2018 AFC Cup group stage
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]
Draw
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:
- For the West Asia Zone, a draw was held for the five associations with two direct entrants (Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Bahrain, Lebanon) to determine the three associations occupying seeds 1 and 2, with seeds 1 placed in order for Groups A, B and C, and the two associations occupying seeds 3 and 4, with seeds 3 placed in order for Groups A and B. The remaining teams were then allocated to groups according to the rules set by AFC.
- For the ASEAN Zone, a draw was held for the five associations with two direct entrants (Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore) to determine the three associations occupying seeds 1 and 2, with seeds 1 placed in order for Groups F, G and H, and the two associations occupying seeds 3 and 4, with seeds 3 placed in Groups F and G. The remaining teams were then allocated to the groups according to the rules set by AFC.
- For the Central Asia Zone, the South Asia Zone, and the East Asia Zone, no draw was held, and the teams were allocated to the groups according to their association ranking published on 30 November 2016.
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 |
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| West Asia Zone | A–C |  |
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| Central Asia Zone | D |  |
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| South Asia Zone | E |  |
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| ASEAN Zone | F–H |  |
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| East Asia Zone | I |  |
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- Standby teams[note 4]
Al-Wehdat (for Al-Faisaly)Mohun Bagan (for Aizawl)Hà Nội (for FLC Thanh Hóa)Selangor (for Johor Darul Ta'zim)Madura United (for Bali United)Yadanarbon (for Shan United)Meralco Manila (for Ceres–Negros)[note 2][note 5]Geylang International (for Tampines Rovers)
Format
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 winners of each group and the best runners-up in the West Asia Zone and the ASEAN Zone advanced to the Zonal semi-finals.
- The winners of each group in the Central Asia Zone, the South Asia Zone, and the East Asia Zone advanced to the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals.
Tiebreakers
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]
- Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
- Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
- Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
- Away goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
- If more than two teams are tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams are still tied, all head-to-head criteria above are reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams;
- Goal difference in all group matches;
- Goals scored in all group matches;
- Penalty shoot-out if only two teams are tied and they met in the last round of the group;
- Disciplinary points (yellow card = 1 point, red card as a result of two yellow cards = 3 points, direct red card = 3 points, yellow card followed by direct red card = 4 points);
- Team from the higher-ranked association.
Schedule
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]
- Matches in the West Asia Zone were played on Mondays and Tuesdays (Matchdays 1–3: two groups on Monday, one group on Tuesday; Matchdays 4–6: one group on Monday, two groups on Tuesday).
- Matches in the ASEAN Zone were played on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (Matchdays 1–3: two groups on Tuesday, one group on Wednesday; Matchdays 4–6: one group on Tuesday, two groups on Wednesday).
- Matches in the Central Asia Zone, the South Asia Zone, and the East Asia Zone were played on Wednesdays; if two teams from the same association played at home on the same matchday, one match was moved to Tuesdays.
| 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 |
Groups
Group A
| 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 | |
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Attendance: 347
Referee: Nagor Amir Noor Mohamed (Malaysia)
| Malkiya | 4–1 | |
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| Al-Suwaiq | 0–1 | |
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| Al-Jazeera | 1–0 | |
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Attendance: 507
Referee: Omar Mohamed Al-Ali (United Arab Emirates)
| Al-Suwaiq | 2–3 | |
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| Malkiya | 3–4 | |
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| Al-Jazeera | 4–0 | |
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| Al-Jazeera | 1–1 | |
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| Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya | 1–1 | |
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| Malkiya | 1–2 | |
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Group B
| 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 | |
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| Al-Zawraa | 0–0 | |
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| Manama | 0–1 | |
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| Al-Ahed | 1–1 | |
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| Manama | 1–3 | |
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| Al-Jaish | 1–4 | |
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Attendance: 30
Referee: Mahmood Al-Majarafi (Oman)
| Al-Zawraa | 1–1 | |
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| Al-Jaish | 1–0 | |
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Attendance: 300
Referee: Nasrullo Kabirov (Tajikistan)
| Al-Zawraa | 2–1 | |
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| Al-Ahed | 3–1 | |
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| Al-Jaish | 1–1 | |
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Attendance: 100
Referee: Kim Dae-yong (South Korea)
Group C
| 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 | — |
| Dhofar | 0–2 | |
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| Al-Faisaly | 2–2 | |
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| Al-Ansar | 1–3 | |
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| Al-Wahda | 2–1 | |
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Attendance: 20
Referee: Dmitry Mashentsev (Kyrgyzstan)
| Al-Ansar | 1–0 | |
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| Dhofar | 1–0 | |
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| Al-Wahda | 1–2 | |
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Attendance: 25
Referee: Mongkolchai Pechsri (Thailand)
| Al-Ansar | 1–1 | |
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| Al-Faisaly | 1–0 | |
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| Dhofar | 2–0 | |
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Group D
| 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 | |
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| Istiklol | 1–0 | |
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| Altyn Asyr | 2–2 | |
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| Istiklol | 1–0 | |
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| Alay Osh | 2–3 | |
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| Altyn Asyr | 1–0 | |
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| Altyn Asyr | 5–0 | |
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| Alay Osh | 2–3 | |
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Group E
| 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 | — |
- Head-to-head results: Aizawl 0–3 Abahani Limited Dhaka, Abahani Limited Dhaka 1–1 Aizawl.
| New Radiant | 3–1 | |
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| Bengaluru | 1–0 | |
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Attendance: 1,051
Referee: Yaqoub Al-Hammadi (United Arab Emirates)
| Aizawl | 1–3 | |
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| Bengaluru | 1–0 | |
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| Abahani Limited Dhaka | 1–1 | |
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| Bengaluru | 5–0 | |
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| Aizawl | 2–1 | |
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Attendance: 238
Referee: Sultan Al-Marzooqi (United Arab Emirates)
Group F
| 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 | — |
- Head-to-head results: Home United 1–1 Ceres–Negros, Ceres–Negros 0–2 Home United.
| Shan United | 0–1 | |
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| Ceres–Negros | 9–0 | |
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| Boeung Ket Angkor | 1–2 | |
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| Home United | 1–1 | |
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| Boeung Ket Angkor | 3–2 | |
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| Ceres–Negros | 2–0 | |
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| Shan United | 0–1 | |
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| Home United | 6–0 | |
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| Boeung Ket Angkor | 0–4 | |
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| Home United | 3–2 | |
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| Ceres–Negros | 0–2 | |
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Group G
| 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 | — |
| FLC Thanh Hóa | 1–0 | |
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| Yangon United | 2–1 | |
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| Global Cebu | 1–1 | |
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| Bali United | 3–1 | |
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| Yangon United | 3–0 | |
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| FLC Thanh Hóa | 0–0 | |
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| Global Cebu | 2–1 | |
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| Yangon United | 3–2 | |
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| Global Cebu | 3–3 | |
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| Bali United | 1–3 | |
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| FLC Thanh Hóa | 3–3 | |
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Group H
| 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 | — |
- Head-to-head results: Sông Lam Nghệ An 2–0 Johor Darul Ta'zim, Johor Darul Ta'zim 3–2 Sông Lam Nghệ An.
| Tampines Rovers | 0–2 | |
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| Sông Lam Nghệ An | 2–0 | |
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| Sông Lam Nghệ An | 0–0 | |
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| Persija Jakarta | 1–0 | |
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| Sông Lam Nghệ An | 2–1 | |
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| Johor Darul Ta'zim | 3–2 | |
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Group I
| 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 | |
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| Benfica de Macau | 3–2 | |
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| Hwaebul | 2–3 | |
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| Hang Yuen | 1–5 | |
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| Hwaebul | 6–1 | |
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| April 25 | 8–0 | |
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| Hang Yuen | 0–1 | |
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| Benfica de Macau | 0–2 | |
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| Hwaebul | 0–2 | |
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| Hang Yuen | 1–4 | |
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| April 25 | 5–1 | |
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Ranking of second-placed teams
West Asia Zone
| 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 |
Source: AFC
ASEAN Zone
| 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 |
Source: AFC
Notes
- The seeding of the first and second group stage teams from Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Bahrain, and Lebanon was determined by draw.
- The identity of the first group stage teams from Turkmenistan and Bangladesh, and the first and second group stage and standby teams from Philippines was not known at the time of the group stage draw.
- The seeding of the first and second group stage teams from Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines, and Singapore was determined by draw.
- The standby teams would replace a team from the same association which played in the AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs and advanced to the AFC Champions League group stage. There were no standby teams from Bahrain (for Malkiya).
- Meralco Manila, the 2017 Philippines Football League 3rd place, were supposed to be the standby team for the Philippines but the club was dissolved in January 2018.[5]
- Teams from Iraq were not allowed to host their home matches in their country due to security concerns until March 2018,[6] when the ban was lifted by FIFA.[7]
- The Al-Jazeera v Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya match was played in Al-Hassan Stadium, as the 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup was held in Amman International Stadium in early to mid April.
- The Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya v Malkiya match on Matchday 4 was rescheduled from 13 March to 17 April to allow Iraqi teams to play at home after their ban was lifted by the FIFA Council in March 2018.[8]
- The matches between Manama and Al-Jaish on Matchdays 1 and 5 were reversed from the original schedule.
- Teams from Syria are not allowed to host their home matches in their country due to security concerns.
- The Al-Zawraa v Manama match on Matchday 3 was rescheduled from 6 March to 16 April to allow Iraqi teams to play at home after their ban was lifted by the FIFA Council in March 2018.[8]
- The Aizawl v Bengaluru match on Matchday 1 was rescheduled from 7 March to 5 April to allow Bengaluru to play in the 2017–18 Indian Super League finals.[9]
- The FLC Thanh Hóa v Global Cebu match was brought forward from 13 February to 10 February.
- The Tampines Rovers v Sông Lam Nghệ An match was brought forward from 14 February to 10 February.
References
- "AFC Competitions Calendar 2018". AFC. 11 January 2018.
- "2018 AFC Cup Competition Regulations" (PDF). AFC.
- "AFC Cup 2018 Official Group Stage Draw". YouTube. 6 December 2017.
- "AFC Cup 2018 draw confirmed". AFC. 6 December 2017.
- Go, Beatrice (8 January 2018). "PH football club Meralco Manila ceases operations". Rappler. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
- "AFC supports international football's return to Iraq". AFC. 16 November 2017.
- "AFC President welcomes FIFA decision to lift Iraq ban". AFC. 17 March 2018.
- "AFC Cup matches postponed". AFC. 5 March 2018.
- "AFC Cup: Bengaluru FC's group stage tie against I-League champions Aizawl FC postponed". Firstpost. 5 March 2018.
External links
- AFC Cup, the-AFC.com
- AFC Cup 2018, stats.the-AFC.com
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