applied: The associations ranked 6th in both the West Region and the East Region, while allocated one direct slot in the AFC Cup group stage without taking away any direct slot from other associations, are not ranked in each zone for AFC Cup slot allocation (Article 5.3). If they advance to the AFC Champions League group stage, the AFC Cup group stage slot is filled by the standby team from their association if such team are available (Article 5.12). The rules above do not apply to the AFC Champions League title holders and AFC Cup title holders which are allocated AFC Champions League play-off slots should they not qualify for the tournament through domestic performance. In the West Asia Zone and the ASEAN Zone, there are three groups in the group stage, including 9 direct slots, with the 3 remaining slots filled through qualifying play-offs (Article 5.2). The slots in each zone are distributed as follows: The associations ranked 1st to 3rd are each allocated two direct slots. The associations ranked 4th to 6th are each allocated one direct slot and one play-off slot. The associations ranked 7th or below are each allocated get one play-off slot. If any zone has an association ranked 6th for AFC Champions League slot allocation, which is allocated one direct slot in the AFC Cup group stage, there are 10 direct slots, with the 2 remaining slots filled through qualifying play-offs. In the South Asia Zone, the Central Asia Zone, and the East Asia Zone, there is one group in the group stage, including 3 direct slots, with the 1 remaining slot filled through qualifying play-offs (Article 5.2). The slots in each zone are distributed as follows: The associations ranked 1st to 3rd are each allocated one direct slot and one play-off slot. The associations ranked 4th or below are each allocated one play-off slot. If any zone has an association ranked 6th for AFC Champions League slot allocation, which is allocated one direct slot in the AFC Cup group stage, there are 4 direct slots, and to ensure equal opportunity in each zone, another group is added to this zone in the group stage, with the 4 remaining slots filled through qualifying play-offs (Article 5.4.1). If any zone has at least 7 play-off slots, to ensure equal opportunity in each zone, another group is added to this zone in the group stage, with the 5 remaining slots filled through qualifying play-offs (Article 5.4.2). If any association with direct slots do not fulfill any one of the AFC Cup criteria, they have all their direct slots converted into play-off slots. The direct slots given up are redistributed to the highest eligible association by the following criteria (Articles 5.7 and 5.8): For each association, the maximum number of total slots is two (Articles 3.4 and 3.5). If any association is allocated one additional direct slot, one play-off slot is annulled and not redistributed. If any association with only play-off slot(s), including those mentioned above, do not fulfill the minimum AFC Cup criteria, the play-off slot(s) are annulled and not redistributed (Articles 5.10 and 5.11). For each association, the maximum number of total slots is one-third of the total number of eligible teams (excluding foreign teams) in the top division (Article 5.6). If this rule is applied, any direct slots given up are redistributed by the same criteria as mentioned above, and play-off slots are annulled and not redistributed (Article 9.10). All participating teams must be granted an AFC Champions League or AFC Cup license, and apart from cup winners, finish in the top half of their top division (Articles 7.1 and 9.5). If any association do not have enough teams which satisfy these criteria, any direct slots given up are redistributed by the same criteria as mentioned above, and play-off slots are annulled and not redistributed (Article 9.9). If any team granted a license refuses to participate, their slot, either direct or play-off, is annulled and not redistributed (Article 9.11).
Association ranking For the 2021 AFC Cup, the associations are allocated slots according to their association ranking which was published on 29 November 2019, which takes into account their performance in the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup during the period between 2016 and 2019.
Participation for 2021 AFC Cup Participating Not participating (N) Number of teams/associations originally entered, before withdrawal of teams from the competition after the draw
+West Asia Zone (3 groups)RankMemberAssociationPointsSlotsGroupstagePlay-off 11233.8522000 22124.7462000 32222.5052000 42417.7492000 529 8.5310 (2)000 630 7.2972 (1)0 (1)00 734 4.7111 (0)0 (1)00 842 0.0000000TotalParticipating associations: 6 (7)110 (2)000 (2)11 (13) +South Asia Zone (1 group)RankMemberAssociationPointsSlotsGroupstagePlay-off 11529.5761010 22514.683100 (1)0 32613.6321001 436 0.9150001 537 0.6180001 638 0.5490001 742 0.0000000TotalParticipating associations: 6301 (2)45 (6)8 (9) +Central Asia Zone (2 groups)RankMemberAssociationPointsSlotsGroupstagePlay-off 11045.5621000 21728.3612000 32026.5322000 433 5.4662000 541 0.2060000TotalParticipating associations: 4700007
+ASEAN Zone (3 groups):Final allocated slots before Zone was cancelledRankMemberAssociationPointsSlotsGroupstagePlay-off 11332.1300 (1)000 21628.5712000 31826.9602000 41926.6072000 52712.7560 (1)0 (1)00 62812.5502 (1)0 (1)00 731 6.7702 (1)00 (1)0 835 2.2410010 942 0.00000101042 0.0001 (0)00 (1)0TotalParticipating associations: 9 (10)11 (10)0 (2)2 (4)02 (6)13 (16) +East Asia Zone (1 group)RankMemberAssociationPointsSlotsGroupstagePlay-off 11430.1000000 22319.9452000 332 5.4890000 439 0.4571000 540 0.2741000 642 0.0000000TotalParticipating associations: 3400004
Notes
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 their association if such team are available.
+West Asia Zone+Group stage direct entrants (Groups A–C)TeamQualifying methodApp. Al-Salt2020 Jordanian Pro League fourth place1st Al-Faisaly2020 Jordanian Pro League fifth place11th Al-Ahed2018–19 Lebanese Premier League champions and 2018–19 Lebanese FA Cup winners11th Al-Ansar2018–19 Lebanese Premier League runners-up7th Tishreen2019–20 Syrian Premier League champions1st Al-Wahda2019–20 Syrian Cup winners8th Al-Hidd2019–20 Bahraini Premier League champions5th Al-Muharraq2019–20 Bahraini King's Cup winners7th Markaz Balata2019–20 West Bank Premier League champions1st Markaz Shabab Al-Am'ari2019–20 West Bank Premier League runners-up1st Al-Kuwait2019–20 Kuwaiti Premier League champions10th +Withdrawn teamsTeamQualifying methodApp. Al-Seeb2019–20 Oman Professional League championsN/A Al-Nasr2019–20 Oman Professional League fifth placeN/A
+South Asia Zone+Group stage direct entrants (Group D)TeamQualifying methodApp. ATK Mohun Bagan2019–20 I-League champions5th Bashundhara Kings2018–19 Bangladesh Premier League champions and 2019–20 Bangladesh Federation Cup winners2nd Maziya2019–20 Dhivehi Premier League champions7th +Qualifying play-off participants: Entering in preliminary round 2TeamQualifying methodApp. Bengaluru2019–20 Indian Super League regular season third place6th +Qualifying play-off participants: Entering in preliminary round 1TeamQualifying methodApp. Eagles2019–20 Dhivehi Premier League runners-up1st Nepal Army2019–20 Martyr's Memorial A-Division League runners-up1st Sri Lanka Police2019–20 Sri Lanka FA Cup winners1st Thimphu City2020 Bhutan Premier League champions2nd +Withdrawn teamsTeamQualifying methodApp. Abahani Limited Dhaka2018–19 Bangladesh Premier League runners-upN/A
+Central Asia Zone+Group stage direct entrants (Groups E–F)TeamQualifying methodApp. Nasaf2020 Uzbekistan Super League runners-up3rd Ravshan Kulob2020 Tajikistan Cup winners3rd Khujand2020 Tajikistan Higher League runners-up5th Altyn Asyr2020 Ýokary Liga champions and 2020 Turkmenistan Cup winners7th Ahal2020 Ýokary Liga runners-up4th Dordoi2020 Kyrgyz Premier League champions6th Alay2020 Kyrgyzstan Cup winners6th
+ASEAN Zone (cancelled) +Group stage direct entrants (Groups G–I)TeamQualifying methodApp. Hanoi2020 Vietnamese Cup winners2020 V.League 1 runners-up5th Saigon2020 V.League 1 third place1st Kedah Darul Aman2020 Malaysia Super League runners-up3rd Terengganu2020 Malaysia Super League third place2nd Lion City Sailors2020 Singapore Premier League third place11th Geylang International2020 Singapore Premier League fourth place3rd Bali United2019 Liga 1 champions3rd Persipura Jayapura2019 Liga 1 third place4th Boeung Ket2020 C-League champions3rd Visakha2020 Hun Sen Cup winners1st Lalenok United2020 Copa FFTL winners2nd +Qualifying play-off participants: Entering in preliminary round 2TeamQualifying methodApp. Chanthabouly2020 Lao Premier League champions7th Kasuka2018–19 Brunei Super League runners-up1st +Withdrawn teamsTeamQualifying methodApp. Shan United2020 Myanmar National League championsN/A Hanthawady United2020 Myanmar National League runners-upN/A
+East Asia Zone+Group stage direct entrants (Group J)TeamQualifying methodApp. Eastern2019–20 Hong Kong FA Cup winners2019–20 Hong Kong Premier League runners-up2nd Lee Man2019–20 Hong Kong Premier League fourth place1st Tainan City2020 Taiwan Premier League champions1st Athletic 2202020 Mongolian Premier League champions1st
Notes
Schedule The schedule of the competition is as follows.