2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification – play-off round
The play-off round of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification was played from 2 June to 11 October 2016.
Format
A total of 11 teams competed in the play-off round. Originally, 12 teams were supposed to compete, but there were only seven instead of eight fifth-placed teams after Indonesia were disqualified due to FIFA suspension.The play-off round consisted of two rounds of home-and-away two-legged play-off matches to determine the final eight qualifiers for the Asian Cup qualifying third round:
- Round 1: The ten highest-seeded teams were drawn into five ties. The five winners advanced to the Asian Cup qualifying third round, while the five losers entered Round 2.
- Round 2: The six teams were drawn into three ties. The three winners advanced to the Asian Cup qualifying third round, while the three losers were eligible to enter the AFC Solidarity Cup.
The three Round 2 losers joined the six teams which lost in the Asian Cup qualifying first round, to compete for the 2016 AFC Solidarity Cup.
Seeding
The draw for the play-off round was held on 7 April 2016, 15:00 MYT, at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.The teams were seeded based on their results in the Asian Cup qualifying second round.
In Round 1, each tie contained a team from Pot 1 and a team from Pot 2, with the team from Pot 1 hosting the first leg.
In Round 2, there were no seeding. As the draw was held before Round 1 was played, the identities of the Round 1 losers were not known at the time of the draw.