2021 AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs

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]

Teams

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

  • 2 teams entered in the preliminary round.
  • 13 teams entered in the play-off round.
Region Teams 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]

Round West Region East Region
Preliminary round Not played
Play-off round 7 and 10 April 2021 23 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
Al-Gharafa 0
AGMK (a.e.t.) 1

Play-off West 2

Preliminary round Play-off round
Al-Wehda 1 (2)
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (p) 1 (3)

Play-off West 3

Preliminary round Play-off round
Foolad 4
Al-Ain 0

Play-off West 4

Preliminary round Play-off round
Al-Wahda 2
Al-Zawraa 1

Play-off East 1

Preliminary round Play-off round
Shanghai Port 0
Brisbane Roar (w/o) — Kaya–Iloilo 1
Kaya–Iloilo —

Play-off East 2

Preliminary round Play-off round
Cerezo Osaka (w/o) —
Melbourne City (w/o) — Melbourne City —
Shan United —

Play-off East 3

Preliminary round Play-off round
Pohang Steelers —
Ratchaburi Mitr Phol —

Play-off East 4

Preliminary round Play-off round
Daegu FC —
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 Cancelled[note 2] Kaya–Iloilo
Melbourne City Cancelled[note 4] 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 0–1 (a.e.t.) AGMK
Al-Wehda 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(2–3 p) 		Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
Foolad 4–0 Al-Ain
Al-Wahda 2–1 Al-Zawraa
Team 1  Score  Team 2
East Region
Shanghai Port 0–1 Kaya–Iloilo
Cerezo Osaka Cancelled[note 2] Melbourne City
Pohang Steelers Cancelled[note 3] Ratchaburi Mitr Phol
Daegu FC Cancelled[note 2] Chiangrai United

West Region

Al-Gharafa 0–1 (a.e.t.) AGMK
Live Report
Stats Report
  • Đokić 120'
Attendance: 0
Referee: Ali Sabah (Iraq)
Al-Wehda 1–1 (a.e.t.) Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
 Live Report
Stats Report
Penalties
 2–3
Attendance: 50
Referee: Omar Al-Yaqoubi (Oman)
Al-Wahda 2–1 Al-Zawraa
 Live Report
Stats Report
Attendance: 0

East Region

Shanghai Port 0–1 Kaya–Iloilo
Live Report
Stats Report		 Menzi 17'
Attendance: 0
Referee: Shaun Evans (Australia)

Notes

  1. ^ Shandong Taishan, which were originally entered as China 2, had not satisfied the mandatory Criterion F.04 of the AFC Club Licensing Regulations (Edition 2016) concerning overdue payables. Thus, its license was withdrawn by the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) independent Entry Control Body, and thus 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. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 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. ^ a b c d Pohang Steelers and Ratchaburi Mitr Phol entered the group stage instead of the qualifying play-offs after Jiangsu ceased operations.[12]
  4. ^ a b c d e 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] thus their opponent Cerezo Osaka entered the group stage.[10]
  5. ^ a b 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. ^ a b "AFC Competitions Calendar 2021". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 5 December 2019.
  2. ^ a b "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. ^ a b "Latest update on AFC Champions League". AFC. 4 June 2021.
  10. ^ a b "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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