AFC Cup

AFC Cup
Founded 2004
Region Asia (AFC)
Number of teams 32
Current champions Malaysia Johor Darul Ta'zim (1st title)
Most successful club(s) Kuwait Kuwait SC
(3 titles)
2016 AFC Cup

The AFC Cup is an annual international association football competition between domestic clubs run by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Qualification to the competition is available to clubs from AFC-affiliated countries that fall into the AFC's 'developing nations' category as laid out in their 'Vision Asia' document.[1] Countries which are 'emerging' nations are eligible to participate in the AFC Cup qualifying play-off, where as countries which are 'mature' nations are entered into the AFC Champions League.

The 'developing nations' are the fourteen 'next-best' countries that lie outside the top-14 countries in the AFC region which send their clubs to the more prestigious AFC Champions League. Before the reform in competition format that took place in 2009, the two competitions were not interlinked as the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League are in Europe, and AFC Champions League losers did not compete in the Cup. Following the reform in 2009, finalists of the AFC Cup meeting AFC's criteria and certain other eligible teams are allowed to compete in the qualifying round of AFC Champions League with the losers demoted to play in the AFC Cup.

Kuwait SC are the most successful club in the competition's history, having won three titles. Clubs from Kuwait have won four titles, making them the most successful nation in the competition. Ever since the inauguration of the competition in 2004, the finalists of each edition have been dominated by clubs from West Asia until 2015 when the Malaysian team Johor Darul Ta'zim from East Asia became one of the finalists. Johor Darul Ta'zim are the current champions after defeating Istiklol in the final to win the 2015 AFC Cup.

History

The AFC Cup began in 2004 as a second tier competition to relate back to the AFC Champions League as 14 countries that had developing status competed in the first competition with 18 teams being nominated. Group A, B, C had West and Central Asian teams while the other two groups had east and South East Asia. The winners and three runner ups would then head to the knock-out stage where it was a random draw in who was going to play. Al-Jaish took the first AFC Cup after they defeated fellow Syrian opponents Al-Wahda on away goals.

In 2005, 18 teams competed from nine nations with the nations still being allowed to choose from one or two teams entering. After Syrian teams left the AFC Cup to try at the Champions League for four years, Al-Faisaly defeated Al-Nejmeh in the final. With it Jordan teams would win the next two AFC Cup's with Bahrain joining the league while Bangladesh would be relegated to the AFC President's Cup which is where they would be until 2015 where they would attempt to qualify.

Al-Muharraq would break the trend in 2008 as they competed in the last two-legged final before it headed back into a one-leg system which still runs to this day.

Format

AFC’s second-tier club competition will also see changes in terms of teams and format for the 2014 edition.

- A total of 32 teams participate in the group stage (16 from West Asia and Central Asia, and 16 from East Asia, South East Asia and South Asia).

- The teams will be divided into eight groups. Four of these groups will comprise West Asian teams, and four groups will make up the East Asian block.

- Two teams from each group will qualify for the Round of 16, where they will play one single knockout match.

- The quarter-finals, semi-finals will be played over two legs.

- The final will be played as a one-off match.

Allocation

Teams from only 27 AFC countries have reached the group stage of the AFC Cup. The allocation of those teams by member country is listed below; asterisks represent occasions where at least one team was eliminated in qualification for the group stage. 32 AFC countries have had teams participate in qualification, and countries that have never had teams reach the group stage are not shown.

Associations Spots
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
East Asia
Bangladesh Bangladesh 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0* 1*
Bhutan Bhutan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0*
Hong Kong Hong Kong 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
India India 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Indonesia Indonesia 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 2 1 2 2 2 0
Laos Laos 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
Malaysia Malaysia 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 0 2 2 2 2 2
Macau Macau 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0*
Maldives Maldives 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1* 2 2 2 2
Mongolia Mongolia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0*
Myanmar Myanmar 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 2
Nepal Nepal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0* 2
Philippines Philippines 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1* 2
Singapore Singapore 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2
Thailand Thailand 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 2 1 0 0 0 0
Vietnam Vietnam 0 0 0 1 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 0
Total 9 10 10 12 10 13 14 13 15 16 16 16 16
West Asia
Bahrain Bahrain 0 0 1 1 2 2 1 0 0 1 2 2 2
Iraq Iraq 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 2 2 2 2 2
Jordan Jordan 0 2 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Kuwait Kuwait 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 3 3 2 2 2 0
Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0* 0*
Lebanon Lebanon 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Oman Oman 1 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1* 2*
Pakistan Pakistan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0* 0*
State of Palestine Palestine 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0* 1* 2
Qatar Qatar 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
Syria Syria 2 0 0 0 0 2 3 3 2 1* 2 2 2
Tajikistan Tajikistan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 1* 1*
Turkmenistan Turkmenistan 1 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1* 1*
Uzbekistan Uzbekistan 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 1 0 0 0 0
Yemen Yemen 1 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0* 0* 0*
Total 8 8 13 12 10 18 17 19 17 16 16 16 16

Results and statistics

Finals

Year Home team Score Away team Venue Attendance Number of teams participated
2004 Syria Al-Wahda 2–3 Syria Al-Jaish Abbasiyyin Stadium, Damascus 18
Syria Al-Jaish 0–1 Syria Al-Wahda Abbasiyyin Stadium, Damascus
Aggregate 3–3, Al-Jaish won on away goals
2005 Jordan Al-Faisaly 1–0 Lebanon Al-Nejmeh Amman International Stadium, Amman 18
Lebanon Al-Nejmeh 2–3 Jordan Al-Faisaly Al Manara Stadium, Beirut
Al-Faisaly won 4–2 on aggregate
2006 Jordan Al-Faisaly 3–0 Bahrain Al-Muharraq Amman International Stadium, Amman 7,000 20
Bahrain Al-Muharraq 4–2 Jordan Al-Faisaly Bahrain National Stadium, Riffa 3,000
Al-Faisaly won 5–4 on aggregate
2007 Jordan Al-Faisaly 0–1 Jordan Shabab Al-Ordon Amman International Stadium, Amman 5,500 24
Jordan Shabab Al-Ordon 1–1 Jordan Al-Faisaly Amman International Stadium, Amman 7,500
Shabab Al-Ordon won 2–1 on aggregate
2008 Bahrain Al-Muharraq 5–1 Lebanon Safa Beirut Bahrain National Stadium, Riffa 6,000 20
Lebanon Safa Beirut 4–5 Bahrain Al-Muharraq Sports City Stadium, Beirut 2,000
Al-Muharraq won 10–5 on aggregate
Year Winners Score Runners Up Venue Attendance Number of teams participated
2009 Kuwait Al-Kuwait 2–1 Syria Al-Karamah Al Kuwait Sports Club Stadium, Kuwait City 17,400 32
2010 Syria Al-Ittihad 1–1 (aet)
(4–2 p)		 Kuwait Al-Qadsia Jaber International Stadium, Kuwait City 58,604 31
2011 Uzbekistan FC Nasaf 2–1 Kuwait Al-Kuwait Markaziy Stadium, Qarshi 15,753 32
2012 Kuwait Al-Kuwait 4–0 Iraq Erbil Franso Hariri Stadium, Erbil 30,000 33
2013 Kuwait Al-Kuwait 2–0 Kuwait Al-Qadsia Al-Sadaqua Walsalam Stadium, Kuwait City 10,000 34
2014 Kuwait Al-Qadsia 0–0 (aet)
(4–2 p)		 Iraq Erbil Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai 5,240 34
2015 Malaysia Johor Darul Ta'zim 1–0 Tajikistan Istiqlol Pamir Stadium, Dushanbe 18,000 40
2016 40

Performance by clubs

Club Winners Runners-up Years won Years runners-up
Kuwait Al-Kuwait 3 1 2009, 2012, 2013 2011
Jordan Al-Faisaly 2 1 2005, 2006 2007
Kuwait Al-Qadsia 1 2 2014 2010, 2013
Bahrain Al-Muharraq 1 1 2008 2006
Syria Al-Jaish 1 – 2004
Jordan Shabab Al-Ordon 1 – 2007
Syria Al-Ittihad 1 – 2010
Uzbekistan FC Nasaf 1 – 2011
Malaysia Johor Darul Ta'zim 1 – 2015
Iraq Erbil – 2 2012, 2014
Syria Al-Wahda – 1 2004
Lebanon Al-Nejmeh – 1 2005
Lebanon Safa Beirut – 1 2008
Syria Al-Karamah – 1 2009
Tajikistan Istiqlol – 1 2015

Performance by nations

Nation Winners Runners-up
 Kuwait 4 3
 Jordan 3 1
 Syria 2 2
 Bahrain 1 1
 Uzbekistan 1 –
 Malaysia 1 –
 Iraq – 2
 Lebanon – 2
 Tajikistan – 1

Performances by zone

Zone Winners Runners-up Champions
West 11 12  Kuwait x4;  Jordan x3;  Syria x2;  Bahrain;  Uzbekistan
East 1 –  Malaysia

Top scorers

YearFootballerClubGoals
2004 Singapore Indra Sahdan Daud Singapore Home United 7
Singapore Egmar Goncalves Singapore Home United
2005Jordan Mo'ayyad SalimJordan Al-Faisaly9
2006Jordan Mahmoud ShelbaiehJordan Al-Wahdat8
2007 Jordan Odai Al Saify Jordan Shabab Al-Ordun 5
Lebanon Mohammed Ghaddar Lebanon Al-Nejmeh
2008 Brazil Rico Bahrain Al-Muharraq 19
2009 Nigeria Robert Akaruye Bahrain Busaiteen 8
Syria Mohamad Hamwi Syria Al-Karamah
Syria Jehad Al Hussain Kuwait Al-Kuwait
Vietnam Huỳnh Kesley Alves Vietnam Binh Duong
2010Brazil Afonso AlvesQatar Al-Rayyan9
2011 Montenegro Ivan Bošković Uzbekistan Nasaf Qarshi 10
2012 Iraq Amjad Radhi Iraq Erbil 9
Syria Raja Rafe Syria Al-Shorta
2013 Tunisia Issam Jemâa Kuwait Al-Kuwait 16
2014 Spain Juan Belencoso Hong Kong Kitchee 11
2015 Australia Daniel McBreen Hong Kong South China 8
Republic of Macedonia Riste Naumov Myanmar Ayeyawady United

Broadcasting rights

Territory Channel Ref
 India NEO Prime

See also

References

  1. ↑ AFC Cup 2004

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Thursday, April 21, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.