Indian clubs learn fate as AFC releases 2022 club competition schedules

ATK Mohun Bagan, Mumbai City FC and Gokulam Kerala will represent India in the continental competitions.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced the dates for their club competitions in 2022 on Monday. From India, three clubs will be representing the country next year. Mumbai City FC, who won the ISL league stages, have been granted direct entry to the AFC Champions League group stages next year.

I-League winners Gokulam Kerala will play in the AFC Cup 2022 group stages. The Malabarians have been granted direct qualification because of their 2020/21 I-League title win. In the current format in Indian football, the I-League is considered as the 'top domestic knockout cup' from India - like the Federation Cup in the past. As the winners of the that competition, they're able to feature directly in the AFC Cup group stages. The group stages for the West and South Zone begin from May 18 and will continue till May 24, 2022.

For ATK Mohun Bagan, the equation is slightly unique. Since Mumbai City FC topped the league stage and even went on to win the finals the Mariners have qualified for the 2022 AFC Cup Qualifiers.

That being said, there’s also a chance they could play alongside Mumbai in the ACL next year. ATK Mohun Bagan play in the AFC Cup later this year. If they can win the competition, they’ll be granted direct qualification into the AFC Champions League playoffs in 2022. If they win the playoffs and qualify for the ACL group stages, ATKMB won’t play in the AFC Cup next year.

Mumbai City FC will play in the ACL group stages which start from May 10, 2022 for the Western Asia region. These games will be played in a centralized home and away format. That is the same as it happened this year with all of FC Goa’s group games taking place in Goa. The group stages will continue till 26 May, 2022. For ATKMB, the equation is the same if they’re able to qualify for the group stages as well.

For the 2021 and 2022 seasons, the AFC Executive Committee announced changes to the format of their competitions. This included turning all the knockout games of both their competitions into one-legged fixtures. Even in the AFC Cup, the group stages will consist of just three round-robin style matchdays instead of the normal six. These group stage games will also take place at centralized venues.

In an official release, the AFC explained this and wrote, “Keeping in mind the continued risks and uncertainty of the pandemic and to ensure Participating Clubs are given sufficient preparation time, it was decided that the 2022 season will draw on the extensive experience of the successful and safe staging of the 2020 club competition season as well as the ongoing 2021 edition.

“Therefore, the 2022 AFC Champions League and AFC Cup seasons will continue to be played in centralized venues, with the Knockout Stages also following the single-leg format of the current edition of both club competitions,” they added.

If unable to win the AFC Cup this year, ATKMB will have to qualify for the competition next year. The AFC Cup preliminary qualifiers start from April 5 ,2022 for the Western Zone.

The playoffs then take place on 19 April, before the AFC Cup group stages begin on 18 May. The AFC Champions League final in 2022 will take place on 29 October. The AFC Cup final will place a week before that on 22 October.

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