# 2023–24 AFC Cup knockout stage

The 2023–24 AFC Cup knockout stage was played from 12 February to 5 May 2024. A total of 11 teams competed in the knockout stage to decide the champions of the 2023–24 AFC Cup.

## Qualified teams

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.
* Key to colours
* Teams which entered the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals
* Teams which entered the Zonal semi-finals
| Zone | Group | Winners | Best runners-up |
| West Asia Zone | A | Al-Nahda | Al Ahed |
| West Asia Zone | B | Al-Kahrabaa | — |
| West Asia Zone | C | Al-Riffa | — |
| South Asia Zone | D | Odisha | — |
| Central Asia Zone | E | Abdysh-Ata Kant | — |
| ASEAN Zone | F | Macarthur FC | Phnom Penh Crown |
| ASEAN Zone | G | Central Coast Mariners | — |
| ASEAN Zone | H | Sabah | — |
| East Asia Zone | I | Taichung Futuro | — |

## Format

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) Winners of WF vs. Winners of IZF |

## Schedule

After the draw, the schedule of each round is as follows.
| Stage | Round | Leg | West Asia | South Asia | Central Asia | ASEAN | East Asia |
| Knockout stage | Zonal semi-finals | First leg | 12–13 February 2024 | Not played | Not played | 13 February 2024 | Not played |
| Knockout stage | Zonal semi-finals | Second leg | 19–20 February 2024 | Not played | Not played | 13 February 2024 | Not played |
| Knockout stage | Zonal finals | First leg | 16 April 2024 | Not played | Not played | 22 February 2024 | Not played |
| Knockout stage | Zonal finals | Second leg | 23 April 2024 | Not played | Not played | 22 February 2024 | Not played |
| Knockout stage | Inter-zone play-off semi-finals | First leg | Not played | 6–7 March 2024 | 6–7 March 2024 | 6–7 March 2024 | 6–7 March 2024 |
| Knockout stage | Inter-zone play-off semi-finals | Second leg | Not played | 13–14 March 2024 | 13–14 March 2024 | 13–14 March 2024 | 13–14 March 2024 |
| Knockout stage | Inter-zone play-off final | First leg | Not played | 17 April 2024 | 17 April 2024 | 17 April 2024 | 17 April 2024 |
| Knockout stage | Inter-zone play-off final | Second leg | Not played | 24 April 2024 | 24 April 2024 | 24 April 2024 | 24 April 2024 |
| Knockout stage | Final | Final | 5 May 2024 | 5 May 2024 | 5 May 2024 | 5 May 2024 | 5 May 2024 |

## Bracket

| Zonal semi-finals | Zonal semi-finals | Zonal semi-finals | Zonal semi-finals | Zonal semi-finals | Zonal finals | Zonal finals | Zonal finals | Zonal finals | Zonal finals | Inter-zone play-off semi-finals | Inter-zone play-off semi-finals | Inter-zone play-off semi-finals | Inter-zone play-off semi-finals | Inter-zone play-off semi-finals | Inter-zone play-off finals | Inter-zone play-off finals | Inter-zone play-off finals | Inter-zone play-off finals | Inter-zone play-off finals | Final | Final | Final |
| Macarthur FC | Macarthur FC | Macarthur FC | Macarthur FC | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Sabah | Sabah | Sabah | Sabah | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Sabah | Sabah | Sabah | Sabah | 0 | Macarthur FC | Macarthur FC | Macarthur FC | Macarthur FC | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| ASEAN Zone | ASEAN Zone | ASEAN Zone | ASEAN Zone | ASEAN Zone | Macarthur FC | Macarthur FC | Macarthur FC | Macarthur FC | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| ASEAN Zone | ASEAN Zone | ASEAN Zone | ASEAN Zone | ASEAN Zone | Central Coast Mariners (a.e.t.) | Central Coast Mariners (a.e.t.) | Central Coast Mariners (a.e.t.) | Central Coast Mariners (a.e.t.) | 3 | Central Coast Mariners | Central Coast Mariners | 4 | 0 | 4 | | | | | | |
| Central Coast Mariners | Central Coast Mariners | Central Coast Mariners | Central Coast Mariners | 4 | Central Coast Mariners (a.e.t.) | Central Coast Mariners (a.e.t.) | Central Coast Mariners (a.e.t.) | Central Coast Mariners (a.e.t.) | 3 | Central Coast Mariners | Central Coast Mariners | 4 | 0 | 4 | | | | | | |
| Central Coast Mariners | Central Coast Mariners | Central Coast Mariners | Central Coast Mariners | 4 | | | | | | Odisha | Odisha | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | | | | |
| Phnom Penh Crown | Phnom Penh Crown | Phnom Penh Crown | Phnom Penh Crown | 0 | | | | | | Odisha | Odisha | 0 | 0 | 0 | Central Coast Mariners | Central Coast Mariners | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Abdysh-Ata Kant | Abdysh-Ata Kant | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | Abdysh-Ata Kant | Abdysh-Ata Kant | 5 | 3 | 8 | Abdysh-Ata Kant | Abdysh-Ata Kant | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | Taichung Futuro | Taichung Futuro | 0 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | Taichung Futuro | Taichung Futuro | 0 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | Central Coast Mariners | Central Coast Mariners | 1 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Al Ahed | Al Ahed | 0 |
| Al-Riffa | Al-Riffa | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Al Ahed | Al Ahed | 0 |
| Al-Nahda | Al-Nahda | 1 | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Al-Nahda | Al-Nahda | 1 | 3 | 4 | Al-Nahda | Al-Nahda | 0 | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| West Asia Zone | West Asia Zone | West Asia Zone | West Asia Zone | West Asia Zone | Al-Nahda | | 0 | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| West Asia Zone | West Asia Zone | West Asia Zone | West Asia Zone | West Asia Zone | Al Ahed | Al Ahed | 1 | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Al Ahed (p) | Al Ahed (p) | 0 | 1 | 1 (4) | Al Ahed | | 1 | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Al-Kahrabaa | Al-Kahrabaa | 1 | 0 | 1 (2) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

## Zonal semi-finals
### Summary

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.
West Asia Zone :
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
ASEAN Zone :
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |

### West Asia Zone

Al-Nahda won 4–2 on aggregate.
1–1 on aggregate. Al Ahed won on penalties.

### ASEAN Zone
## Zonal finals
### Summary

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.
West Asia Zone :
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
ASEAN Zone :
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |

### West Asia Zone

Al Ahed won 3–2 on aggregate.

### ASEAN Zone
## Inter-zone play-off semi-finals
### Summary

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.
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Abdysh-Ata Kant | 8–1 | Taichung Futuro | 5–0 | 3–1 |
| Central Coast Mariners | 4–0 | Odisha | 4–0 | 0–0 |

### Matches

Abdysh-Ata Kant won 8–1 on aggregate.
Central Coast Mariners won 4–0 on aggregate.

## Inter-zone play-off final
### Summary

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.
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Abdysh-Ata Kant | 1–4 | Central Coast Mariners | 1–1 | 0–3 |

### Matches

Central Coast Mariners won 4–1 on aggregate.

## 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.