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2024–25 AFC Challenge League group stage

The 2024–25 AFC Challenge League group stage will be played from October 26th to November 2nd, 2024.[1]

Draw

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The draw for the group stage took place on August 22 at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The 18 teams were drawn into five groups: three comprising four teams from the West each (Groups A–C) and two involving three teams from the East each (Groups D–E).[2] Teams were seeded into pots: four pots for West region and three pots for East region, and drawn into the relevant positions within each group, based on their association ranking. Teams from the same association could not be drawn into the same group.

The following 18 teams entered the group stage draw, which included the 14 direct entrants, two losers from the AFC Champions League Two qualifying play-offs (labeled ACL2) and the two winners of the preliminary stage (labeled PS).

Region Groups Pot 1 Pot 2 Pot 3 Pot 4
West Region A–C   East BengalACL2   Arkadag   Bashundhara Kings   Hilal Al-Quds
  Al-Ahli ClubACL2   Nejmeh   Al-Seeb   Abdysh-Ata KantPS
  Al-Arabi   Al-Fotuwa   Maziya   ParoPS
East Region D–E   Madura United   Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng   Young Elephants —
  Shan United   Taiwan Steel   SP Falcons —

Format

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In the group stage, each group will be played in a single round-robin format on a centralised venue. Eight teams will progress to the quarter-finals of the knockout stage : the three group winners and best-ranked runners-up from the West, and the group winners and runner-ups of each group from the East.

Tiebreakers

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The teams were ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, tiebreakers were applied in the following order (Regulations Article 8.3):[3]

  1. Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  2. Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  3. Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  4. If more than two teams were tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams were still tied, all head-to-head criteria above were reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams;
  5. Goal difference in all group matches;
  6. Goals scored in all group matches;
  7. Penalty shoot-out if only two teams playing each other in the last round of the group are tied;
  8. Disciplinary points (yellow card = 1 point, red card as a result of two yellow cards = 3 points, direct red card = 3 points, yellow card followed by direct red card = 4 points);
  9. Drawing of lots.

Schedule

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The schedule of the group stage is as follows.[4]

Round Dates (West region) Dates (East region)
Matchday 1 26 October 2024 27 October 2024
Matchday 2 29 October 2024 30 October 2024
Matchday 3 1 November 2024 2 November 2024

Groups

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The detailed schedule was announced on 22 August 2024 after the draw ceremony.[5]

West Region

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Group A

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Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification EAB NJM BSK PAR
1   East Bengal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to Quarter-finals — 1 Nov — 26 Oct
2   Nejmeh 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Possible advance to Quarter-finals — — 26 Oct —
3   Bashundhara Kings 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 29 Oct — — 1 Nov
4   Paro (H) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 29 Oct — —
First match(es) will be played: 26 October 2024. Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
East Bengal  v  Paro
Nejmeh  v  Bashundhara Kings
Paro  v  Nejmeh
East Bengal  v  Nejmeh
Bashundhara Kings  v  Paro

Group B

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Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification AAK AKG MAZ ABD
1   Al-Arabi (H) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to Quarter-finals — 1 Nov — 26 Oct
2   Arkadag 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Possible advance to Quarter-finals — — 26 Oct —
3   Maziya 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 29 Oct — — 1 Nov
4   Abdysh-Ata Kant 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 29 Oct — —
First match(es) will be played: 26 October 2024. Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Arkadag  v  Maziya
Maziya  v  Al Arabi

Group C

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Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification AAM AFT ASB HAQ
1   Al-Ahli Club 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to Quarter-finals — 1 Nov — 26 Oct
2   Al-Fotuwa 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Possible advance to Quarter-finals — — 26 Oct —
3   Al-Seeb (H) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 29 Oct — — 1 Nov
4   Hilal Al-Quds 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 29 Oct — —
First match(es) will be played: 26 October 2024. Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Al-Ahli Club  v  Hilal Al-Quds
Al-Fotuwa  v  Al-Seeb
Hilal Al-Quds  v  Al-Fotuwa
Al-Seeb  v  Al-Ahli Club
Al-Ahli Club  v  Al-Fotuwa
Al-Seeb  v  Hilal Al-Quds

Ranking of runners-up teams

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Pos Grp Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 A   Nejmeh 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to Quarter-finals
2 B   Arkadag 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 C   Al-Fotuwa 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
First match(es) will be played: 26 October 2024. Source: AFC

East Region

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Group D

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Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification SNU TNC YEP
1   Shan United (H) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to Quarter-finals — 2 Nov —
2   Taiwan Steel 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — — 30 Oct
3   Young Elephants 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 27 Oct — —
First match(es) will be played: 27 October 2024. Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Young Elephants  v  Shan United
Taiwan Steel  v  Young Elephants
Shan United  v  Taiwan Steel

Group E

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Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification MDU PRR SPF
1   Madura United 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to Quarter-finals — 2 Nov —
2   Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — — 30 Oct
3   SP Falcons (H) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 27 Oct — —
First match(es) will be played: 27 October 2024. Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
SP Falcons  v  Madura United

References

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  1. ^ "AFC Competitions Calendar (Jul 2024 - Jun 2025)" (PDF). the-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
  2. ^ "#ChallengeLeague draw to decide 2024/25 Group Stage battles". Asian Football Confederation. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  3. ^ "AFC Challenge League 2024/25 Competition Regulations" (PDF). Asian Football Confederation. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  4. ^ "AFC Competitions Committee approves key decisions on reformatted competitions". AFC. 1 July 2023.
  5. ^ "2024–25 AFC Challenge League Group Stage Draw Results & Match Schedule" (PDF). Asian Football Confederation. 22 August 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
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