2023 Arab Club Champions Cup

The 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup, officially named the 2023 King Salman Club Cup ( ar, كأس الملك سلمان للأندية 2023) after Salman of Saudi Arabia, where the final tournament was hosted, was the 30th season of the Arab Club Champions Cup, the Arab world's club football tournament organised by UAFA.

A total of 37 teams participated in the tournament, which started with preliminary and qualifying rounds, before the final tournament was held in Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2023 across four cities: Abha, Al Bahah, Khamis Mushait and Taif. A total of $10 million of prize money was awarded.

Moroccan side Raja CA were the defending champions, having won their second title in the previous edition, but they lost 3–1 in the quarter-finals to Saudi team Al-Nassr. In the final, Al-Nassr defeated local rivals Al-Hilal 2–1 after extra time to win their first title.

Prize money and sponsorship

The prize money was as follows:

Sponsorship of 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup:

Association team allocation

A total of 37 teams participated in the tournament.

On March 3, Egyptian club Al Ahly announced its withdrawal from the competition due to scheduling issues.

Association ranking

The team entries allocation was based on the FIFA World Ranking of the associations on 22 December 2022.

Format and distribution

Teams

The labels in the parentheses show each team's position from their last season domestic league table standing.

Notes

Schedule

The schedule was as follows.

Preliminary rounds

4 teams played the preliminary rounds starting with the first round then a play-off round in a one-leg knockout format. 1 team from the preliminary round advanced to the qualifying rounds.

Preliminary rounds teams

The following teams entered the preliminary rounds as lowest FIFA ranking associations.

Bracket

First preliminary round

Playoff round

Qualifying rounds

24 teams were drawn into two-leg knockout stage format. 23 teams entered directly to the first qualifying round, plus one team advanced from the preliminary round. 12 teams advanced to the second qualifying round playing a two-leg knockout stage format. 6 teams only advanced from the second qualifying round to the group stage.

Seeding

The following 24 teams were divided based on their football association's FIFA Ranking.

Notes

Bracket

;Qualifier 1

;Qualifier 2

;Qualifier 3

;Qualifier 4

;Qualifier 5

;Qualifier 6

First qualifying round

The first legs were played between 13 March and 7 April 2023, and the second legs between 21 March and 16 April 2023.

Notes

''ASFAR won 5–4 on aggregate.''

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''Al-Wahda won 4–0 on aggregate.''
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''2–2 on aggregate. Tishreen won on away goals.''
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''Al-Shabab won 5–1 on aggregate.
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''Al-Hilal Omdurman won 4–2 on aggregate.''
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''1–1 on aggregate. Club Sfaxien won on away goals.''
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''Al-Ahli Tripoli won 3–2 on aggregate.''
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''Al-Nahda won 5–0 on aggregate.''

''Al-Nahda were awarded a 3–0 walkover victory for the second leg after Shabab Al-Khalil refused to change the home ground from Dura International Stadium, in Dura, Hebron to Petra Stadium in Amman, Jordan.''
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''Union Monastirienne won 6–0 on aggregate.''
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''2–2 on aggregate. Al-Muharraq won 5–4 on penalties.''
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''FC Nouadhibou won 4–2 on aggregate.''
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''Kuwait SC won 2–1 on aggregate.''

Second qualifying round

The second qualifying first legs were played between 7 May and 4 July 2023, and the second legs between 11 May and 7 July 2023.

Notes

''Al-Wahda won 3–0 on aggregate.''
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''Al-Shabab won 4–2 on aggregate.''
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''Club Sfaxien won 2–1 on aggregate.''
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''Al-Ahli Tripoli won 4–2 on aggregate.''
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''Union Monastrienne won 3–0 on aggregate.''
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''Kuwait SC won 3–1 on aggregate.''

Final tournament

The final tournament was held in Saudi Arabia from 27 July to 12 August 2023, across four cities: Abha, Al Bahah, Khamis Mushait and Taif. 16 teams were drawn into four groups of four. Ten teams already entered the group stage directly as league champions from Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia. In addition the previous edition holders and runners-up, and one invitee selected by UAFA from the host nation enters directly to the group stage. Six teams advanced from the qualifying rounds to complete the 16-teams group stage. The winners and runners-up of each group advanced to the knockout stage.

Qualified teams

All of the qualified teams for the group stage were as follows:

Seeding

10 teams were directly qualified to the final tournament divided in pot 1, pot 2, and pot 3 based on their football association's FIFA Ranking. The other 6 teams' slots who qualified from the quaifying rounds were drawn in pot 3 and pot 4 prior to this stage.

Draw result

Venues

Final tournament venues being played in Saudi Arabia in four host cities in Abha, Al Bahah, Khamis Mushait and Taif.

Officials

Asia zone

Referees
* Ali Sabah
* Mohanad Qasim Sarray
* Adham Makhadmeh
* Ahmad Al Ali
* Abdulrahman Al-Jassim
* Mohammed Al Shammari
* Majed Al-Shamrani
* Mohammed Al Hoish
* Khalid Al Turais
* Hanna Hattab
* Ammar Al-Jeneibi
* Adel Al Naqbi

Assistant referees
* Abdulla Saleh
* Mohamed Jaafar Salman
* Hayder Abdulhasan Ali
* Ameer Dawood Hussein
* Ahmed Al Ali
* Mohammad Abu Loum
* Ahmed Al Roalle
* Abdulhadi Manea
* Ahmad Sadeq
* Hussein Abo Yehia
* Abu Bakar Al Amri
* Rashid Al Ghaithi
* Taleb Salem Al Marri
* Saoud Ahmed Al Maqaleh
* Faisal Al Qahtani
* Hesham Al Refai
* Ali Ahmad
* Mazen Zazfoun
* Jasem Abdulla Al Ali
* Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi

Africa zone

Referees
* Lotfi Bekouassa
* Lahlou Benbraham
* Mahmoud El Banna
* Amin Omar
* Abdulrazg Ahmed
* Abdulwahid Huraywidah
* Dahane Beida
* Samir Guezzaz
* Redouane Jiyed
* Sadok Selmi

Assistant referees
* Mokrane Gourari
* Abbes Zerhouni
* Mahmoud Ashour
* Ahmed Hossam Eldin
* Mahmoud Abo El Regal
* Wahed Al Jaahawe
* Attia Amsaaed
* Brahim Hmade
* Mohamed Yahia Youssouf
* Mustapha Akerkad
* Lahcen Azgaou
* Omer Hamid Ahmed
* Mohammed Ibrahim
* Haythem Guirat
* Khalil Hassani
* Aymen Ismail

Group stage

16 teams were drawn into four groups of four. The winners and runners-up of each group advanced to the knockout stage.

Tiebreakers

The teams were 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 IV. 8):
#Goal difference in all group matches;
#Goals scored in all group matches;
#Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
#Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
#Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
#Fair play points in all group matches (only one deduction could be applied to a player in a single match):
#Drawing of lots.

Group A

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Group B

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Group C

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Group D

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Knockout stage

Qualified teams

The knockout phase involved the 8 teams which qualified as winners and runners-up of each of the eight groups in the group stage. The quarter-finals were followed by semi-finals, and the final played in a single leg knockout format. In the case of a draw after 90 minutes, extra time would be played only in the final.

Bracket

Quarter-finals

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Semi-finals

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Final

Top goalscorers

Final tournament

Preliminary and qualifying rounds

Broadcasting

The following channels broadcast the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup.

Notes

References

External links

UAFA Official website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arab Club Champions Cup, 2023
2023
2023 in Asian football
2023 in African football