# 2019 AFC Cup qualifying play-offs

The 2019 AFC Cup qualifying play-offs were played from 5 February to 13 March 2019. A total of 11 teams competed in the qualifying play-offs to decide four of the 36 places in the group stage of the 2019 AFC Cup.

## Teams

The following 11 teams, split into five zones (West Asia Zone, Central Asia Zone, South Asia Zone, ASEAN Zone, East Asia Zone), entered the qualifying play-offs, consisting of two rounds:
* 6 teams entered in the preliminary round.
* 5 teams entered in the play-off round.
| Zone | Teams entering in play-off round | Teams entering in preliminary round |
| West Asia Zone | Al-Nasr Hilal Al-Quds | |
| Central Asia Zone | Khujand | Ahal Alay |
| South Asia Zone | Chennaiyin | Transport United Colombo |
| ASEAN Zone | None | None |
| East Asia Zone | Tai Po | Ryomyong Erchim |

## Format

In the qualifying play-offs, each tie was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. The away goals rule, extra time (away goals do not apply in extra time) and penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winner if necessary (Regulations Article 9.3). The four winners of the play-off round (one each from West Asia Zone, Central Asia Zone, South Asia Zone, East Asia Zone) advanced to the group stage to join the 32 direct entrants.

## Schedule

The schedule of each round was as follows.
| Round | West Asia Zone | West Asia Zone | Central Asia Zone, South Asia Zone, East Asia Zone | Central Asia Zone, South Asia Zone, East Asia Zone |
| Round | First leg | Second leg | First leg | Second leg |
| Preliminary round | Not played | Not played | 20 February 2019 | 27 February 2019 |
| Play-off round | 5 February 2019 | 12 February 2019 | 6 March 2019 | 13 March 2019 |

## Bracket

The bracket of the qualifying play-offs for each zone, determined based on the association ranking of each team, with the team from the higher-ranked association hosting the second leg, was officially announced by the AFC prior to the group stage draw on 22 November 2018.

### Play-off West Asia

* Hilal Al-Quds advanced to Group A.
| Play-off round | Play-off round | Play-off round | Play-off round |
| Hilal Al-Quds | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Al-Nasr | 1 | 0 | 1 |

### Play-off Central Asia

* Khujand advanced to Group D.
| Preliminary round | Preliminary round | Preliminary round | Preliminary round | Play-off round | Play-off round | Play-off round | Play-off round |
| Alay | 1 | 0 | 1 | | | | |
| Ahal | 2 | 1 | 3 | | | | |
| Ahal | 2 | 1 | 3 | Ahal | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| | | | | Khujand (a) | 1 | 0 | 1 |

### Play-off South Asia

* Chennaiyin advanced to Group E.
| Preliminary round | Preliminary round | Preliminary round | Preliminary round | Play-off round | Play-off round | Play-off round | Play-off round |
| Colombo | 7 | 2 | 9 | | | | |
| Transport United | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | | |
| Transport United | 1 | 1 | 2 | Colombo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | | | | Chennaiyin | 0 | 1 | 1 |

### Play-off East Asia

* Tai Po advanced to Group I.
| Preliminary round | Preliminary round | Preliminary round | Preliminary round | Play-off round | Play-off round | Play-off round | Play-off round |
| Erchim | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | | |
| Ryomyong | 3 | 3 | 6 | | | | |
| Ryomyong | 3 | 3 | 6 | Ryomyong | 0 | 0 | 0 (3) |
| | | | | Tai Po (p) | 0 | 0 | 0 (5) |

## Preliminary round
### Summary

A total of six teams played in the preliminary round.
Central Asia Zone :
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
South Asia Zone :
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
East Asia Zone :
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |

### Central Asia Zone

Ahal won 3–1 on aggregate.

### South Asia Zone

Colombo won 9–2 on aggregate.

### East Asia Zone

Ryomyong won 6–0 on aggregate.

## Play-off round
### Summary

A total of eight teams played in the play-off round: five teams which entered in this round, and three winners of the preliminary round.
West Asia Zone :
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
Central Asia Zone :
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
South Asia Zone :
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
East Asia Zone :
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |

### West Asia Zone

Hilal Al-Quds won 3–1 on aggregate.

### Central Asia Zone

1–1 on aggregate. Khujand won on away goals.

### South Asia Zone

Chennaiyin won 1–0 on aggregate.

### East Asia Zone

0–0 on aggregate. Tai Po won 5–3 on penalties.