2020 AFC Cup
The 2020 AFC Cup is the 17th edition of the AFC Cup, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation.
The winners of the tournament will automatically qualify for the 2021 AFC Champions League, entering the qualifying play-offs, if they have not qualified through their domestic performance, the first time since 2014 that an AFC Cup holders are guaranteed automatic qualification.
Al-Ahed of Lebanon are the defending champions.
The competition will suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic until at least the end of June 2020.
On 9 July, it was announced that the AFC Cup would return on 23 September and conclude on 12 December, with the ASEAN group stage matches to be held in centralised venues.
Association team allocation
The 47 AFC member associations are ranked based on their national team's and clubs' performance over the last four years in AFC competitions, with the allocation of slots for the 2019 and 2020 editions of the AFC club competitions determined by the 2017 AFC rankings :- The associations are split into five zones:
- *West Asia Zone consists of the associations from the West Asian Football Federation.
- *Central Asia Zone consists of the associations from Central Asian Football Association.
- *South Asia Zone consists of the associations from the South Asian Football Federation.
- *ASEAN Zone consists of the associations from the ASEAN Football Federation.
- *East Asia Zone consists of the associations from the East Asian Football Federation.
- All associations which do not receive direct slots in the AFC Champions League group stage are eligible to enter the AFC Cup.
- In each zone, the number of groups in the group stage is determined based on the number of entries, with the number of slots filled through play-offs same as the number of groups:
- *In the West Asia Zone and the ASEAN Zone, there are three groups in the group stage, including a total of 9 direct slots, with the 3 remaining slots filled through play-offs.
- *In the Central Asia Zone, the South Asia Zone, and the East Asia Zone, there is one group in the group stage, including a total of 3 direct slots, with the 1 remaining slot filled through play-offs.
- The top associations participating in the AFC Cup in each zone as per the AFC rankings get at least one direct slot in the group stage, while the remaining associations get only play-off slots:
- *For the West Asia Zone and the ASEAN zone:
- **The associations ranked 1st to 3rd each get two direct slots.
- **The associations ranked 4th to 6th each get one direct slot and one play-off slot.
- **The associations ranked 7th or below each get one play-off slot.
- *For the Central Asia Zone, the South Asia Zone, and the East Asia zone:
- **The associations ranked 1st to 3rd each get one direct slot and one play-off slot.
- **The associations ranked 4th or below each get one play-off slot.
- The maximum number of slots for each association is one-third of the total number of eligible teams in the top division.
- If any association gives up its direct slots, they are redistributed to the highest eligible association, with each association limited to a maximum of two direct slots.
- If any association gives up its play-off slots, they are annulled and not redistributed to any other association.
- If the number of teams in the play-offs in any zone is fewer than twice the number of group stage slots filled through play-offs, the play-off teams of the highest eligible associations are given byes to the group stage.
Association ranking
;Notes
Teams
The following 48 teams from 28 associations enter the competition. Teams from Brunei and Timor-Leste entered the AFC Cup for the first time.| Team | Qualifying method | App |
 Al-Jaish | 2018–19 Syrian Premier League champions | 10th |
| Al-Wathba | 2018–19 Syrian Cup winners | 1st |
 Al-Faisaly | 2018–19 Jordanian Pro League champions 2018–19 Jordan FA Cup winners | 10th |
| Al-Jazeera | 2018–19 Jordanian Pro League runners-up | 4th |
 Al-Kuwait | 2018–19 Kuwaiti Premier League champions 2018–19 Kuwait Emir Cup winners | 9th |
| Al-Qadsia | 2018–19 Kuwaiti Premier League runners-up | 8th |
 Al-Riffa | 2018–19 Bahraini Premier League champions 2018–19 Bahraini King's Cup winners | 5th |
| Manama | 2018–19 Bahraini Premier League runners-up | 2nd |
 Al-Ahed | 2018–19 Lebanese Premier League champions 2018–19 Lebanese FA Cup winners | 10th |
| Al-Ansar | 2018–19 Lebanese Premier League runners-up | 6th |
 Dhofar | 2018–19 Oman Professional League champions | 5th |
| Team | Qualifying method | App |
 Istiklol | 2019 Tajikistan Higher League champions 2019 Tajikistan Cup winners | 6th |
 Altyn Asyr | 2019 Ýokary Liga champions 2019 Turkmenistan Cup winners | 6th |
 Dordoi | 2019 Kyrgyz Premier League champions | 5th |
| Team | Qualifying method | App |
| Ahal | 2019 Ýokary Liga runners-up | 4th |
| Neftchi | 2019 Kyrgyzstan Cup winners | 1st |
| Team | Qualifying method | App |
 Chennai City | 2018–19 I-League champions | 1st |
 TC Sports | 2018 Dhivehi Premier League champions | 2nd |
 Bashundhara Kings | 2018–19 Bangladesh Premier League champions | 1st |
| Team | Qualifying method | App |
 Paro | 2019 Bhutan Premier League champions | 1st |
 Defenders | 2018–19 Sri Lanka Champions League champions | 1st |
| Team | Qualifying method | App |
 Hồ Chí Minh City | 2019 V.League 1 runners-up | 1st |
| Than Quảng Ninh | 2019 V.League 1 3rd place | 2nd |
 Ceres–Negros/United City | 2019 Philippines Football League champions 2019 Copa Paulino Alcantara winners | 6th |
| Kaya–Iloilo | 2019 Philippines Football League runners-up | 3rd |
 Tampines Rovers | 2019 Singapore Premier League runners-up 2019 Singapore Cup winners | 12th |
| Hougang United | 2019 Singapore Premier League 3rd place | 1st |
 Bali United | 2019 Liga 1 champions | 2nd |
 Shan United | 2019 Myanmar National League champions | 3rd |
 Lao Toyota | 2019 Lao Premier League champions 2019 Lao FF Cup winners | 6th |
| Team | Qualifying method | App |
 Kitchee | 2018–19 Hong Kong FA Cup winners | 8th |
 Tatung | 2019 Taiwan Premier League champions | 2nd |
 MUST CPK | 2019 Liga de Elite champions | 1st |
| Team | Qualifying method | App |
| Tai Po | 2018–19 Hong Kong Premier League champions | 3rd |
;Notes
Schedule
The schedule of the competition is as follows.Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the following changes to the schedule had been made:
- The AFC announced on 11 February 2020 that all East Asia Zone preliminary round, play-off round and group stage matches would be postponed.
- *Preliminary round: from 5 and 12 February to 7 and 14 April
- *Play-off round: from 19 and 26 February to 21 and 28 April
- *Matchday 1: from 11 March to 6 May
- *Matchday 2: from 15 April to 13 May
- *Matchday 3: from 29 April to 20 May
- *Matchday 4: from 13 May to 6 May
- *Matchday 5: from 27 May to 17 June
- *Matchday 6: from 17 June to 24 June
- The AFC announced on 12 March 2020 that all West Asia Zone group stage matches yet to be played would be postponed to new dates yet to be confirmed, and the West Asia Zonal semi-finals would be postponed from 25–26 May and 15–16 June to 24–25 August and 14–15 September.
- The AFC announced on 18 March 2020 that all AFC Cup matches would be postponed until further notice.
- The AFC announced the calendar of remaining matches on 9 July 2020 but the venues for the centralised groups are to be confirmed.
Qualifying play-offs
Preliminary round 1
Preliminary round 2
Play-off round
Group stage
| Tiebreakers |
Group A
Group B
Group C
Group D
Group E
Group F
Group G
Group H
Group I
Ranking of second-placed teams
West Asia Zone
ASEAN Zone
Knockout stage
Zonal semi-finals
;West Asia Zone- If best runners-up from Group A
- *SF1: Group A winners vs. Group C winners
- *SF2: Group A runners-up vs. Group B winners
- If best runners-up from Group B
- *SF1: Group B winners vs. Group A winners
- *SF2: Group B runners-up vs. Group C winners
- If best runners-up from Group C
- *SF1: Group C winners vs. Group B winners
- *SF2: Group C runners-up vs. Group A winners
- If best runners-up from Group F
- *SF1: Group F winners vs. Group H winners
- *SF2: Group F runners-up vs. Group G winners
- If best runners-up from Group G
- *SF1: Group G winners vs. Group F winners
- *SF2: Group G runners-up vs. Group H winners
- If best runners-up from Group H
- *SF1: Group H winners vs. Group G winners
- *SF2: Group H runners-up vs. Group F winners
Zonal finals
;West Asia Zone teams to be drawn- Winners of West Asia Zone SF1
- Winners of West Asia Zone SF2
- Winners of ASEAN Zone SF1
- Winners of ASEAN Zone SF2
Inter-zone play-off semi-finals
;Teams to be drawn- Winners of Central Asia Zone
- Winners of South Asia Zone
- Winners of East Asia Zone
- Winners of ASEAN Zone final
Inter-zone play-off final