[1] Al-Kuwait were the two-time defending champions, but were eliminated by Persipura Jayapura in the quarter-finals.
In the final, Al-Qadsia of Kuwait defeated Erbil of Iraq 4–2 on penalties after a 0–0 draw in regulation time, to win their first AFC Cup title after losing in the previous year's final.
The schedule of the competition was as follows (all draws held at AFC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia).
The winners of each tie advanced to the group stage to join the 30 automatic qualifiers.
[10] Note: Goals scored in qualifying play-off not counted (see regulations, Article 74c).