# 2021 AFC Cup qualifying play-offs

The 2021 AFC Cup qualifying play-offs were played from 7 April to 15 August 2021. A total of seven teams competed in the qualifying play-offs to decide three of the 38 places in the group stage of the 2021 AFC Cup.

## Teams

The following 7 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 three rounds:
* 4 teams entered in the preliminary round 1.
* 3 teams entered in the preliminary round 2.
| Zone | Teams entering in play-off round | Teams entering in preliminary round 2 | Teams entering in preliminary round 1 |
| West Asia Zone | Markaz Shabab Al-Am'ari Al-Kuwait | | |
| South Asia Zone | | Bengaluru Abahani Limited Dhaka | Eagles Nepal Army Club Sri Lanka Police Thimphu City |
| Central Asia Zone | None | None | None |
| ASEAN Zone | Hanthawady United Persipura Jayapura | Visakha Chanthabouly Kasuka Lalenok United | |
| East Asia Zone | None | None | None |

## Format

In the qualifying play-offs, each tie was played as a single match. Extra time and penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winner if necessary.

## Schedule

The schedule of each round was as follows.
| Round | West Asia Zone | South Asia Zone | ASEAN Zone |
| Preliminary round 1 | Not played | 7 April 2021 | Not played |
| Preliminary round 2 | Not played | 14 April 2021 | Cancelled |
| Play-off round | Cancelled | 15 August 2021 | Cancelled |

## Bracket

The bracket of the qualifying play-offs for each zone was determined based on each team's association ranking, with the team from the higher-ranked association hosting the match. The one winner of preliminary round 2 (from ASEAN Zone) and one winner of the play-off round (from South Zone) advanced to the group stage to join the 35 direct entrants.

### Play-off West Asia

* Both teams advanced to Group C.
| Play-off round | Play-off round |
| Markaz Shabab Al-Am'ari | — |
| Al-Kuwait | — |

### Play-off South Asia

* Bengaluru advanced to Group D.
| Preliminary round 1 | Preliminary round 1 | Preliminary round 2 | Preliminary round 2 | | Play-off round | Play-off round |
| | | 14 April | 14 April | | |
| | | Bengaluru | 5 | |
| 7 April | 7 April | | Bengaluru | 5 | |
| 7 April | 7 April | Nepal Army Club | 0 | |
| Nepal Army Club | 5 | Nepal Army Club | 0 | |
| Nepal Army Club | 5 | | | | 15 August | 15 August |
| Sri Lanka Police | 1 | | | | 15 August | 15 August |
| Sri Lanka Police | 1 | | | | Bengaluru | 1 |
| | | | | | Eagles | 0 |
| | | Abahani Limited Dhaka | — | | | |
| 7 April | 7 April | | Abahani Limited Dhaka | — | | |
| 7 April | 7 April | Eagles (w/o) | — | |
| Eagles | 2 | Eagles (w/o) | — | |
| Thimphu City | 0 | | | |

### Play-off ASEAN 1

* Winners of Preliminary round 2 would have advanced to Group G.
| Preliminary round 2 | Preliminary round 2 | Play-off round | Play-off round |
| | | Hanthawady United | — |
| | | Winners of ASEAN 2.1 (w/o) | — |
| Chanthabouly | — | Winners of ASEAN 2.1 (w/o) | — |
| Kasuka | — | | |

### Play-off ASEAN 2

* Persipura Jayapura advanced to Group H, while Visakha and Lalenok United advanced to Group I.
| Preliminary round 2 | Preliminary round 2 | Play-off round | Play-off round |
| | | Persipura Jayapura | — |
| | | Winners of ASEAN 2.2 | — |
| Visakha | — | Winners of ASEAN 2.2 | — |
| Lalenok United | — | | |

## Preliminary round 1
### Summary

A total of four teams played in the preliminary round 1.
South Asia Zone :
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |

### South Asia Zone
## Preliminary round 2
### Summary

A total of eight teams played in the preliminary round 2: six teams which entered in this round, and two winners of the preliminary round 1.
South Asia Zone :
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
ASEAN Zone :
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |

### ASEAN Zone
## Play-off round
### Summary

A total of eight teams played in the play-off round: four teams which entered in this round, and four winners of the preliminary round 2.
West Asia Zone :
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
South Asia Zone :
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
ASEAN Zone :
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |