# 2017 AFC Cup qualifying round

The 2017 AFC Cup qualifying round was played from 19 to 25 August 2016. A total of nine teams competed in the qualifying round to decide three places in the qualifying play-offs of the 2017 AFC Cup.

## Teams

The following nine teams from nine associations entered the qualifying round. Teams were not split into zones for the qualifying round.
In the following table, the number of appearances and last appearance count all those since the 2004 season (including both competition proper and qualifying rounds).
| Association | Team | Qualifying method | App | Last App |
| Bangladesh | Sheikh Russel | 2015 Bangladesh Football Premier League runners-up | 2nd | 2015 |
| Bhutan | Tertons | 2015 Bhutan National League champions | 1st | none |
| Cambodia | Nagaworld | 2015 Cambodian League runners-up | 1st | none |
| Chinese Taipei | Tatung | 2015–16 Intercity Football League runners-up | 1st | none |
| Guam | Rovers | 2015–16 Guam Soccer League champions | 1st | none |
| Kyrgyzstan | Dordoi | 2015 Kyrgyzstan League runners-up | 2nd | 2015 |
| Macau | Benfica de Macau | 2016 Campeonato da 1ª Divisão do Futebol champions | 2nd | 2016 |
| Mongolia | Erchim | 2015 Mongolian Premier League champions | 1st | none |
| Nepal | Three Star Club | 2015 Nepal National League champions | 1st | none |
Rovers were the first team from Guam to play in an AFC club competition.

## Draw

The draw for the qualifying round was held on 17 June 2016, 11:00 MYT (UTC+8), at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The nine teams were drawn into three groups of three.
For the draw, the pre-selected hosts were placed in their own pot, while the remaining teams were seeded according to the performance of their association in the 2016 AFC Cup qualifying round, with associations participating ranked and associations not participating unranked.
| Pot 1 (Hosts) | Pot 2 (Ranked teams) | Pot 3 (Unranked teams) |
| Dordoi Terton Erchim | Sheikh Russel (ranked 1st) Benfica de Macau (ranked 2nd) | Three Star Club Nagaworld Tatung Rovers |

## Format

In the qualifying round, each group was played on a single round-robin basis at the pre-selected hosts. The winners of each group advanced to the qualifying play-offs.

### Tiebreakers

The teams are ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, tiebreakers are applied in the following order (Regulations Article 10.4):
* Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
* Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
* Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
* Goal difference in all group matches;
* Goals scored in all group matches;
* Penalty shoot-out if only two teams are tied and they met in the last round of the group;
* 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);
* Drawing of lots.

## Schedule

The schedule of each matchday was as follows.
| Matchday | Date | Date | Match |
| Matchday | Group A | Groups B & C | Match |
| Matchday 1 | 19 August 2016 | 21 August 2016 | Team 3 vs. Team 1 |
| Matchday 2 | 21 August 2016 | 23 August 2016 | Team 2 vs. Team 3 |
| Matchday 3 | 23 August 2016 | 25 August 2016 | Team 1 vs. Team 2 |

## Host Countries

| Thimphu | Ulaanbaatar | Bishkek |
| Changlimithang Stadium | MFF Football Centre | Dordoi Stadium |
| Capacity: 45,000 | Capacity: 5,000 | Capacity: 3,000 |

## Groups
### Group A

* All matches were held in Kyrgyzstan.
* Times listed were UTC+6.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | DOR | BEN | ROV |
| 1 | Dordoi (H) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 6 | Qualifying play-offs | — | 2–1 | — |
| 2 | Benfica de Macau | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 3 | | — | — | 4–2 |
| 3 | Rovers | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 0 | | 0–2 | — | — |

### Group B

* All matches were held in Mongolia.
* Times listed were UTC+9.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | TSC | ERC | NAG |
| 1 | Three Star Club | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 4 | Qualifying play-offs | — | 2–0 | — |
| 2 | Erchim (H) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 3 | | — | — | 1–0 |
| 3 | Nagaworld | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 1 | | 1–1 | — | — |
* ↑ The All Nepal Football Association failed to register Three Star Club by the competition deadline for the qualifying play-offs.

### Group C

* All matches were held in Bhutan.
* Times listed were UTC+6.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | TER | TAT | SHR |
| 1 | Tertons (H) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 4 | Qualifying play-offs | — | — | 4–3 |
| 2 | Tatung | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | | 0–0 | — | — |
| 3 | Sheikh Russel | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 1 | | — | 1–1 | — |
* ↑ The Bhutan Football Federation registered Thimphu City, instead of Tertons, as their representative for the qualifying play-offs.