The AFC Cup was created when the Asian Champions' League was restricted to 14 'mature' member associations of AFC; the teams from 14 so-called 'developing' members were relegated to this secondary tournament. The remaining 17 'emerging' countries were moved to the 'third level' Presidents Cup, first held 2005.
Since then, there has been some movement between the countries considered fit for the Champions League and those entering the AFC Cup, with even a small qualifying section between the two tournaments set up from the 2009 edition onwards. However, the Presidents Cup proved a graveyard for the so-called 'emerging' countries, with no movement from there to the AFC Cup until 2010 (though three countries, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Turkmenistan, were 'relegated' from the AFC Cup to the Presidents Cup over the years, suggesting the overall level of Asian football had in fact been moving backwards with (as of 2010) only 25 countries (among the 45 members in 2004, when Australia was still member of the OFC) classified as either 'mature' or 'developing' and 20 as just 'emerging'). In 2012, Myanmar returned to the AFC Cup, followed by Tajikistan in 2013, and Kyrgyzstan in 2014; the AFC apparently considered the overall level to be improving again, as the Presidents Cup was discontinued ater the 2014 edition, all relevant countries now eligible to enter the AFC Cup.
2004 Al-Jaish (Damascus) 2005 Al-Faysali (Amman) 2006 Al-Faysali (Amman) 2007 Shabab Al-Ordon (Amman) 2008 Muharraq 2009 Al-Kuwait SC (Kaifan) 2010 Al-Ittihad (Aleppo) 2011 Nasaf Qarshi 2012 Al-Kuwait SC (Kaifan) 2013 Al-Kuwait SC (Kaifan) 2014 Al-Qadisiya (Kuwait) 2015 Darul Ta'zim FC (Johor) 2016 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (Baghdad) 2017 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (Baghdad) 2018 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (Baghdad) 2019 Al-Ahed (Beirut) 2020 abandoned 2021 Muharraq 2022 Seeb 2024 Central Coast Mariners (Gosford)
2005 Regar-TadAZ Tursunzade
2006 Dordoy-Dinamo Naryn
2007 Dordoy-Dinamo Naryn
2008 Regar-TadAZ Tursunzade
2009 Regar-TadAZ Tursunzade
2010 Yadanarbon FC
2011 Taipower
2012 Istiqlol Dushanbe
2013 Balkan Balkanabat
2014 HTTU Ashgabat
NB: tournament discontinued after the 10th edition in 2014 (and merged into
the AFC Cup).
Prepared and maintained by Karel Stokkermans for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation
Author: Karel Stokkermans
(karel.rsssf@gmail.com)
Last updated: 14 Jun 2024
(C) Copyright Karel Stokkermans and RSSSF 2003/24
You are free to copy this document in whole or part provided that proper
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