The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced today that the competition for qualification to the group stage of the 2023/2024 AFC Cup will kick off on August 8.
Seven teams will compete for the seven qualification spots across all five Asian regions. The matches will be played over two legs, with the winner of each tie advancing to the next round.
The first match will be between Machhindra, the two-time Nepalese Premier League champions, and Bhutanese team Paro, who are participating in the preliminary stage for the third time. The match will take place at Dashrath Stadium in Kathmandu on August 8.
The winner of this encounter will then face India's Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the second round of the preliminary stage on August 16. Mohun Bagan, seeking qualification for the seventh time, will be a formidable opponent.
The victorious team will then progress to the playoff stage for the South Asia region, where they will meet the winner of the match between Abahani Limited Dhaka from Bangladesh and Eagles from the Maldives. This encounter is scheduled for August 15.
In the Central Asia region, there will be only one match in the preliminary stage, with Turkmenistan's Merw hosting Alay from Kyrgyzstan on August 15.
The winner of this match will advance to the decisive playoff encounter against Tajikistan's Khujand, which will be held on August 22 in Tajikistan.
The journey for the four teams in the ASEAN region will begin on August 16. Cambodian team Phnom Penh Crown will face Laos' Young Elephants.
In the other preliminary match, Myanmar's Yangon United will compete with DPMM FC from Brunei Darussalam. Both matches will be held on August 16.
The winners of these encounters will continue their quest in the playoff stage, with Tampines Rovers from Singapore facing PSMS Medan from Indonesia.
In the West Asia region, the matches on August 22 will see Bahrain's Al Khalidiya facing Oman's Al Nahda in Manama. Meanwhile, Palestine's Shabab Al-Khalil will play against Syria's Al-Ahli in a neutral ground to secure a spot in the group stage.
The final qualifying spot for the East region will be determined by the winner of the match between Montedio Yamagata from Macau and Taichung Futuro from Chinese Taipei. The match will take place at Macau Olympic Stadium, and both teams are aiming to make their first-ever appearance in the AFC Cup.
The draw for the group stage of the continental championship will take place on August 24.
Source: Qatar News Agency