Two sides stand out in front as the most successful teams in AFC Cup history having won three titles apiece. Between 2009 and 2013, Kuwait SC lifted the trophy three times and reached the final on four occasions as they became the competition’s leading light.

 

Their dominance was perhaps bettered by Iraq’s Air Force Club between 2016 and 2018 as the Baghdad side became the first and only team to win the AFC Cup three times in a row, winning their third in front of home support in Basra.

In 18 previous editions of the tournament, West Asia has stood head and shoulders above the rest of the continent, with sides from the region having claimed the title 16 times.

 

Only Uzbekistan’s FC Nasaf (2011) and Malaysia’s Johor Darul Ta’zim (2015) have bucked the trend – something which Central Coast will be aiming to do when they take on Al Ahed in Muscat on Sunday.

While Kuwait SC and Air Force Club lead the way in number of titles, other teams have also tasted AFC Cup glory on more than one occasion.

 

Jordan’s Al Faisaly won back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006 while Bahrain’s Muharraq Club won the competition for the second time in 2021 – 13 years after lifting the 2008 title.

That 2008 campaign witnessed arguably the finest individual display in the tournament’s history as Muharraq striker Rico netted a record 19 goals en route to claiming the top scorer award with a tally that remains the most in a single edition.

 

In the knockout rounds alone, Rico bagged 10 goals and, remarkably, scored hat-tricks in both legs of the final as Muharraq overcame Lebanon’s Safa SC 10-5 on aggregate.

While Rico is out in front for a single-tournament tally, it is Bienvenido Maranon who leads the way as the AFC Cup’s all-time top scorer.

 

Between the years of 2016 and 2020, Maranon netted a whopping 35 goals as the Spaniard fired Philippines side Ceres Negros into the knockout rounds of four occasions.

Persija Jakarta’s run to the 2018 ASEAN Zonal semi-finals saw the competition’s attendance record twice broken, with the 62,198 that turned out at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium to see the 3-1 loss against Singapore’s Home United the largest crowd ever at an AFC Cup game.

 

When it comes to biggest crowd in a final, the 58,604 that witnessed Syria’s Al Ittihad defeat Kuwait’s Qadsia SC at Kuwait City’s Jaber International Stadium remains by some distance the highest attendance.

Al Ittihad were not the first team from their country to win the AFC Cup as that claim to fame went to Al Jaish, who defeated Damascus rivals Al Wahda in an all-Syria match-up to win the first-ever edition back in 2004.

 

With both legs played at Abbasiyyin Stadium in the Syrian capital, Al Jaish won the first leg 3-2 before losing the return meeting 1-0 and being crowned champions on away goals. With the competition moving to a single-leg final in 2009, it was the only title clash that was decided by away goals.

Two sides have reached the final on two occasions yet failed to lift the trophy. Iraq’s Erbil SC were beaten 4-0 by Kuwait SC in the 2012 final then came much closer in 2014 before losing on penalties to another Kuwaiti side, Qadsia, who were appearing in their third final after being defeated in their previous two.

 

Tajikistan’s FC Istiklol, meanwhile, lost 1-0 to JDT in front of home support in 2015 then two years later – having become the first-ever Inter-Zone champions – again lost in front of their own fans, this time going down by the same scoreline against Air Force Club.

When Al Seeb SC overcame Kuala Lumpur City FC to be crowned the 2022 champions, they became the first side from Oman to win an AFC club competition.

 

Clubs from nine countries have currently won the AFC Cup, with Central Coast hoping that number becomes 10 on Sunday in what is Australia’s first – and last – appearance in the continental competition.