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AFC Champions League Two

Annual second-tier Asian club football competition

AFC Champions League Two
Summary

Annual second-tier Asian club football competition

FieldValue
nameAFC Champions League Two
logoAFC Champions League Two.svg
imagesize150px
organiserAFC
founded(as AFC Cup)
regionAsia
number of teams32 (group stage)
qualifier forAFC Champions League Elite
related compsAFC Champions League Elite (1st tier)
AFC Challenge League (3rd tier)
current championsSharjah (1st title)
most successful clubAl-Kuwait
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
(3 titles each)
current2025–26 AFC Champions League Two
website

AFC Challenge League (3rd tier) Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (3 titles each)

The AFC Champions League Two (abbreviated as the ACL Two or ACL2) 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.

The competition was founded in 2004 as the AFC Cup, it was played primarily among clubs from nations that did not receive direct qualifying slots to the top-tier AFC Champions League. The competition rebranded to its current name in 2024. In a bid to increase competitiveness, its format was also changed to include clubs from higher ranked AFC member associations, and the prize money was increased.

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 winner of the AFC Champions League Two will be allocated an indirect preliminary stage slot for the next AFC Champions League Elite season, if they have not already qualified through domestic competition. The current champions of the competition is Sharjah, who defeated Lion City Sailors in the 2025 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

SeasonWinnersAFC CupAFC Champions League Two
2004Al-Jaish
2005Al-Faisaly
2006Al-Faisaly (2)
2007Shabab Al-Ordon
2008Al-Muharraq
2009Kuwait SC
2010Al-Ittihad Aleppo
2011Nasaf Qarshi
2012Kuwait SC (2)
2013Kuwait SC (3)
2014Qadsia
2015Johor Darul Ta'zim
2016Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
2017Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (2)
2018Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (3)
2019Al-Ahed
2020Cancelled
2021Al-Muharraq (2)
2022Al-Seeb
2023–24Central Coast Mariners
2024–25Sharjah

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. 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 won the last two-legged final before it headed back into a one-leg system, a rule that was never changed until now.

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. Meanwhile, a new third-tier competition was also launched under the name AFC Challenge League.

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.

Format

AFC member country that has not been represented in the group stage}}

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.

AssociationsSpots20042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023–242024–252025–26EAFFTotal1222222222222344443455AFFTotal44464887101010109111212121111121111SAFFTotal5664444434445444444412CAFATotal2222011212222444777466WAFFTotal646101017161716141414141212121211121298Total
CHN China0000000000000000000011
TPE Chinese Taipei00000000000000*111*112*00
GUM Guam00000000000000*00000000
HKG Hong Kong1222222222222002122022
JPN Japan0000000000000000000011
MAC Macau0000000000000*0101001*00
MNG Mongolia0000000000000*10*0*0*10*100
PRK North Korea0000000000000221*000000
KOR South Korea0000000000000000000011
AUS AustraliaPart of OFC0000000000000000211
BRU Brunei00000000000000000*0*00*00
CAM Cambodia00000000000001*111221*00
IDN Indonesia00000122122200222222*11*
LAO Laos00000000000110*0*11*0*10*00
MAS Malaysia2222221022222210022211
MYA Myanmar00000000222222222001*00
PHI Philippines000000000001*2222201221*
SIN Singapore22222111222222222221*22
THA Thailand000±102221000000000003*3*
TLS Timor-Leste00000000000000000*10000
VIE Vietnam0001022222200222221112
BAN Bangladesh122000000000*11*1*11*1*1*1*00
BHU Bhutan0000000000000*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*00
IND India22222222222222221*222*1*2*
MDV Maldives222222221*22221*1*021*1*1*00
NEP Nepal000000000000*00*0100*0*0*00
PAK Pakistan0000000000000*000000000
SRI Sri Lanka00000000000000*00*0*0*0*000
AFG Afghanistan00000000000000*00000000
IRN Iran000000000000000000002*2*
KGZ Kyrgyzstan000000000010*0*21*1*2221*00
TJK Tajikistan000000000211*1*1*1*22221*21*
TKM Turkmenistan222200000001*1*1*21*2222*1*2*
UZB Uzbekistan0000011210000000111011
BHR Bahrain00112210012222222221*1*2
IRQ Iraq0000020322222220000211
JOR Jordan0223222222222222220122
KUW Kuwait000002333222000221221*0
LIB Lebanon2222232222222222222200
OMA Oman101222222221*2221*1*021*00*
PLE Palestine00000000000*1*20*0*11221*00
QAT Qatar0000001000000000000011
KSA Saudi Arabia0000000010000000000011
SYR Syria2000023321*2222222222*00
UAE United Arab Emirates000000000000000000002*1
YEM Yemen10022222220*0*0000000000
Finals18182024203231323232323232343636393737363232
Qualifying18182024203231323333344140504443484343493435

Prize money

The prize money as of the 2024–25 AFC Champions League Two are as follows, in United States dollar (USD):

RoundTeamsAmountPer teamTotalTotal32$16,620,000
Final (Champions)1$2.5 million
Final (Runners-up)1$1 million
Semi-finals4$240,000$960,000
Quarter-finals8$160,000$1,280,000
Round of 1616$80,000$1,280,000
Group stage32$300,000$9,600,000

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.

Official Global Partners

  • Neom
  • Qatar Airways
  • Visit Saudi

Official Global Supporters

  • Barbican
  • Kelme
  • Midea
    • Toshiba (Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong only)
  • Tecno Mobile
  • Visa Inc.

Records and statistics

Main article: AFC Cup and AFC Champions League Two records and statistics

Results

Performance by club

Performance by nation

NationTitlesRunners-upTotal
437
325
314
224
213
134
112
112
101
101
101
022
011
011
011
011

Most Valuable Player

SeasonPlayerClubTKM Artur GevorkyanBRA RogerinhoKUW Bader Al-MutawaKUW Saif Al HashanMAS Safiq RahimIRQ Hammadi AhmedTJK Manuchekhr DzhalilovIRQ Hammadi AhmedLIB Mehdi KhalilBHR Abdulwahab Al-MaloodOMA Eid Al-FarsiBRA Mikael DokaUAE Caio Lucas
2011Nasaf Qarshi
2012Al-Kuwait
2013Al-Qadsia
2014Al-Qadsia
2015Johor Darul Ta'zim
2016Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
2017Istiklol
2018Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
2019Al-Ahed
2020Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
2021Al-Muharraq
2022Al-Seeb
2023–24Central Coast Mariners
2024–25Sharjah

Top scorers

YearPlayerClubGoals
2004SIN Indra Sahdan DaudHome United7
SIN Egmar GoncalvesHome United
2005JOR Mo'ayyad SalimAl-Faisaly9
2006JOR Mahmoud ShelbaiehAl-Wehdat8
2007JOR Odai Al SaifyShabab Al-Ordun5
LIB Mohammed GhaddarNejmeh
2008BRA RicoAl-Muharraq19
2009NGA Robert AkaruyeBusaiteen8
SYR Mohamad HamwiAl-Karamah
SYR Jehad Al HussainAl-Kuwait
VIE Huỳnh Kesley AlvesBình Dương
2010BRA Afonso AlvesAl-Rayyan9
2011MNE Ivan BoškovićNasaf Qarshi10
2012IRQ Amjad RadhiErbil9
SYR Raja RafeAl-Shorta
2013TUN Issam JemâaAl-Kuwait16
2014ESP Juan BelencosoKitchee11
2015AUS Daniel McBreenSouth China8
MKD Riste NaumovAyeyawady United
2016IRQ Hammadi AhmedAl-Quwa Al-Jawiya16
2017PRK Kim Yu-songApril 259
2018PRK An Il-bomApril 2512
2019PHI Bienvenido MarañónCeres–Negros10
2020PHI Bienvenido MarañónCeres–Negros5
2021UZB Khusayin NorchaevNasaf Qarshi7
2022UZB Jasur HasanovSogdiana Jizzakh5
MAS Paulo JosuéKuala Lumpur City
BRA Pedro PauloViettel
2023–24BRA Marco TúlioCentral Coast Mariners8
2024–25IRN Sardar AzmounUAE Shabab Al Ahli9

Winning coaches

YearClubCoach
2004Al-JaishROU Costică Ștefănescu
2005Al-FaisalySRB Branko Smiljanić
2006Al-FaisalyIRQ Adnan Hamad
2007Shabab Al-OrdonSYR Nizar Mahrous
2008Al-MuharraqBHR Salman Sharida
2009Al-KuwaitKUW Mohamad Abdulla
2010Al-IttihadROU Valeriu Tița
2011Nasaf QarshiUKR Anatoliy Demyanenko
2012Al-KuwaitROU Marin Ion
2013Al-KuwaitROU Marin Ion
2014Al-QadsiaESP Antonio Puche
2015Johor Darul Ta'zimARG Mario Gómez
2016Al-Quwa Al-JawiyaIRQ Basim Qasim
2017Al-Quwa Al-JawiyaSYR Hussam Al Sayed
2018Al-Quwa Al-JawiyaIRQ Basim Qasim
2019Al-AhedLIB Bassem Marmar
2021Al-MuharraqBHR Isa Sadoon Al-Hamdani
2022Al-SeebOMA Rashid Jaber
2023–24Central Coast MarinersENG Mark Jackson
2024–25SharjahROM Cosmin Olăroiu

Top goalscorers

Notes

References

References

  1. (24 May 2024). "Pivotal reforms approved by AFC Competitions Committee". Asian Football Confederation.
  2. "Sharjah stitch their name onto the illustrious #ACLTwo Roll of Honour!".
  3. (15 September 2023). "History beckons for AFC Cup 2023/24 contenders as final edition of popular competition kicks off". Asian Football Confederation.
  4. "AFC Competitions Committee recommends strategic reforms to elevate Asian club football".
  5. (14 August 2023). "AFC Executive Committee approves biggest prize purse in Asian club football history from 2024/25; announces AFC Women's Champions League".
  6. "AFC Club Competitions 2024/25 Slot Allocation".
  7. "Pivotal reforms approved by AFC Competitions Committee".
  8. The AFC Hub. (2024-06-19). "AFC Champions League Two™ 2024/25".
  9. (10 July 2024). "AFC and NEOM announce global multi-year partnership extension". [[Asian Football Confederation]].
  10. (18 December 2023). "AFC lands six-year Qatar Airways sponsorship deal".
  11. (16 December 2023). "AFC and Qatar Airways announce global partnership". [[Asian Football Confederation]].
  12. "Barbican announced as Official Global Supporter of AFC club competitions 2025/26 season".
  13. "AFC and KELME extend multi-year partnership".
  14. "Midea becomes Global Supporter of the AFC’s club competitions".
  15. "TECNO becomes Official Global Supporter of AFC Club Competitions".
  16. (3 February 2025). "AFC and Visa expand partnership". [[Asian Football Confederation]].
  17. "AFC Cup: Marañón leads all-time top scorers". the-afc.com.
Wikipedia Source

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