The 2020 AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs were played from 14 to 28 January 2020. A total of 28 teams competed in the qualifying play-offs to decide the remaining eight of the 32 places in the group stage of the 2020 AFC Champions League.
Teams The following 28 teams, split into two regions (West Region and East Region), entered the qualifying play-offs, consisting of three rounds:
8 teams entered in the preliminary round 1. 12 teams entered in the preliminary round 2. 8 teams entered in the play-off round. Region Teams entering in play-off round Teams entering in preliminary round 2 Teams entering in preliminary round 1 West Region Al-Ain Al-Ahli Al-Sailiya Al-Rayyan Esteghlal Shahr Khodro Lokomotiv Tashkent Bunyodkor Al-Zawraa Istiklol Chennai City Al-Faisaly Al-Kuwait Al-Riffa East Region FC Seoul Shanghai SIPG FC Tokyo Kashima Antlers Ceres–Negros Tampines Rovers Bali United Shan United
In the qualifying play-offs, each tie was played as a single match. Extra time and a penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winner if necessary (Regulations Article 9.2).
Schedule The schedule of each round was as follows.
Round Match date Preliminary round 1 14 January 2020 Preliminary round 2 21 January 2020 Play-off round 28 January 2020
Bracket The bracket of the qualifying play-offs for each region was determined based on the association ranking of each team, with the team from the higher-ranked association hosting the match. Teams from the same association could not be placed into the same tie. The eight winners of the play-off round (four each from both West Region and East Region) advanced to the group stage to join the 24 direct entrants. All losers in each round from associations with only play-off slots entered the AFC Cup group stage.
Play-off West 1 Al-Ain advanced to Group D.
Play-off West 2 Al-Ahli advanced to Group A.
Play-off West 3 Shahr Khodro advanced to Group B.
Play-off West 4 Esteghlal advanced to Group A.
Play-off East 1 FC Seoul advanced to Group E.
Play-off East 2 Shanghai SIPG advanced to Group H.
Play-off East 3 FC Tokyo advanced to Group F.
Play-off East 4 Melbourne Victory advanced to Group E.
Preliminary round 1
Summary A total of eight teams played in the preliminary round 1.
Team 1 Score Team 2 West Region Chennai City 0–1 Al-Riffa Al-Faisaly 1–2 (a.e.t.) Al-Kuwait
Team 1 Score Team 2 East Region Ceres–Negros 3–2 Shan United Tampines Rovers 3–5 (a.e.t.) Bali United
West Region 14 January 2020 (2020-01-14 )
18:00 UTC+5:30
Chennai City 0–1 Al-Riffa Live Report Stats Report
The Arena, Ahmedabad
Attendance: 1,227
Referee: Sherzod Kasimov (Uzbekistan)
14 January 2020 (2020-01-14 )
18:00 UTC+2
Al-Faisaly 1–2 (a.e.t.) Al-Kuwait Live Report Stats Report Nasser 34' Al Hajeri 119'
Amman International Stadium, Amman
Attendance: 54
Referee: Yusuke Araki (Japan)
East Region 14 January 2020 (2020-01-14 )
19:30 UTC+8
Ceres–Negros 3–2 Shan United Lopez 5' Marañón 40' Porteria 79' Live Report Stats Report Zin Min Tun 73' Djawa 87'
Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila
Attendance: 3,704
Referee: Ali Al-Samahiji (Bahrain)
14 January 2020 (2020-01-14 )
19:30 UTC+8
Tampines Rovers 3–5 (a.e.t.) Bali United Kopitović 43' Webb 53' Rahmat 67' (o.g.) Live Report Stats Report Platje 8' , 13' Rahmat 82' Lilipaly 100' Sidik 115'
Jalan Besar Stadium, Singapore
Attendance: 1,400
Referee: Ahmad Yacoub Ibrahim (Jordan)
Preliminary round 2
Summary A total of 16 teams played in the preliminary round 2: twelve teams which entered in this round, and the four winners of the preliminary round 1.
Team 1 Score Team 2 West Region Bunyodkor 4–1 Al-Zawraa Lokomotiv Tashkent 0–1 Istiklol Shahr Khodro 2–1 Al-Riffa Esteghlal 3–0 Al-Kuwait
Team 1 Score Team 2 East Region Kedah 5–1 Tai Po Buriram United 2–1 Ho Chi Minh City Port 0–1 Ceres–Negros Melbourne Victory 5–0 Bali United
West Region 22 January 2020 (2020-01-22 )
14:00 UTC+5
Bunyodkor 4–1 Al-Zawraa Kholmukhamedov 8' (pen.) Murtazoev 46' , 85' Farkhodov 80' Live Report Stats Report
JAR Stadium, Tashkent
Attendance: 594
Referee: Yudai Yamamoto (Japan)
21 January 2020 (2020-01-21 )
15:00 UTC+5
Lokomotiv Tashkent 0–1 Istiklol Live Report Stats Report
Lokomotiv Stadium, Tashkent
Attendance: 4,256
Referee: Hussein Abo Yehia (Lebanon)
25 January 2020 (2020-01-25 )
18:20 UTC+4
Shahr Khodro 2–1 Al-Riffa Khalatbari 19' Ghaseminejad 83' Live Report Stats Report
Sharjah Stadium, Sharjah (United Arab Emirates)
Attendance: 50
Referee: Kim Dae-yong (South Korea)
25 January 2020 (2020-01-25 )
18:20 UTC+4
Esteghlal 3–0 Al-Kuwait Diabaté 27' , 54' Ghafouri 59' Live Report Stats Report
Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai (United Arab Emirates)
Attendance: 3,420
Referee: Nazmi Nasaruddin (Malaysia)
East Region 21 January 2020 (2020-01-21 )
21:00 UTC+8
Kedah 5–1 Tai Po Tchétché 3' , 21' , 90+2' Hadin 47' , 66' Live Report Stats Report
Darul Aman Stadium, Alor Setar
Attendance: 19,803
Referee: Saoud Al-Adba (Qatar)
21 January 2020 (2020-01-21 )
18:30 UTC+7
Chang Arena, Buriram
Attendance: 14,190
21 January 2020 (2020-01-21 )
19:00 UTC+7
Port 0–1 Ceres–Negros Live Report Stats Report
PAT Stadium, Bangkok
Attendance: 6,234
Referee: Yu Ming-hsun (Chinese Taipei)
21 January 2020 (2020-01-21 )
19:35 UTC+11
Melbourne Victory 5–0 Bali United Basha 14' Hope 37' Kruse 59' Toivonen 81' Kamsoba 90' Live Report Stats Report
AAMI Park, Melbourne
Attendance: 5,387
Referee: Mohammed Al-Hoish (Saudi Arabia)
Play-off round
Summary A total of 16 teams played in the play-off round: eight teams which entered in this round, and the eight winners of the preliminary round 2.
Team 1 Score Team 2 West Region Al-Ain 1–0 Bunyodkor Al-Ahli 1–0 Istiklol Al-Sailiya 0–0 (a.e.t.) (4–5 p) Shahr Khodro Al-Rayyan 0–5 Esteghlal
Team 1 Score Team 2 East Region FC Seoul 4–1 Kedah Shanghai SIPG 3–0 Buriram United FC Tokyo 2–0 Ceres–Negros Kashima Antlers 0–1 Melbourne Victory
West Region 28 January 2020 (2020-01-28 )
18:40 UTC+4
Al-Ain 1–0 Bunyodkor Live Report Stats Report
Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
Attendance: 4,424
Referee: Ko Hyung-jin (South Korea)
28 January 2020 (2020-01-28 )
20:30 UTC+3
Al-Ahli 1–0 Istiklol Live Report Stats Report
King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah
Attendance: 10,942
Referee: Sivakorn Pu-udom (Thailand)
28 January 2020 (2020-01-28 )
18:10 UTC+3
Al-Sailiya 0–0 (a.e.t.) Shahr Khodro Live Report Stats Report Penalties Boussoufa Ansarifard Mbodji Siddiq Belhadj 4–5 Seifollahi Sarlak Ghaseminejad Faraji Sadeghi
Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha
Attendance: 465
Referee: Liu Kwok Man (Hong Kong)
28 January 2020 (2020-01-28 )
18:15 UTC+3
Al-Rayyan 0–5 Esteghlal Live Report Stats Report Diabaté 8' Ghaedi 40' , 47' Motahari 84' , 90+1'
Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, Al Rayyan
Attendance: 1,811
Referee: Minoru Tōjō (Japan)
East Region 28 January 2020 (2020-01-28 )
19:00 UTC+9
FC Seoul 4–1 Kedah Park Chu-young 38' (pen.) Park Dong-jin 49' Osmar 63' Alibaev 90+2' Live Report Stats Report
Seoul World Cup Stadium, Seoul
Attendance: 5,373
Referee: Omar Al-Yaqoubi (Oman)
28 January 2020 (2020-01-28 )
15:00 UTC+8
Shanghai SIPG 3–0 Buriram United Li Shenglong 75' Arnautović 90+2' Hulk 90+5' (pen.) Live Report Stats Report
Yuanshen Sports Centre Stadium, Shanghai
Attendance: 1
Referee: Aziz Asimov (Uzbekistan)
28 January 2020 (2020-01-28 )
19:00 UTC+9
FC Tokyo 2–0 Ceres–Negros Live Report Stats Report
Ajinomoto Stadium, Tokyo
Attendance: 6,630
Referee: Masoud Tufayelieh (
Syria )
28 January 2020 (2020-01-28 )
19:00 UTC+9
Kashima Antlers 0–1 Melbourne Victory Live Report Stats Report
Kashima Soccer Stadium, Kashima
Attendance: 4,275
Referee: Mooud Bonyadifar (
Iran )