2010 AFC Challenge Cup qualification explained

The 2010 AFC Challenge Cup qualification phase saw five teams advance to the finals to join three automatic qualifiers in the final tournament in Sri Lanka.

Qualification consisted of two sections.

• A playoff between the 19th and 20th ranked entrants (Mongolia and Macau)
• Four qualification groups for four teams. Each group winner advanced to the finals, along with the best-ranked runner-up. Because of the withdrawal of Afghanistan, the ranking of second-placed teams excluded results of any matches against fourth-placed sides.^[1]

Seeding

Seeding was based partially on the FIFA World Ranks as at January 2009 (ranking shown in brackets).

, and chose not to compete. Afghanistan withdrew prior to their first match.

Qualifying preliminary round

Moved from originally scheduled dates of 7 March and 14 March due to conflict with the qualification for the 2010 East Asian Football Championship.^[2]

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3–3 on aggregate. Macau advanced to the group phase on the away goals rule.

Qualifying group stage

Qualification was officially scheduled to take place from 2–13 April 2009, although the actual dates began before and extended beyond that.^[3] Each qualification group was held in a single location - Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka hosting their respective groups.

The teams were ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, 0 points for a loss) and tie breakers were in following order:^[1]

1. Greater number of points obtained in the group matches between the teams concerned;
2. Goal difference resulting from the group matches between the teams concerned;
3. Greater number of goals scored in the group matches between the teams concerned;
4. Goal difference in all the group matches;
5. Greater number of goals scored in all the group matches;
6. Kicks from the penalty mark if only two teams are involved and they are both on the field of play;
7. Fewer score calculated according to the number of yellow and red cards received in the group matches; (1 point for each yellow card, 3 points for each red card as a consequence of two yellow cards, 3 points for each direct red card, 4 points for each yellow card followed by a direct red card)
8. Drawing of lots.

Group A

• Matches played in Bangladesh.
• Times listed are UTC+6.

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Group B

• Matches played in the Maldives.
• Times listed are UTC+5.

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Group C

• Matches played in Nepal.
• Times listed are UTC+5:45.

Tie-breaking situation:

• Kyrgyzstan ranked ahead of Nepal and Palestine on the basis of goals scored.
• Nepal ranked ahead of Palestine on the basis of a better disciplinary record (Nepal 1 yellow card - Palestine 3 yellow cards).

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Group D

• Matches played in Sri Lanka.
• Times listed are UTC+5:30.

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Ranking of second placed teams

The best-ranked second placed team also qualified for the finals tournament.

Due to Afghanistan's withdrawal from Group C, matches against fourth-placed sides in the other groups were excluded from the following comparison.Notes on the tie-breaking situation:

• Bangladesh ranked ahead of the Maldives on the basis of goal difference.
• Pakistan ranked ahead of Nepal on the basis of goals scored.

Final tournament

The final tournament, consisting of 8 teams, was eventually held from 16–27 February in Sri Lanka.^[4]

Qualifiers

The eight teams that qualified for the final tournament are:

• – automatic qualifier
• – automatic qualifier
• – automatic qualifier
• – winner Group A
• – winner Group B
• – winner Group C
• – winner Group D
• – best runner-up

The draw for the final tournament was done on 30 November 2009 at the Galadri Hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka.^[5]

Goalscorers

5 goals

• Safiullah Khan
• Kasun Jayasuriya

4 goals

• Ibrahim Fazeel

3 goals

• Chen Po-liang
• Ali Ashfaq
• Döwletmyrat Ataýew
• Berdi Şamyradow

2 goals

• Enamul Haque
• Mohammed Zahid Hossain
• Huang Wei-yi
• Mirlan Murzaev
• Chan Kin Seng
• Pai Soe
• Yazar Win Thein
• Adnan Ahmed
• Chad Gould
• Rohana Ruwanthilake
• Arif Mirzoýew
• Mekan Nasyrow
• Didargylyç Urazow

1 goal

• Mohd Mamunul Islam
• Kamarul Ariffin Ramlee
• Keo Sokngon
• Teab Vathanak
• Chang Han
• Kuo Chun-yi
• Che Chi Man
• Leong Chong In
• Mukhthar Naseer
• Mohamed Umair
• Murun Altankhuyag
• Donorovyn Lkhümbengarav
• Khin Maung Lwin
• Myo Min Tun
• Pyae Phyo Oo
• Biraj Maharjan
• Atif Bashir
• Jadid Khan Pathan
• Said Al-Sobakhi
• Alexander Borromeo
• Asmeer Lathif Mohamed
• Shanmugarajah Sanjeev
• Gahrymanberdi Çoňkaýew
• Ruslan Mingazow

Own goal

• Geofredo (playing against Mongolia)
• Anton del Rosario (playing against Turkmenistan)

Notes and References

1. Web site: Regulations - AFC Challenge Cup 2010 (Qualifiers) . The-AFC.com . Asian Football Confederation . 2009-03-25 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110818102201/http://images.the-afc.com/Documents/common/cms/afc/clcq010regulations.pdf . 2011-08-18 .
2. Web site: 2009 Draft Activity Plan . Chinese . MacauFA.com . Macau Football Association . 2009-02-25 . 2009-03-09.
3. Web site: AFC Competitions Calendar 2009 . The-AFC.com . . 2008-09-15 . 2008-10-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20081119152627/http://images.the-afc.com/Documents/common/cms/afc/Comp_Calendar_2009_20080915.pdf. 19 November 2008 . live.
4. Web site: Sri Lanka to host 2010 AFC Challenge Cup . https://web.archive.org/web/20190123223716/http://www.the-afc.com/en/inside-afc/676-afc-news/25480-sri-lanka-to-host-2010-afc-challenge-cup . dead . 2019-01-23 . The-AFC.com . Asian Football Confederation . 2009-10-02 . 2009-10-02 .
5. Web site: AFC Challenge Cup draw on November 30 . The-AFC.com . Asian Football Confederation . 2009-11-05 .