2019 AFC Cup final
In-game article clicks load inline without leaving the challenge.
The 2019 AFC Cup final was the final match of the 2019 AFC Cup, the 16th edition of the AFC Cup, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The final was contested as a single match between April 25 from North Korea and Al-Ahed from Lebanon. The match was played at the Kuala Lumpur Stadium in Kuala Lumpur on 4 November 2019.
Al-Ahed won 1–0 by a goal from Ghanaian player Issah Yakubu. This was Al-Ahed's first continental title, as well as the first for a Lebanese team. April 25 became the first North Korean men's football club to qualify for an Asian final, while Al-Ahed were the third Lebanese side to do so (after Nejmeh in 2005 and Safa in 2008).
Teams
| Team | Zone | Previous finals appearances (bold indicates winners) |
|---|---|---|
| North Korea April 25 | East Asia Zone (EAFF) (Inter-zone play-off winner) | None |
| Lebanon Al-Ahed | West Asia Zone (WAFF) | None |
Venue
The match was originally to be hosted by April 25 at the Kim Il-sung Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea on 2 November 2019. However, on 22 October 2019, due to North Korea's decision to ban television transmission of football games, the AFC announced that the final would be held in Shanghai, China in order for the match to be transmitted. On 25 October 2019, the match was rescheduled from 2 November to 4 November and the host city was shifted from Shanghai to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Road to the final
Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).
| North Korea April 25 | Round | Lebanon Al-Ahed | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Result | Group stage | Opponent | Result | ||||
| Chinese Taipei Hang Yuen | 3–0 (A) | Matchday 1 | Kuwait Al-Qadsia | 0–0 (H) | ||||
| Hong Kong Kitchee | 2–0 (H) | Matchday 2 | Bahrain Malkiya | 0–0 (A) | ||||
| Hong Kong Tai Po | 3–1 (A) | Matchday 3 | Oman Al-Suwaiq | 4–2 (H) | ||||
| Hong Kong Tai Po | 4–0 (H) | Matchday 4 | Oman Al-Suwaiq | 1–0 (A) | ||||
| Chinese Taipei Hang Yuen | 5–0 (H) | Matchday 5 | Kuwait Al-Qadsia | 1–0 (A) | ||||
| Hong Kong Kitchee | 0–1 (A) | Matchday 6 | Bahrain Malkiya | 2–1 (H) | ||||
| Group I winners Pos Teamvte Pld Pts 1 North Korea April 25 6 15 2 Hong Kong Kitchee 6 10 3 Hong Kong Tai Po 6 8 4 Chinese Taipei Hang Yuen 6 1Source: | Final standings | Group C winners Pos Teamvte Pld Pts 1 Lebanon Al-Ahed 6 14 2 Bahrain Malkiya 6 8 3 Kuwait Al-Qadsia 6 7 4 Oman Al-Suwaiq 6 4Source: | ||||||
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | Pts | |||||
| 1 | North Korea April 25 | 6 | 15 | |||||
| 2 | Hong Kong Kitchee | 6 | 10 | |||||
| 3 | Hong Kong Tai Po | 6 | 8 | |||||
| 4 | Chinese Taipei Hang Yuen | 6 | 1 | |||||
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | Pts | |||||
| 1 | Lebanon Al-Ahed | 6 | 14 | |||||
| 2 | Bahrain Malkiya | 6 | 8 | |||||
| 3 | Kuwait Al-Qadsia | 6 | 7 | |||||
| 4 | Oman Al-Suwaiq | 6 | 4 | |||||
| Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg | Knockout stage | Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| — | Zonal semi-finals | Jordan Al-Wehdat | 1–0 | 1–0 (A) | 0–0 (H) | |||
| Zonal finals | Jordan Al-Jazeera | 1–0 | 0–0 (A) | 1–0 (H) | ||||
| Bangladesh Abahani Limited Dhaka | 5–4 | 3–4 (A) | 2–0 (H) | Inter-zone play-off semi-finals | — | |||
| Vietnam Hà Nội | 2–2 (a) | 2–2 (A) | 0–0 (H) | Inter-zone play-off final |
Format
The final was played as a single match, with the host team (winners of the Inter-zone play-off final) alternated from the previous season's final.
Should it tied after regulation time, extra time and, if necessary, penalty shoot-out would have been used to decide the winning team.
Match
Details
| April 25 | Al-Ahed |
| Man of the Match: Issah Yakubu (Al-Ahed) Assistant referees: Deniye Gedara Palitha Parakkrama Hemathunga (Sri Lanka) Wellabada Hewage Don Senjeewa Premalal (Sri Lanka) Fourth official: Omar Al-Yaqoubi (Oman) Fifth official: Abdullah Al-Jardani (Oman) | Match rules 90 minutes. 30 minutes of extra time if tied. Penalty shoot-out if still tied after extra time. Seven named substitutes, of which up to three may be used, with a fourth allowed in extra time. |
See also
External links
- , the-AFC.com
- , stats.the-AFC.com