2020 AFC Cup knockout stage

The 2020 AFC Cup knockout stage is scheduled to be played from 20 October to 12 December 2020. A total of 11 teams compete in the knockout stage to decide the champions of the 2020 AFC Cup.

On 9 July 2020, AFC announced schedule for 2020 AFC Cup knockout stage.[1][2]

Qualified teams

The following teams advance from the group stage:

  • The winners of each of the three groups and the best runners-up in the West Asia Zone (Groups A–C) and the ASEAN Zone (Groups F–H) advance to the Zonal semi-finals.
  • The winners of each group in the Central Asia Zone (Group D), the South Asia Zone (Group E), and the East Asia Zone (Group I) advance to the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals.
Key to colours
Teams which enter the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals
Teams which enter the Zonal semi-finals
Zone Group Winners Best Runners-up Qualified teams
(Position TBD)
West Asia Zone A
(Group A/B/C)
B
C
Central Asia Zone D — —
South Asia Zone E — —
ASEAN Zone F
(Group F/G/H)
G
H
East Asia Zone I — —

Format

In the knockout stage, the 11 teams play a single-elimination tournament. Each tie is played on a single-leg format.

Schedule

The schedule of each round is as follows (W: West Asia Zone; A: ASEAN Zone).

Round Date
Zonal semi-finals 23–24 November 2020 (W)
20–21 October 2020 (A)
Zonal finals 1 December 2020 (W)
4 November 2020 (A)
Inter-zone play-off semi-finals 24–25 November 2020
Inter-zone play-off final 2 December 2020
Final 12 December 2020

Bracket

The bracket of the knockout stage is determined as follows:

Round Matchups
Zonal semi-finals (Matchups determined by identity of best runners-up)
Zonal finals
Inter-zone play-off semi-finals (Matchups decided by draw, involving Winner Group D, Winner Group E, Winner Group I, and Winner AF)
Inter-zone play-off final
  • IZF: Winner IZSF1 vs. Winner IZSF2
Final
  • Winner WF vs. Winner IZF

The bracket will be decided after the draw for the Zonal finals and the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals, which will be held after the group stage and the Zonal semi-finals are completed.

ASEAN Zonal semi-finals
  		ASEAN Zonal final
(Winner advances to Inter-zone play-off semi-finals)
      
 
 
Winner ASEAN SF1[†]
Winner ASEAN SF2[†]
 
 
West Asia Zonal semi-finals
Inter-zone play-off semi-finals 		West Asia Zonal final
Inter-zone play-off final 		Final
         
 
 
Winner WSF1[†]
West Zone
Winner WSF2[†]
 
 
 
 
 
 
Winner IZSF1
Inter-zonal
Winner IZSF2
 
 
  1. † The "home" team (for administrative purposes) to be decided by draw.

Zonal semi-finals

In the Zonal semi-finals, the four qualified teams from the West Asia Zone (Groups A–C) play in two ties, and the four qualified teams from the ASEAN Zone (Groups F–H) play in two ties, with the matchups determined by the group stage draw and the identity of the best runners-up.

Team 1  Score  Team 2
West Asia Zone
TBD West Asia SF1 23 Nov TBD
TBD West Asia SF2 24 Nov TBD
Team 1  Score  Team 2
ASEAN Zone
TBD ASEAN SF1 20 Oct TBD
TBD ASEAN SF2 21 Oct TBD

West Asia Zone
TBD v TBD
TBD v TBD

ASEAN Zone
TBD v TBD
TBD v TBD

Zonal finals

In the Zonal finals, the two winners of West Asia Zonal semi-finals play each other, and the two winners of ASEAN Zonal semi-finals play each other, with the order of legs decided by draw. The winners of the West Asia Zonal final advance to the final, while the winners of the ASEAN Zonal final advance to the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals.

Team 1  Score  Team 2
West Asia Zone
TBD West Asia F 1 Dec TBD
Team 1  Score  Team 2
ASEAN Zone
TBD ASEAN F 4 Nov TBD

West Asia Zone
Winner West Asia SF1/SF2 v Winner West Asia SF2/SF1

ASEAN Zone
Winner ASEAN SF1/SF2 v Winner ASEAN SF2/SF1

Inter-zone play-off semi-finals

In the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals, the four zonal winners other than the West Asia Zone play in two ties, i.e., the winners of the Central Asia Zone (Group D), the winners of the South Asia Zone (Group E), the winners of the East Asia Zone (Group I), and the winners of the ASEAN Zonal final (whose identity is not known at the time of the draw), with the matchups and order of legs decided by draw, without any seeding.

Teams to be drawn
  • Winner Group D
  • Winner Group E
  • Winner Group I
  • Winner ASEAN Final
Team 1  Score  Team 2
TBD Inter-zone SF1 24 Nov TBD
TBD Inter-zone SF2 25 Nov TBD

TBD v TBD
TBD v TBD

Inter-zone play-off final

In the Inter-zone play-off final, the two winners of the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals play each other, with the order of legs determined by the Inter-zone play-off semi-final draw. The winners of the Inter-zone play-off final advance to the final.

Team 1  Score  Team 2
TBD Inter-zone F 2 Dec TBD

Winner Inter-zone SF1 v Winner Inter-zone SF2

Final

In the final, the winners of the West Asia Zonal final and the winners of the Inter-zone play-off final play each other, with the host team (winners of the West Asia Zonal final) alternated from the previous season's final.[3]

Winner Inter-zone Final v Winner West Asia Final

Notes

    References
    1. "AFC reiterates commitment to complete 2020 competitions with new calendar". AFC. 9 July 2020.
    2. "AFC Cup revised schedule". AFC. 9 July 2020.
    3. "AFC Competitions Committee recommends new AFC Cup format". AFC. 25 November 2016.
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