The 2023–24 AFC Cup knockout stage was played from 12 February to 5 May 2024.[1] A total of 11 teams competed in the knockout stage to decide the champions of the 2023–24 AFC Cup.[2]
The following teams advanced from the group stage:
The winners of the groups and the best runners-up in the West Asia Zone (Groups A–C) and the ASEAN Zone (Groups F–H) advanced to the Zonal semi-finals.
The winners of each group in the South Asia Zone (Group D), the Central Asia Zone (Group E), and the East Asia Zone (Group I) advanced to the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals.
In the knockout stage, the 11 teams will play a single-elimination tournament. Each tie was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis, except the ASEAN Zone's semi-finals, ASEAN Zone's final and the final which will be played as a single match. Extra time and penalty shoot-out will be used to decide the winners if necessary (note that the away goals rule is abolished). (Regulations Article 11.3).
The draw for the Zonal finals and the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals was held on 28 December 2023, 14:00 MYT (UTC+8), at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Round
Matchups
Zonal semi-finals
West Asia Zone
(Matchups and order of legs determined by identity of best runners-up: first team listed host first leg, second team listed host second leg)
If best runners-up from Group A
WSF1: Group C winners vs. Group A winners
WSF2: Group A runners-up vs. Group B winners
If best runners-up from Group B
WSF1: Group A winners vs. Group B winners
WSF2: Group B runners-up vs. Group C winners
If best runners-up from Group C
WSF1: Group B winners vs. Group C winners
WSF2: Group C runners-up vs. Group A winners
ASEAN Zone
(Matchups and host determined by identity of best runners-up)
If best runners-up from Group F
ASF1: Group F winners vs. Group H winners
ASF2: Group G winners vs. Group F runners-up
If best runners-up from Group G
ASF1: Group G winners vs. Group F winners
ASF2: Group H winners vs. Group G runners-up
If best runners-up from Group H
ASF1: Group H winners vs. Group G winners
ASF2: Group F winners vs. Group H runners-up
Zonal finals
(Order of legs decided by draw)
West Asia Zone
WF: Winners of WSF1 vs. Winners of WSF2
ASEAN Zone
AF: Winners of ASF1 vs. Winners of ASF2
Inter-zone play-off semi-finals
(Matchups and order of legs decided by draw, involving winners of Group D, Group E, Group I, and AF)
IZSF1
IZSF2
Inter-zone play-off final
(Winners of IZSF1 host first leg, Winners of IZSF2 host second leg)
IZF: Winners of IZSF1 vs. Winners of IZSF2
Final
(Winners of West Zone host match, as alternated from previous season's final)
In the Zonal semi-finals, the four qualified teams from the West Asia Zone (Groups A–C) play in two ties, and the four qualified teams from the ASEAN Zone (Groups F–H) play in two ties, with the matchups and order of legs determined by the group stage draw and the identity of the best runners-up.
Draw for the Zonal finals was held on 28 December. In the Zonal finals, the two winners of West Asia Zonal semi-finals play each other, with the order of legs decided by draw. The two winners of ASEAN Zonal semi-finals play each other, with the host decided by draw. The winners of the West Asia Zonal final advances to the final, while the winners of the ASEAN Zonal final advance to the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals.
Draw for the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals was held on 28 December. In the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals, the four zonal winners other than the West Asia Zone play in two ties (the winners of the South Asia Zone (Group D), the winners of the Central Asia Zone (Group E), the winners of the East Asia Zone (Group I), and the winners of the ASEAN Zonal final. The matchups and order of legs will be decided by draw.
In the Inter-zone play-off final, the two winners of the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals will play each other, with the order of legs determined by the Inter-zone play-off semi-final draw. The winners of the Inter-zone play-off final advance to the final.
In the final, the winners of the West Asia Zonal final and the winners of the Inter-zone play-off final will play each other, with the host team (winners of the West Zone) alternated from the previous season's final.