2023 Arab Club Champions Cup

2023 Arab Club Champions Cup
The 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup, officially named the 2023 King Salman Club Cup after Salman of Saudi Arabia, where the final tournament was hosted, was the 30th season of the Arab Club Champions Cup, the Arab world's club football tournament organised by UAFA.
A total of 37 teams participated in the tournament, which started with preliminary and qualifying rounds, before the final tournament was held in Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2023 across four cities: Abha, Al Bahah, Khamis Mushait and Taif. A total of $10 million of prize money was awarded.
Moroccan side Raja CA were the defending champions, having won their second title in the previous edition, but they lost 3–1 in the quarter-finals to Saudi team Al-Nassr. In the final, Al-Nassr defeated local rivals Al-Hilal 2–1 after extra time to win their first title.
Prize money and sponsorship
The prize money was as follows:
Sponsorship of 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup:
Association team allocation
A total of 37 teams participated in the tournament.
On March 3, Egyptian club Al Ahly announced its withdrawal from the competition due to scheduling issues.
Association ranking
The team entries allocation was based on the FIFA World Ranking of the associations on 22 December 2022.
Format and distribution
Teams
The labels in the parentheses show each team's position from their last season domestic league table standing.
Notes
Schedule
The schedule was as follows.
Preliminary rounds
4 teams played the preliminary rounds starting with the first round then a play-off round in a one-leg knockout format. 1 team from the preliminary round advanced to the qualifying rounds.
Preliminary rounds teams
The following teams entered the preliminary rounds as lowest FIFA ranking associations.
Bracket
First preliminary round
Playoff round
Qualifying rounds
24 teams were drawn into two-leg knockout stage format. 23 teams entered directly to the first qualifying round, plus one team advanced from the preliminary round. 12 teams advanced to the second qualifying round playing a two-leg knockout stage format. 6 teams only advanced from the second qualifying round to the group stage.
Seeding
The following 24 teams were divided based on their football association's FIFA Ranking.
Notes
Bracket
Qualifier 1
Qualifier 2
Qualifier 3
Qualifier 4
Qualifier 5
Qualifier 6
First qualifying round
The first legs were played between 13 March and 7 April 2023, and the second legs between 21 March and 16 April 2023.
Notes
ASFAR won 5–4 on aggregate.
Al-Wahda won 4–0 on aggregate.
2–2 on aggregate. Tishreen won on away goals.
Al-Shabab won 5–1 on aggregate.Al-Hilal Omdurman won 4–2 on aggregate.1–1 on aggregate. Club Sfaxien won on away goals.Al-Ahli Tripoli won 3–2 on aggregate.Al-Nahda won 5–0 on aggregate.Al-Nahda were awarded a 3–0 walkover victory for the second leg after Shabab Al-Khalil refused to change the home ground from Dura International Stadium, in Dura, Hebron to Petra Stadium in Amman, Jordan.Union Monastirienne won 6–0 on aggregate.2–2 on aggregate. Al-Muharraq won 5–4 on penalties.FC Nouadhibou won 4–2 on aggregate.Kuwait SC won 2–1 on aggregate.Second qualifying round
The second qualifying first legs were played between 7 May and 4 July 2023, and the second legs between 11 May and 7 July 2023.
NotesAl-Wahda won 3–0 on aggregate.Al-Shabab won 4–2 on aggregate.Club Sfaxien won 2–1 on aggregate.Al-Ahli Tripoli won 4–2 on aggregate.Union Monastrienne won 3–0 on aggregate.Kuwait SC won 3–1 on aggregate.''
Final tournament
The final tournament was held in Saudi Arabia from 27 July to 12 August 2023, across four cities: Abha, Al Bahah, Khamis Mushait and Taif. 16 teams were drawn into four groups of four. Ten teams already entered the group stage directly as league champions from Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia. In addition the previous edition holders and runners-up, and one invitee selected by UAFA from the host nation enters directly to the group stage. Six teams advanced from the qualifying rounds to complete the 16-teams group stage. The winners and runners-up of each group advanced to the knockout stage.
Qualified teams
All of the qualified teams for the group stage were as follows:
Seeding
10 teams were directly qualified to the final tournament divided in pot 1, pot 2, and pot 3 based on their football association's FIFA Ranking. The other 6 teams' slots who qualified from the quaifying rounds were drawn in pot 3 and pot 4 prior to this stage.
Draw result
Venues
Final tournament venues being played in Saudi Arabia in four host cities in Abha, Al Bahah, Khamis Mushait and Taif.
Officials
Asia zone
Referees
Ali Sabah
Mohanad Qasim Sarray
Adham Makhadmeh
Ahmad Al Ali
Abdulrahman Al-Jassim
Mohammed Al Shammari
Majed Al-Shamrani
Mohammed Al Hoish
Khalid Al Turais
Hanna Hattab
Ammar Al-Jeneibi
Adel Al Naqbi
Assistant referees
Abdulla Saleh
Mohamed Jaafar Salman
Hayder Abdulhasan Ali
Ameer Dawood Hussein
Ahmed Al Ali
Mohammad Abu Loum
Ahmed Al Roalle
Abdulhadi Manea
Ahmad Sadeq
Hussein Abo Yehia
Abu Bakar Al Amri
Rashid Al Ghaithi
Taleb Salem Al Marri
Saoud Ahmed Al Maqaleh
Faisal Al Qahtani
Hesham Al Refai
Ali Ahmad
Mazen Zazfoun
Jasem Abdulla Al Ali
Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi
Africa zone
Referees
Lotfi Bekouassa
Lahlou Benbraham
Mahmoud El Banna
Amin Omar
Abdulrazg Ahmed
Abdulwahid Huraywidah
Dahane Beida
Samir Guezzaz
Redouane Jiyed
Sadok Selmi
Assistant referees
Mokrane Gourari
Abbes Zerhouni
Mahmoud Ashour
Ahmed Hossam Eldin
Mahmoud Abo El Regal
Wahed Al Jaahawe
Attia Amsaaed
Brahim Hmade
Mohamed Yahia Youssouf
Mustapha Akerkad
Lahcen Azgaou
Omer Hamid Ahmed
Mohammed Ibrahim
Haythem Guirat
Khalil Hassani
Aymen Ismail
Group stage
16 teams were drawn into four groups of four. The winners and runners-up of each group advanced to the knockout stage.
Tiebreakers
The teams were ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, tiebreakers were applied in the following order (Regulations IV. 8):
Goal difference in all group matches;
Goals scored in all group matches;
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;
Fair play points in all group matches (only one deduction could be applied to a player in a single match):
Drawing of lots.
Group A
Group B
Group C
Group D
Knockout stage
Qualified teams
The knockout phase involved the 8 teams which qualified as winners and runners-up of each of the eight groups in the group stage. The quarter-finals were followed by semi-finals, and the final played in a single leg knockout format. In the case of a draw after 90 minutes, extra time would be played only in the final.
Bracket
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Top goalscorers
Final tournament
Preliminary and qualifying rounds
Broadcasting
The following channels broadcast the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup.
Notes
References
External links
UAFA Official website
2023
2023 in Asian football
2023 in African football