The 2022 AFC Cup group stage was played from 18 May to 30 June 2022.[1] A total of 39 teams competed in the group stage to decide the 12 places in the knockout stage of the 2022 AFC Cup.[2]
Draw
The draw for the group stage was held on 17 January 2022 at AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The 39 teams were drawn into nine groups of four and one group of three (in the Central Asia Zone): three groups each in the West Asia Zone (Groups A–C) and the ASEAN Zone (Groups G–I), two groups in the Central Asia Zone (Groups E–F), and one group each in the South Asia Zone (Group D) and the East Asia Zone (Group J). For each zone, teams were seeded into four pots and drawn into the relevant positions within each group, based on their association ranking and their seeding within their association, in consideration of technical balance between groups. Teams from the same association in zones with more than one group (West Asia Zone, Central Asia Zone, and ASEAN Zone) could not be drawn into the same group.
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 were applied in the following order (Regulations Article 8.3):[2]
Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
Away goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams(Not applicable since matches will be played in centralised venues);
If more than two teams are tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams are still tied, all head-to-head criteria above are reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams;
Goal difference in all group matches;
Goals scored in all group matches;
Penalty shoot-out if only two teams playing each other in the last round of the group are tied;
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);
On 24 February 2022, AFC confirmed hosts for the group stage.[6][7] on 25 April 2022, the Chinese Taipei Football Association withdrew from hosting the Group J matches.[8] Later, on 5 May, Buriram were declared as the centralised venue to host the Group J matches.[9]
^ abcdOn 19 January 2022, the AFC announced that the two teams from Myanmar, Shan United and Hanthawaddy United, withdrew from the group stage after the draw.[3] As a result, on 1 March 2022, the AFC decided to cancel the ASEAN zone play-off round match between Visakha FC and Young Elephants, and promote both the participating teams to the group stage to fill the vacant group stage spots.[4]
^ abcdMUST CPK withdrew from the competition due to travel restrictions as a result of the recent lockdown measures enforced in Macau due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[5]
Al-Ansar
Al-Seeb
Jableh
Hilal Al-Quds
East Riffa
Al-Arabi
Gokulam Kerala
Bashundhara Kings
Maziya
Sogdiana Jizzakh 
Altyn Asyr
CSKA Pamir Dushanbe
Neftchi
Kaya F.C.–Iloilo
Hougang United
Phnom Penh Crown
Young Elephants
Hantharwady United
Viettel
Kedah Darul Aman
PSM Makassar
Eastern
Tainan City
