AFC Champions League Two

The AFC Champions League Two (previously known as the AFC Cup, abbreviated as the ACL Two) is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation. It is the second-tier competition of Asian club football, ranked below the AFC Champions League Elite and above the AFC Challenge League.

AFC Champions League Two
Organising bodyAFC
Founded2004 (2004)
(rebranded in 2024)
RegionAsia
Number of teams32 (group stage)
Qualifier forAFC Champions League Elite
Related competitionsAFC Champions League Elite (1st tier)
AFC Challenge League (3rd tier)
Current champions Central Coast Mariners (1st title)
Most successful club(s) Al-Kuwait
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
(3 titles each)
2024–25 AFC Champions League Two

The tournament was founded in 2004 as the AFC Cup, which was played primarily among clubs from nations that did not receive direct qualifying slots to the top-tier AFC Champions League. In 2024, the AFC introduced a revamped second-tier club competition under the name AFC Champions League Two, with the records and statistics of the AFC Cup transferring to the new competition.

Clubs qualify for the competition based on their performance in national leagues and cup competitions. Participation in the competition is open to clubs from the top 12 nations in the East and the West region based on the AFC club competitions ranking. The participant from each nation ranked 1–6 in each region is the highest-placed club in that nation that did not qualify for the AFC Champions League Elite. The nations ranked 7–12 in each region enter their top club(s) directly to the AFC Champions League Two.

The current champions are Central Coast Mariners, who defeated Al-Ahed in the 2024 final. Al-Kuwait and Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya are the most successful clubs in the competition's history, having won three titles each. Clubs from Kuwait have won four titles, making them the most successful nation in the competition.

History
Winners
SeasonWinners
AFC Cup
2004 Al-Jaish
2005 Al-Faisaly
2006 Al-Faisaly
2007 Shabab Al-Ordon
2008 Al-Muharraq
2009 Kuwait SC
2010 Al-Ittihad
2011 Nasaf
2012 Kuwait SC
2013 Kuwait SC
2014 Al-Qadsia
2015 Johor Darul Ta'zim
2016 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
2017 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
2018 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
2019 Al Ahed
2021 Al-Muharraq
2022 Al-Seeb
2023–24 Central Coast Mariners
AFC Champions League Two
2024–25

The AFC Cup began in 2004 as a second-tier competition to relate back to the AFC Champions League as 14 countries that had developing status competed in the first competition with 18 teams being nominated. The winners and three runners-up would then head to the knock-out stage where it was a random draw in who was going to play. Al-Jaish took the first AFC Cup after they defeated fellow Syrian opponents Al-Wahda on away goals.

In 2005, 18 teams competed from nine nations with the nations still being allowed to choose from one or two teams entering. After Syrian teams left the AFC Cup to try at the AFC Champions League for four years, Al-Faisaly defeated Nejmeh in the final. With it, Jordanian teams would win the next two AFC Cup seasons with Bahrain joining the league while Bangladesh was relegated to the AFC President's Cup until the tournament's abolition in 2014.

Al-Muharraq would break the trend in 2008 as they competed in the last two-legged final before it headed back into a one-leg system, a rule that was never changed till the termination of this tournament.

On 23 December 2022, it was announced that the AFC competition structure would change from the established formats from the 2024–25 season. A new second-tier tournament called the AFC Champions League Two would be introduced.[1] Meanwhile, a new third-tier competition was also launched under the name AFC Challenge League.[2][3][4]

On 24 May 2024, AFC announced that the records and statistics of the preceding AFC club competitions will be recognised and integrated within the revamped club competitions, with the data from the AFC Cup transferring to the AFC Champions League Two.[5]

Format

Some changes were applied in terms of teams and format for the 2017 AFC Cup. A total of 36 teams participated in the group stage (12 each from West Asia and ASEAN, and 4 each from East Asia, Central Asia, and South Asia). The final is played as a one-off match.

Allocation

The allocation of group stage teams by member country was listed below; asterisks represent occasions where at least one team was eliminated in qualification for the group stage. Those who had not reached the group stage but had only played in qualification are not bolded.

Associations Spots
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023–24
East
China 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Chinese Taipei 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0* 1 1 1* 1 1 2*
Guam 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0* 0 0 0 0 0 0
Hong Kong 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 2 1 2 2 0
Japan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Macau 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0* 0 1 0 1 0 0 1*
Mongolia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0* 1 0* 0* 0* 1 0* 1
North Korea 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 1* 0 0 0 0
South Korea 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 4 4 4 4 3 4
ASEAN
Australia Part of OFC 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
Brunei 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0* 0* 0 0*
Cambodia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1* 1 1 1 2 2 1*
Indonesia 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 2 1 2 2 2 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 2*
Laos 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0* 0* 1 1* 0* 1 0*
Malaysia 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 0 0 2 2 2
Myanmar 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 1*
Philippines 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1* 2 2 2 2 2 0 1 2
Singapore 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1*
Thailand 0 0 0± 1 0 2 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Timor-Leste 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0* 1 0 0
Vietnam 0 0 0 1 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 1 1
Total 4 4 4 6 4 8 8 7 10 10 10 10 9 11 12 12 12 11 11 12
South
Bangladesh 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0* 1 1* 1* 1 1* 1* 1* 1*
Bhutan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0* 0* 0* 0* 0* 0* 0* 0*
India 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1* 2 2 2*
Maldives 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1* 2 2 2 2 1* 1* 0 2 1* 1* 1*
Nepal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0* 0 0* 0 1 0 0* 0* 0*
Pakistan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0* 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sri Lanka 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0* 0 0* 0* 0* 0* 0
Total 5 6 6 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Central
Afghanistan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0* 0 0 0 0 0 0
Iran 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kyrgyzstan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0* 0* 2 1* 1* 2 2 2 1*
Tajikistan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 1* 1* 1* 1* 2 2 2 2 1*
Turkmenistan 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1* 1* 1* 2 1* 2 2 2 2*
Uzbekistan 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0
Total 2 2 2 2 0 1 1 2 1 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 7 7 7 4
West
Bahrain 0 0 1 1 2 2 1 0 0 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1*
Iraq 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 2
Jordan 0 2 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 1
Kuwait 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 3 3 2 2 2 0 0 0 2 2 1 2 2
Lebanon 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Oman 1 0 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1* 2 2 2 1* 1* 0 2 1*
Palestine 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0* 1* 2 0* 0* 1 1 2 2 1*
Qatar 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Saudi Arabia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Syria 2 0 0 0 0 2 3 3 2 1* 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2*
United Arab Emirates 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Yemen 1 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0* 0* 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 6 4 6 10 10 17 16 17 16 14 14 14 14 12 12 12 12 11 12 12
Total
Finals 18 18 20 24 20 32 31 32 32 32 32 32 32 34 36 36 39 37 37 36
Qualifying 18 18 20 24 20 32 31 32 33 33 34 41 40 50 44 43 48 43 43 49

Prize money

The prize money for the 2024–25 AFC Champions League Two:

Place Teams Amount[6]
Per team Total
Champions 1 $2.5m $2,500,000
Runners-up 1 $1m $1,000,000
3rd–4th place (semi-finals) 2 $240k $4,800,000
5th–8th place (quarter-finals) 4 $160k $640,000
9th–16th place (round of 16) 8 $80k $640,000
17th–32nd place (group stage) 16 $300k $4,800,000
Total 32 $10,060,000

Marketing

Sponsorship

The tournament has been sponsored by a group of multinational corporations, in contrast to the single main sponsor typically found in national top-flight leagues.

The tournament's main sponsors were:[7]

Results and statistics

Finals
Main article: List of AFC Cup and AFC Champions League Two finals
List of AFC Cup and AFC Champions League Two finals
Season Nation Winners Score Runners-up Nation Venue Attendance
AFC Cup era (2004–2024)
Two-legged format
2004  Syria Al-Jaish 3–2 Al-Wahda  Syria Abbasiyyin Stadium, Damascus, Syria
0–1 Abbasiyyin Stadium, Damascus, Syria
Aggregate 3–3, Al-Jaish won on away goals.
2005  Jordan Al-Faisaly 1–0 Nejmeh  Lebanon Amman International Stadium, Amman, Jordan
3–2 Rafic Hariri Stadium, Beirut, Lebanon
Al-Faisaly won 4–2 on aggregate.
2006  Jordan Al-Faisaly 3–0 Al-Muharraq  Bahrain Amman International Stadium, Amman, Jordan 7,000
2–4 Bahrain National Stadium, Riffa, Bahrain 3,000
Al-Faisaly won 5–4 on aggregate.
2007  Jordan Shabab Al-Ordon 1–0 Al-Faisaly  Jordan Amman International Stadium, Amman, Jordan 5,500
1–1 Amman International Stadium, Amman, Jordan 7,500
Shabab Al-Ordon won 2–1 on aggregate.
2008  Bahrain Al-Muharraq 5–1 Safa  Lebanon Bahrain National Stadium, Riffa, Bahrain 6,000
5–4 Sports City Stadium, Beirut, Lebanon 2,000
Al-Muharraq won 10–5 on aggregate.
Single match format
2009  Kuwait Al-Kuwait 2–1 Al-Karamah  Syria Al Kuwait Sports Club Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait 17,400
2010  Syria Al-Ittihad 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(4–2 p)		 Al-Qadsia  Kuwait Jaber International Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait 58,604
2011  Uzbekistan Nasaf 2–1 Al-Kuwait  Kuwait Markaziy Stadium, Qarshi, Uzbekistan 15,753
2012  Kuwait Al-Kuwait 4–0 Erbil  Iraq Franso Hariri Stadium, Erbil, Iraq 30,000
2013  Kuwait Al-Kuwait 2–0 Al-Qadsia  Kuwait Al-Sadaqua Walsalam Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait 10,000
2014  Kuwait Al-Qadsia 0–0 (a.e.t.)
(4–2 p)		 Erbil  Iraq Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai, UAE 5,240
2015  Malaysia Johor Darul Ta'zim 1–0 Istiklol  Tajikistan Pamir Stadium, Dushanbe, Tajikistan 18,000
2016  Iraq Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 1–0 Bengaluru  India Suheim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar 5,806
2017  Iraq Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 1–0 Istiklol  Tajikistan Hisor Central Stadium, Hisor, Tajikistan 20,000
2018  Iraq Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 2–0 Altyn Asyr  Turkmenistan Basra International Stadium, Basra, Iraq 24,665
2019  Lebanon Al-Ahed 1–0 April 25  North Korea Kuala Lumpur Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 500
2020 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia.[8]
2021  Bahrain Al-Muharraq 3–0 Nasaf  Uzbekistan Al-Muharraq Stadium, Arad, Bahrain 9,060
2022  Oman Al-Seeb 3–0 Kuala Lumpur City  Malaysia Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 27,722
2023–24  Australia Central Coast Mariners 1–0 Al-Ahed  Lebanon Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat, Oman 1,930
AFC Champions League Two era (2024–present)
2024–25 v

Performance by clubs
Performances in the AFC Cup and AFC Champions League Two by club
Club		 Winners Runners-up Years won Years runners-up
Al-Kuwait 3 1 2009, 2012, 2013 2011
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 3 0 2016, 2017, 2018
Al-Faisaly 2 1 2005, 2006 2007
Al-Muharraq 2 1 2008, 2021 2006
Al-Qadsia 1 2 2014 2010, 2013
Nasaf Qarshi 1 1 2011 2021
Al-Ahed 1 1 2019 2023–24
Al-Jaish 1 0 2004
Shabab Al-Ordon 1 0 2007
Al-Ittihad 1 0 2010
Johor Darul Ta'zim 1 0 2015
Al-Seeb 1 0 2022
Central Coast Mariners 1 0 2023–24
Erbil 0 2 2012, 2014
Istiklol 0 2 2015, 2017
Al-Wahda 0 1 2004
Nejmeh 0 1 2005
Safa 0 1 2008
Al-Karamah 0 1 2009
Bengaluru 0 1 2016
Altyn Asyr 0 1 2018
April 25 0 1 2019
Kuala Lumpur City 0 1 2022

Performance by nations
Nation Titles Runners-up Total
 Kuwait 4 3 7
 Iraq 3 2 5
 Jordan 3 1 4
 Syria 2 2 4
 Bahrain 2 1 3
 Lebanon 1 3 4
 Uzbekistan 1 1 2
 Malaysia 1 1 2
 Oman 1 0 1
 Australia 1 0 1
 Tajikistan 0 2 2
 India 0 1 1
 Turkmenistan 0 1 1
 North Korea 0 1 1

See also

References
  1. "History beckons for AFC Cup 2023/24 contenders as final edition of popular competition kicks off". the-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 15 September 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  2. "AFC Competitions Committee recommends strategic reforms to elevate Asian club football". theAFC.com. Archived from the original on 24 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  3. "AFC Executive Committee approves biggest prize purse in Asian club football history from 2024/25; announces AFC Women's Champions League". AFC. 14 August 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  4. "AFC Club Competitions 2024/25 Slot Allocation" (PDF). Football Association of Singapore. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  5. "Pivotal reforms approved by AFC Competitions Committee". the-AFC. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  6. "AFC Champions League 2 Prize Money". X (formerly twitter).
  7. "AFC Cup League". Archived from the original on 27 February 2013. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  8. "AFC Executive Committee announces updates to 2020 competitions calendar". AFC. 10 September 2020. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  9. "AFC Cup: Marañón leads all-time top scorers". the-afc.com. Archived from the original on 11 May 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
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