2018 AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs

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The 2018 AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs were played from 16 to 30 January 2018. [1] A total of 22 teams competed in the qualifying play-offs to decide eight of the 32 places in the group stage of the 2018 AFC Champions League. [2]

Contents

Teams

The following 22 teams, split into two regions (West Region and East Region), entered the qualifying play-offs, consisting of three rounds:

RegionTeams entering in play-off round Teams entering in preliminary round 2 Teams entering in preliminary round 1
West Region
East Region

Format

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 (Regulations Article 9.2). The eight winners of the play-off round advanced to the group stage to join the 24 direct entrants. All losers in each round from associations with only play-off slots entered the AFC Cup group stage. [2]

Schedule

The schedule of each round was as follows. [1]

RoundMatch date
Preliminary round 116 January 2018
Preliminary round 223 January 2018
Play-off round30 January 2018

Bracket

The bracket of the qualifying play-offs for each region was determined by the AFC based on the association ranking of each team, with the team from the higher-ranked association hosting the match. Teams from the same association could not be placed into the same play-off. [3]

Play-off West 1

Preliminary round 1 Preliminary round 2 Play-off round
Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg Al-Ain 2
Flag of Bahrain.svg Malkiya 0

Play-off West 2

Preliminary round 1 Preliminary round 2 Play-off round
Flag of Iran.svg Zob Ahan 3
Flag of India.svg Aizawl 1

Play-off West 3

Preliminary round 1 Preliminary round 2 Play-off round
Flag of Qatar.svg Al-Gharafa 2
Flag of Uzbekistan.svg Pakhtakor 1

Play-off West 4

Preliminary round 1 Preliminary round 2 Play-off round
Flag of Uzbekistan.svg Nasaf Qarshi 5
Flag of Jordan.svg Al-Faisaly 1

Play-off East 1

Preliminary round 1 Preliminary round 2 Play-off round
Flag of South Korea.svg Suwon Samsung Bluewings 5
Flag of Vietnam.svg FLC Thanh Hóa 1
Flag of Hong Kong.svg Eastern 2
Flag of Vietnam.svg FLC Thanh Hóa 4

Play-off East 2

Preliminary round 1 Preliminary round 2 Play-off round
Flag of Japan.svg Kashiwa Reysol 3
Flag of Thailand.svg Muangthong United 0
Flag of Thailand.svg Muangthong United 5
Flag of Malaysia.svg Johor Darul Ta'zim 2

Play-off East 3

Preliminary round 1 Preliminary round 2 Play-off round
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Shanghai SIPG 1
Flag of Thailand.svg Chiangrai United 0
Flag of Thailand.svg Chiangrai United (a.e.t.) 2
Flag of Indonesia.svg Bali United 3 Flag of Indonesia.svg Bali United 1
Flag of Singapore.svg Tampines Rovers 1

Play-off East 4

Preliminary round 1 Preliminary round 2 Play-off round
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Tianjin Quanjian 2
Flag of the Philippines.svg Ceres–Negros 0
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brisbane Roar 2
Flag of Myanmar.svg Shan United 1 (3) Flag of the Philippines.svg Ceres–Negros 3
Flag of the Philippines.svg Ceres–Negros (p) 1 (4)

Preliminary round 1

Summary

A total of four teams played in the preliminary round 1.

Team 1 Score Team 2
East Region
Bali United Flag of Indonesia.svg 3–1 Flag of Singapore.svg Tampines Rovers
Shan United Flag of Myanmar.svg 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(3–4 p)
Flag of the Philippines.svg Ceres–Negros

East Region

Bali United Flag of Indonesia.svg 3–1 Flag of Singapore.svg Tampines Rovers
Live Report
Stats Report

Preliminary round 2

Summary

A total of eight teams played in the preliminary round 2: six teams which entered in this round, and two winners of the preliminary round 1.

Team 1 Score Team 2
East Region
Eastern Flag of Hong Kong.svg 2–4 Flag of Vietnam.svg FLC Thanh Hóa
Muangthong United Flag of Thailand.svg 5–2 Flag of Malaysia.svg Johor Darul Ta'zim
Chiangrai United Flag of Thailand.svg 2–1 (a.e.t.) Flag of Indonesia.svg Bali United
Brisbane Roar Flag of Australia (converted).svg 2–3 Flag of the Philippines.svg Ceres–Negros

East Region

Eastern Flag of Hong Kong.svg 2–4 Flag of Vietnam.svg FLC Thanh Hóa
Live Report
Stats Report
Mong Kok Stadium, Hong Kong
Attendance: 3,305
Referee: Kim Hee-gon (South Korea)

Muangthong United Flag of Thailand.svg 5–2 Flag of Malaysia.svg Johor Darul Ta'zim
Live Report
Stats Report

Chiangrai United Flag of Thailand.svg 2–1 (a.e.t.) Flag of Indonesia.svg Bali United
Live Report
Stats Report
Singha Stadium, Chiang Rai
Attendance: 5,960
Referee: Rowan Arumughan (India)

Brisbane Roar Flag of Australia (converted).svg 2–3 Flag of the Philippines.svg Ceres–Negros
Live Report
Stats Report

Play-off round

Summary

A total of 16 teams played in the play-off round: twelve teams which entered in this round, and four winners of the preliminary round 2.

Team 1 Score Team 2
West Region
Al-Ain Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg 2–0 Flag of Bahrain.svg Malkiya
Zob Ahan Flag of Iran.svg 3–1 Flag of India.svg Aizawl
Al-Gharafa Flag of Qatar.svg 2–1 Flag of Uzbekistan.svg Pakhtakor
Nasaf Qarshi Flag of Uzbekistan.svg 5–1 Flag of Jordan.svg Al-Faisaly
Team 1 Score Team 2
East Region
Suwon Samsung Bluewings Flag of South Korea.svg 5–1 Flag of Vietnam.svg FLC Thanh Hóa
Kashiwa Reysol Flag of Japan.svg 3–0 Flag of Thailand.svg Muangthong United
Shanghai SIPG Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg 1–0 Flag of Thailand.svg Chiangrai United
Tianjin Quanjian Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg 2–0 Flag of the Philippines.svg Ceres–Negros

West Region

Al-Ain Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg 2–0 Flag of Bahrain.svg Malkiya
Live Report
Stats Report

Zob Ahan Flag of Iran.svg 3–1 Flag of India.svg Aizawl
Live Report
Stats Report

Al-Gharafa Flag of Qatar.svg 2–1 Flag of Uzbekistan.svg Pakhtakor
Live Report
Stats Report

Nasaf Qarshi Flag of Uzbekistan.svg 5–1 Flag of Jordan.svg Al-Faisaly
Live Report
Stats Report
Qarshi Markaziy Stadium, Qarshi
Attendance: 12,843
Referee: Hiroyuki Kimura (Japan)

East Region

Suwon Samsung Bluewings Flag of South Korea.svg 5–1 Flag of Vietnam.svg FLC Thanh Hóa
Live Report
Stats Report
Suwon World Cup Stadium, Suwon
Attendance: 4,790
Referee: Khamis Al-Marri (Qatar)

Kashiwa Reysol Flag of Japan.svg 3–0 Flag of Thailand.svg Muangthong United
Live Report
Stats Report

Shanghai SIPG Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg 1–0 Flag of Thailand.svg Chiangrai United
Live Report
Stats Report
Shanghai Stadium, Shanghai
Attendance: 17,300
Referee: Ali Abdulnabi (Bahrain)

Tianjin Quanjian Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg 2–0 Flag of the Philippines.svg Ceres–Negros
Live Report
Stats Report

Notes

  1. 1 2 The identity of the play-off teams from Japan and Philippines was not known at the time of the group stage draw.
  2. The kick-off of the Bali United v Tampines Rovers match was delayed from 19:30 to 20:30 local time due to bad weather.

References

  1. 1 2 "AFC Competitions Calendar 2018". AFC. 11 January 2018.
  2. 1 2 "2018 AFC Champions League Competition Regulations" (PDF). AFC.
  3. "AFC Champions League 2018 draw concluded". AFC. 6 December 2017.