On January 23rd, the qualifying round of the CFA Cup ended at the Soca Football Training Base in Zhuhai, with 16 teams successfully advancing to the main round. It is understood that in order to give amateur teams nationwide the opportunity to participate, the CFA plans to introduce a series of effective incentives, such as combining the qualifying tournament with member association cup matches around the country, in order to encourage member associations that have not yet conducted a cup tournament in their own region to act as soon as possible.
This is the first year that the FA Cup Qualifying Tournament has been fully reinstated. Participating teams were selected by each member association to qualify for the tournament, and were divided into three groups by drawing lots, with each group playing a single round-robin tournament. In the end, Ningbo Haishu Hao Mei, Shanghai Changning Mitsubishi Heavy Industry, Shanghai Shenshui, Shanghai Orange, Hangzhou Qiantang, Qujing Yibu, Xiamen Lujian Tiansheng, Dezhou Haishan, Qianxinan Lifengtang, Chongqing Chunlei, Qingdao Zhongying Qingdao Youth League, Gannan Jiuyi United Team, Changchun Xidu, Shenzhen Dongxin Jixiang, Guangxi Bushan, and Shanxi Xiangyu, a total of 16 teams were successful in advancing to the main round.
"Football for all is fun" is the philosophy of the Chinese Football Association Cup. In this qualifying tournament, the participating players came from different backgrounds. There were Tibetan compatriots from the Gannan region and a team of students from Nanning's Dongfang Juding. There were also ex-professional players such as Zhang Lu, 37, Li Jianbin, 35, and Gao Xiang, 35, who had experience in the Chinese Super League and the national team. There was even Zhu Jun, 57, the owner of Shanghai Orange and a former investor in Shenhua FC, who took part in the game and managed to score a goal.
Affected by the epidemic, the qualifying tournament for the FA Cup was once suspended. It was restarted this year in the hope that the qualifying tournament would link up with the cup tournaments of the local member associations, break down the barriers between amateur and professional teams, and provide a good competition platform for the many amateur teams in China to have the opportunity of direct confrontation with professional teams.
The CFA reportedly plans to ask member associations to make preliminary filings for cup matches to be held this year in order to make advance preparations for the 2025 FA Cup qualifying tournament, and to encourage and guide related work. For places that do not hold cup competitions, they should be organized as soon as possible and seamlessly linked with the FA Cup qualification tournament.
According to the news, the first round of the 2024 AFC Cup main round will see the teams that have advanced through the qualification rounds face off against the Chinese Championship teams. The qualifying teams will have to go through three rounds of matches in the main round, after which they will face the Chinese Super League teams. This will not only enhance the branding of the cities where the amateur teams are based, but will also increase the motivation of the local football associations to organize the tournament.
The AFC Cup has always been a "hotbed" for cold streaks, and in the second round of the 2022 tournament, Jingchuan Wenhui beat Guoan. From the performance of the teams in the 2024 qualifying round, Ningbo Haishu Haomei, Shanghai Changning Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Shanghai Shenshui, Shanghai Orange, Hangzhou Qiantang, Qujing Yibu, Xiamen Lu Jiantiancheng and other teams have shown a certain strength, which may have a dark horse.
The cup system allows lower level teams to challenge teams from higher levels or even top leagues, thus minimizing the threshold for participation. Theoretically, lower-level teams even have the opportunity to participate in the AFC Champions League (provided they pass the AFC qualifying examination). This season, in the 2022 Emperor's Cup, J2 League's Kofu Furin won the championship and not only got the chance to play in the AFC Champions League, but also made it out of the group stage, which can be considered as a triumphant comeback for the lower-level teams.
Jingchuan Wenhui has managed to beat the professional teams and is able to play against the Chinese Super League teams after only one year. This is a great publicity opportunity for Jingchuan Wenhui, and it also gives other amateur teams the chance to inspire their desire to face strong teams. Especially in the age of Internet information, this positive publicity effect can be easily formed." Several teams participating in the qualifying rounds said.
According to the plan of the CFA Cup tournament, teams in the lower divisions will be given priority for home matches. China B, China A and China Super League teams will take the field in subsequent rounds, respectively. In the future, the CFA also plans to further expand the qualifying rounds.
According to the tournament schedule, from March 15 to 17, the 16 teams that advanced from the qualifying rounds will play one-on-one against the 12 teams ranked fifth through 16th, for a total of 28 teams, in the 2023 Central Championship Finals. The winning 14 teams will advance to the second round.
