2021 AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs

Last updated

The 2021 AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs were played from 7 April to 23 June 2021. [1] A total of 15 teams competed in the qualifying play-offs to decide seven of the 40 places in the group stage of the 2021 AFC Champions League. [2]

Contents

Teams

The following 15 teams, split into two regions (West Region and East Region), entered the qualifying play-offs, consisting of two rounds:

RegionTeams entering in play-off round Teams entering in preliminary round
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. [2]

Schedule

The schedule of each round was as follows. [1] [5] [6] On 11 March 2021, the AFC announced that the preliminary round and play-off round matches in the East Region, which were originally scheduled to be played on 7 April and 14 April 2021, had been postponed to June/July 2021, and were played in centralised venues of their respective group stage matches. [7]

RoundWest RegionEast Region
Preliminary roundNot played
Play-off round7 and 10 April 202123 June 2021

Bracket

The bracket of the qualifying play-offs for each region was determined based on each team's association ranking and their seeding within their association, with the team from the higher-ranked association hosting the match in the West Region. Teams from the same association could not be placed into the same tie. The eight winners of the play-off round (four each from both West Region and East Region) advanced to the group stage to join the 32 direct entrants. [8]

Play-off West 1

Preliminary round Play-off round
Flag of Qatar.svg Al-Gharafa 0
Flag of Uzbekistan.svg AGMK (a.e.t.) 1

Play-off West 2

Preliminary round Play-off round
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Al-Wehda 1 (2)
Flag of Iraq.svg Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (p)1 (3)

Play-off West 3

Preliminary round Play-off round
Flag of Iran.svg Foolad 4
Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg Al-Ain 0

Play-off West 4

Preliminary round Play-off round
Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg Al-Wahda 2
Flag of Iraq.svg Al-Zawraa 1

Play-off East 1

Preliminary round Play-off round
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Shanghai Port 0
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brisbane Roar (w/o) — Flag of the Philippines.svg Kaya–Iloilo 1
Flag of the Philippines.svg Kaya–Iloilo —

Play-off East 2

Preliminary round Play-off round
Flag of Japan.svg Cerezo Osaka (w/o) —
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Melbourne City (w/o) — Flag of Australia (converted).svg Melbourne City —
Flag of Myanmar.svg Shan United —

Play-off East 3

Preliminary round Play-off round
Flag of South Korea.svg Pohang Steelers —
Flag of Thailand.svg Ratchaburi Mitr Phol —

Play-off East 4

Preliminary round Play-off round
Flag of South Korea.svg Daegu FC —
Flag of Thailand.svg Chiangrai United —

Preliminary round

Summary

A total of two teams will play in the preliminary round.

Team 1 Score Team 2
East Region
Brisbane Roar Flag of Australia (converted).svg Cancelled [note 2] Flag of the Philippines.svg Kaya–Iloilo
Melbourne City Flag of Australia (converted).svg Cancelled [note 4] Flag of Myanmar.svg Shan United

East Region

Play-off round

Summary

A total of 14 teams played in the preliminary round 2: 13 teams which entered in this round, and one winner of the preliminary round.

Team 1 Score Team 2
West Region
Al-Gharafa Flag of Qatar.svg 0–1 (a.e.t.) Flag of Uzbekistan.svg AGMK
Al-Wehda Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(2–3 p)		 Flag of Iraq.svg Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
Foolad Flag of Iran.svg 4–0 Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg Al-Ain
Al-Wahda Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg 2–1 Flag of Iraq.svg Al-Zawraa
Team 1 Score Team 2
East Region
Shanghai Port Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg 0–1 Flag of the Philippines.svg Kaya–Iloilo
Cerezo Osaka Flag of Japan.svg Cancelled [note 2] Flag of Australia (converted).svg Melbourne City
Pohang Steelers Flag of South Korea.svg Cancelled [note 3] Flag of Thailand.svg Ratchaburi Mitr Phol
Daegu FC Flag of South Korea.svg Cancelled [note 2] Flag of Thailand.svg Chiangrai United

West Region

Al-Gharafa Flag of Qatar.svg 0–1 (a.e.t.) Flag of Uzbekistan.svg AGMK
Live Report
Stats Report
  • Đokić Soccerball shade.svg120'
Suheim bin Hamad Stadium, Doha
Attendance: 0
Referee: Ali Sabah (Iraq)
Al-Wahda Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg 2–1 Flag of Iraq.svg Al-Zawraa
Live Report
Stats Report
Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Attendance: 0
Referee: Nawaf Shukralla (Bahrain)

East Region

Shanghai Port Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg 0–1 Flag of the Philippines.svg Kaya–Iloilo
Live Report
Stats Report 		Menzi Soccerball shade.svg17'
Pathum Thani Stadium, Pathum Thani (Thailand)
Attendance: 0
Referee: Shaun Evans (Australia)

Notes

  1. ↑ On 8 February 2021, the AFC announced that Shandong Taishan, who were originally entered as China 2, had not satisfied the mandatory Criterion F.04 of the AFC Club Licensing Regulations (Edition 2016) concerning overdue payments. Thus, their license was withdrawn by the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) independent Entry Control Body and the club were disqualified: Beijing Guoan were reallocated from China 4 to China 3 (moving from play-off round to group position I2), and Shanghai Port were entered as China 4 (play-off round). [3] [4]
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Australian teams Sydney FC, Melbourne City, and Brisbane Roar withdrew from the competition after the draw. [9] Chiangrai United, Daegu FC, and Cerezo Osaka entered the group stage instead of the qualifying play-offs and Kaya–Iloilo entered the qualifying play-offs instead of the preliminary round. [10]
  3. 1 2 3 4 Pohang Steelers and Ratchaburi Mitr Phol entered the group stage instead of the qualifying play-offs after Jiangsu withdrew from the AFC Champions League and folded. [12]
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Shan United withdrew from the AFC Champions League following the state of emergency in Myanmar and Melbourne City would enter the play-off round instead of the preliminary round. [11] Later, Melbourne City FC also withdrew, along the other Australian teams: [9] their opponent Cerezo Osaka entered the group stage. [10]
  5. 1 2 The play-off round match between Foolad and Al-Ain was originally scheduled to be held on 7 April 2021, 19:00 UTC+4:30, at Foolad Arena, Ahvaz, but was rescheduled to 10 April 2021, 18:50 UTC+3, at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium, Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), after the Asian Football Confederation announced that teams from Iran would not be allowed to host their home matches in their country. [13]

References

  1. 1 2 "AFC Competitions Calendar 2021". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 5 December 2019.
  2. 1 2 "AFC Champions League 2021 Competition Regulations" (PDF). Asian Football Confederation.
  3. ↑ "Latest Decision by AFC Entry Control Body". AFC. 8 February 2021.
  4. ↑ "Latest update on AFC Champions League (East)". AFC. 25 February 2021.
  5. ↑ "AFC Club Competitions' Group Stages to be played in centralised venues". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 25 January 2021.
  6. ↑ "2021 AFC Champions League Preliminary & Playoff stage match schedule". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation.
  7. ↑ "Venues for AFC Champions League 2021 Group Stage revealed". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 11 March 2021.
  8. ↑ "ACL 2021 Draw Mechanism". Asian Football Confederation. 26 January 2021 – via YouTube.
  9. 1 2 "Latest update on AFC Champions League". AFC. 4 June 2021.
  10. 1 2 "Contenders for AFC Champions League (East) Group and Playoff stages confirmed". AFC. 6 June 2021.
  11. ↑ "Latest updates on AFC Club Competitions". AFC. 30 April 2021.
  12. ↑ "Latest update on AFC Champions League (East)". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 18 March 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  13. ↑ "Foolad to Play Al-Ain in Riyadh: ACL Play-Off". tasnimnews.com. 30 March 2021.
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