The 2022 AFC Cup knockout stage was played from 9 August to 22 October 2022.[1] A total of 12 teams competed in the knockout stage to decide the champions of the 2022 AFC Cup.[2]
Qualified teams
The following teams advanced 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 G–I), advanced to the Zonal semi-finals.
The winners of each group in the South Asia Zone (Group D), and the East Asia Zone (Group J) advanced to the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals.
The winners of each group in the Central Asia Zone (Groups E–F) advanced to the Zonal finals.
In the knockout stage, the 12 teams played a single-elimination tournament. The extra time and penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winners if necessary (Regulations Article 9.3 and 10.1).
Schedule
The schedule of each round was as follows.[1]
Round
West Asia
South Asia
Central Asia
ASEAN
East Asia
Zonal semi-finals
5–6 September 2022
Not played
9–10 August 2022
Not played
Zonal finals
4 October 2022
Not played
17 August 2022
24 August 2022
Not played
Inter-zone play-off semi-finals
Not played
6–7 September 2022
Inter-zone play-off final
5 October 2022
Final
22 October 2022
Bracket
The draw for the Zonal finals and the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals was held on 14 July 2022.
The bracket of the knockout stage was determined as follows:
The Zonal semi-finals were played over one leg, with the home team determined by the following tables based on which group runners-up qualified. The group winner hosts the match against a group runner-up. If two group winners played each other, one of the group winners hosted the match.
The Zonal finals were played over one leg, with the home team decided by draw. The winners of the West Asia Zonal final advanced to the final, while the winners of the Central Asia Zonal final and ASEAN Zonal final advanced to the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals.
In the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals, the four zonal winners other than the West Asia Zone played in two ties, i.e., the winners of the South Asia Zone (Group D), the winners of the East Asia Zone (Group J), the winners of the Central Zonal final, and the winners of the ASEAN Zonal final, with the matchups and home team decided by draw, without any seeding.
In the Inter-zone play-off final, the two winners of the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals played each other, with the home team determined by the Inter-zone play-off semi-final draw. The winners of the Inter-zone play-off final advanced to the final.