The 2018 AFC Cup group stage was played from 10 February to 16 May 2018. [1] A total of 36 teams competed in the group stage to decide the 11 places in the knockout stage of the 2018 AFC Cup. [2]
The draw for the group stage was held on 6 December 2017, 14:00 MYT (UTC+8), at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. [3] [4] The 36 teams were drawn into nine groups of four: three groups each in the West Asia Zone (Groups A–C) and the ASEAN Zone (Groups F–H), and one group each in the Central Asia Zone (Group D), the South Asia Zone (Group E), and the East Asia Zone (Group I). Teams from the same association in the West Asia Zone and ASEAN Zone could not be drawn into the same group.
The seeding of each team in the draw was determined by their association and their qualifying position within their association. The mechanism of the draw was as follows:
The following 36 teams entered into the group-stage draw, which included the 31 direct entrants and the five winners of the play-off round of the qualifying play-offs, whose identity was not known at the time of the draw.
Zone | Groups | Seed 1 | Seed 2 | Seed 3 | Seed 4 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
West Asia Zone | A–C | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ||
![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ||
Central Asia Zone | D | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
South Asia Zone | E | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
ASEAN Zone | F–H | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ||
![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ||
East Asia Zone | I | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
In the group stage, each group was played on a home-and-away round-robin basis. The following teams advanced to the knockout stage:
The teams were ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, tiebreakers were applied in the following order (Regulations Article 10.5): [2]
The schedule of each matchday was as follows (W: West Asia Zone; C: Central Asia Zone; S: South Asia Zone; A: ASEAN Zone; E: East Asia Zone). [1]
Matchday | Dates | Matches | |
---|---|---|---|
W, A | C, S, E | ||
Matchday 1 | 10 & 12–14 February 2018 | 7 March & 5 April 2018 | Team 1 vs. Team 4, Team 3 vs. Team 2 |
Matchday 2 | 26–28 February 2018 | 13–14 March 2018 | Team 4 vs. Team 3, Team 2 vs. Team 1 |
Matchday 3 | 5–7 March & 16 April 2018 | 10–11 April 2018 | Team 4 vs. Team 2, Team 1 vs. Team 3 |
Matchday 4 | 12–14 March & 17 April 2018 | 25 April 2018 | Team 2 vs. Team 4, Team 3 vs. Team 1 |
Matchday 5 | 9–11 April 2018 | 1–2 May 2018 | Team 4 vs. Team 1, Team 2 vs. Team 3 |
Matchday 6 | 23–25 April 2018 | 16 May 2018 | Team 1 vs. Team 2, Team 3 vs. Team 4 |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | JAZ | QUW | MAL | SUW | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 6 | +7 | 14 | Zonal semi-finals | — | 1–1 | 1–0 | 4–0 | |
2 | ![]() | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 7 | +4 | 12 | 2–2 | — | 1–1 | 2–0 | ||
3 | ![]() | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 10 | +1 | 7 | 1–2 | 3–4 | — | 4–1 | ||
4 | ![]() | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 16 | −12 | 0 | 2–3 | 0–1 | 1–2 | — |
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya ![]() | 2–2 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Live Report Stats Report |
|
Malkiya ![]() | 4–1 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Live Report Stats Report |
|
Al-Jazeera ![]() | 1–0 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
Al-Suwaiq ![]() | 2–3 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Live Report Stats Report |
|
Al-Jazeera ![]() | 4–0 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
Al-Suwaiq ![]() | 1–2 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
Al-Jazeera ![]() | 1–1 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
|
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya ![]() | 1–1 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
|
Malkiya ![]() | 1–2 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
|
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | AHE | ZAW | JAI | MAN | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 5 | +6 | 12 | Zonal semi-finals | — | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | |
2 | ![]() | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 10 | 1–1 | — | 0–0 | 2–1 | ||
3 | ![]() | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 7 | 1–4 | 1–1 | — | 1–0 | ||
4 | ![]() | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 10 | −7 | 1 | 0–1 | 1–3 | 0–0 | — |
Al-Ahed ![]() | 1–1 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
|
Manama ![]() | 0–1 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Live Report Stats Report |
|
Al-Ahed ![]() | 1–1 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
|
Manama ![]() | 1–3 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
|
Al-Jaish ![]() | 1–4 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Live Report Stats Report |
Al-Zawraa ![]() | 1–1 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Live Report Stats Report |
|
Al-Jaish ![]() | 1–0 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
Al-Zawraa ![]() | 2–1 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Live Report Stats Report |
|
Al-Ahed ![]() | 3–1 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Live Report Stats Report |
|
Al-Jaish ![]() | 1–1 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
|
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | FAI | DHO | ANS | WAH | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 5 | +5 | 13 | Zonal semi-finals | — | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–2 | |
2 | ![]() | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 8 | 1–0 | — | 0–2 | 2–0 | ||
3 | ![]() | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 7 | 1–3 | 1–1 | — | 1–0 | ||
4 | ![]() | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 | −3 | 5 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 2–1 | — |
Al-Faisaly ![]() | 2–2 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
|
Al-Ansar ![]() | 1–3 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
Al-Wahda ![]() | 2–1 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Live Report Stats Report |
|
Al-Ansar ![]() | 1–0 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
Dhofar ![]() | 1–0 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
Al-Wahda ![]() | 1–2 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
Al-Ansar ![]() | 1–1 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
|
Al-Faisaly ![]() | 1–0 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
Dhofar ![]() | 2–0 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | ALT | IST | AHA | ALA | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 7 | +10 | 14 | Inter-zone play-off semi-finals | — | 2–2 | 1–0 | 5–0 | |
2 | ![]() | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 7 | +3 | 13 | 2–3 | — | 1–0 | 1–0 | ||
3 | ![]() | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 7 | 0–0 | 0–1 | — | 5–0 | ||
4 | ![]() | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 23 | −16 | 0 | 3–6 | 2–3 | 2–3 | — |
Alay Osh ![]() | 3–6 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Live Report Stats Report |
|
Istiklol ![]() | 1–0 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
Ahal ![]() | 5–0 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
Altyn Asyr ![]() | 2–2 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
Istiklol ![]() | 1–0 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
Alay Osh ![]() | 2–3 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Live Report Stats Report |
|
Altyn Asyr ![]() | 1–0 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
Ahal ![]() | 0–1 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Live Report Stats Report |
|
Altyn Asyr ![]() | 5–0 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
Alay Osh ![]() | 2–3 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Live Report Stats Report |
|
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | BFC | RAD | ABD | AIZ | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 3 | +11 | 15 | Inter-zone play-off semi-finals | — | 1–0 | 1–0 | 5–0 | |
2 | ![]() | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 5 | +7 | 12 | 2–0 | — | 5–1 | 3–1 | ||
3 | ![]() | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 12 | −7 | 4 | 0–4 | 0–1 | — | 1–1 | ||
4 | ![]() | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 16 | −11 | 4 [lower-alpha 1] | 1–3 | 2–1 | 0–3 | — |
New Radiant ![]() | 3–1 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
|
Bengaluru ![]() | 1–0 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
Aizawl ![]() | 1–3 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
|
Bengaluru ![]() | 1–0 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
Abahani Limited Dhaka ![]() | 1–1 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
|
Bengaluru ![]() | 5–0 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
Aizawl ![]() | 2–1 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Live Report Stats Report |
|
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | HOM | CER | BKA | SHA | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 6 | +9 | 13 [lower-alpha 1] | Zonal semi-finals | — | 1–1 | 6–0 | 3–2 | |
2 | ![]() | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 3 | +14 | 13 [lower-alpha 1] | 0–2 | — | 9–0 | 2–0 | ||
3 | ![]() | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 24 | −16 | 6 | 3–2 | 0–4 | — | 1–2 | ||
4 | ![]() | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 12 | −7 | 3 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–4 | — |
Boeung Ket Angkor ![]() | 1–2 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
|
Home United ![]() | 6–0 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
Home United ![]() | 3–2 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
|
Ceres–Negros ![]() | 0–2 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Live Report Stats Report |
|
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | YAN | GLO | THA | BAL | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 9 | +6 | 13 | Zonal semi-finals | — | 3–0 | 2–1 | 3–2 | |
2 | ![]() | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 10 | −1 | 8 | 2–1 | — | 3–3 | 1–1 | ||
3 | ![]() | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 11 | −2 | 6 | 3–3 | 1–0 | — | 0–0 | ||
4 | ![]() | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 11 | −3 | 5 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 3–1 | — |
Bali United ![]() | 1–3 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
Global Cebu ![]() | 1–1 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
|
Yangon United ![]() | 3–0 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
FLC Thanh Hóa ![]() | 0–0 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Live Report Stats Report |
Yangon United ![]() | 3–2 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
|
Global Cebu ![]() | 3–3 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Live Report Stats Report |
|
FLC Thanh Hóa ![]() | 3–3 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | PSJ | SLN | JDT | TAM | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 6 | +7 | 13 | Zonal semi-finals | — | 1–0 | 4–0 | 4–1 | |
2 | ![]() | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 10 [lower-alpha 1] | 0–0 | — | 2–0 | 2–1 | ||
3 | ![]() | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 9 | −1 | 10 [lower-alpha 1] | 3–0 | 3–2 | — | 2–1 | ||
4 | ![]() | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 14 | −9 | 1 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 0–0 | — |
Sông Lam Nghệ An ![]() | 2–0 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
Sông Lam Nghệ An ![]() | 2–1 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
|
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | APR | BEN | HWA | HAN | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 2 | +21 | 18 | Inter-zone play-off semi-finals | — | 8–0 | 1–0 | 5–1 | |
2 | ![]() | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 15 | −2 | 12 | 0–2 | — | 3–0 | 3–2 | ||
3 | ![]() | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 10 | −1 | 6 | 0–2 | 2–3 | — | 6–1 | ||
4 | ![]() | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 24 | −18 | 0 | 1–5 | 1–4 | 0–1 | — |
April 25 ![]() | 1–0 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
Benfica de Macau ![]() | 3–2 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Live Report Stats Report |
|
Hwaebul ![]() | 2–3 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
Hang Yuen ![]() | 1–5 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
|
Hwaebul ![]() | 6–1 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
|
April 25 ![]() | 8–0 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
Hwaebul ![]() | 0–2 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Live Report Stats Report |
|
Hang Yuen ![]() | 1–4 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
|
April 25 ![]() | 5–1 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
|
Pos | Grp | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | A | ![]() | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 7 | +4 | 12 | Zonal semi-finals |
2 | B | ![]() | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 10 | |
3 | C | ![]() | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 8 |
Pos | Grp | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | F | ![]() | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 3 | +14 | 13 | Zonal semi-finals |
2 | H | ![]() | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 10 | |
3 | G | ![]() | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 10 | −1 | 8 |
A total of 32 teams, 20 from West Asia and 12 from East Asia, competed in the 2011 AFC Cup group stage. They included 28 direct entries and 4 losers of the 2011 AFC Champions League qualifying play-off.
The 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification was a qualification process organized by the AFC to determine the participating teams for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. The 2015 AFC Asian Cup, hosted by Australia, featured 16 teams.
The 2012 AFC Champions League group stage was contested by a total of 32 teams. They included:
The 2012 AFC Cup group stage was contested by a total of 32 teams. They included:
The group stage of the 2013 AFC Cup was played from 26 February to 1 May 2013. A total of 32 teams competed in the group stage.
The group stage of the 2014 AFC Cup was played from 25 February to 23 April 2014. A total of 32 teams competed in the group stage.
The 2015 AFC Cup group stage was played from 24 February to 13 May 2015. A total of 32 teams competed in the group stage to decide the 16 places in the knockout stage of the 2015 AFC Cup.
The 2016 AFC Cup group stage was played from 23 February to 11 May 2016. A total of 32 teams competed in the group stage to decide the 16 places in the knockout stage of the 2016 AFC Cup.
The 2016 AFC Champions League group stage was played from 23 February to 4 May 2016. A total of 32 teams competed in the group stage to decide the 16 places in the knockout stage of the 2016 AFC Champions League.
The 2017 AFC Cup group stage was played from 20 February to 31 May 2017. A total of 34 teams competed in the group stage to decide the 11 places in the knockout stage of the 2017 AFC Cup.
The 2018 AFC Cup knockout stage was played from 7 May to 27 October 2018. A total of 11 teams competed in the knockout stage to decide the champions of the 2018 AFC Cup.
The 2018 AFC Champions League group stage was played from 12 February to 18 April 2018. A total of 32 teams competed in the group stage to decide the 16 places in the knockout stage of the 2018 AFC Champions League.
The 2019 AFC Cup knockout stage was played from 17 June to 4 November 2019. A total of 11 teams competed in the knockout stage to decide the champions of the 2019 AFC Cup.
The 2019 AFC Champions League group stage was played from 4 March to 29 May 2019. A total of 32 teams competed in the group stage to decide the 16 places in the knockout stage of the 2019 AFC Champions League. The postponement of Group A fixture between Zob Ahan and Al-Nassr made the group stage conclude a week behind schedule.
The 2019 AFC Cup group stage was played from 25 February to 26 June 2019. A total of 36 teams competed in the group stage to decide the 11 places in the knockout stage of the 2019 AFC Cup.
The AFC second round of 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification, which also served as the second round of 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualification, was played from 5 September 2019 to 15 June 2021.
The 2020 AFC Champions League group stage was played from 10 February to 4 December 2020. A total of 32 teams competed in the group stage to decide the 16 places in the knockout stage of the 2020 AFC Champions League.
The 2020 AFC Cup group stage was played from 10 February to 11 March 2020, before the remaining matches were initially suspended, and eventually cancelled by the AFC on 10 September 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the original competition format, a total of 36 teams would compete in the group stage to decide the 11 places in the knockout stage of the 2020 AFC Cup.
The 2021 AFC Cup group stage was played from 14 May to 24 August 2021. A total of 38 teams should have competed in the group stage to decide the 12 places in the knockout stage of the 2021 AFC Cup.
The 2023–24 AFC Cup knockout stage was played from 12 February to 5 May 2024. A total of 11 teams competed in the knockout stage to decide the champions of the 2023–24 AFC Cup.