2010 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC first round explained

This page provides the summaries of the AFC first round matches for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification.

Format

In this round teams ranked 6–24 were randomly drawn against teams ranked 25–43, and the draw took place on 6 August 2007 in the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Teams ranked 1–5 received a bye to the third round.

The matches were held between 8 October 2007 and 30 October 2007. The 11 highest ranked teams (according to the first round seeding) among the 19 winners advanced to the third round of the Asian qualifiers, while the eight remaining teams advanced to the second round in November 2007.

Summary

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1. For security reasons, Iraq played their home leg in Syria, Palestine played their home leg in Qatar and Afghanistan played their home leg in Tajikistan.^[1]
2. Bhutan withdrew.^[2]
3. Guam withdrew.^[3]
4. FIFA decided to move Myanmar home match to Malaysia.^[4]
5. Timor-Leste elected to play their home leg in Indonesia.
6. Palestine failed to appear; Singapore was awarded a 3–0 win. The Palestine Football Federation appealed to have the match rescheduled on the grounds that its players did not receive permits to leave the Gaza Strip, but FIFA dismissed the appeal.^[5]

Matches

Iraq won 7–0 on aggregate.----

Uzbekistan won 11–0 on aggregate.----

Thailand won 13–2 on aggregate.----

Qatar won 6–0 on aggregate.----

China PR won 11–0 on aggregate.----Bhutan withdrew.^[6] ----

2–2 on aggregate; Jordan won 6–5 on penalties.----

United Arab Emirates won 6–0 on aggregate.----

Bahrain won 4–1 on aggregate.----

Hong Kong won 11–3 on aggregate.----

Syria won 5–1 on aggregate.----

Yemen won 3–2 on aggregate.----

Tajikistan won 6–1 on aggregate.----

Korea DPR won 9–2 on aggregate.----

Oman won 4–0 on aggregate.----

Singapore won 7–0 on aggregate.----

Lebanon won 6–3 on aggregate.----

Turkmenistan won 5–1 on aggregate.----Guam withdrew.^{[6] [3]}

Qualified teams

Among the 19 winners, the top 11 winners advanced directly to the third round while the remaining 8 teams advanced to second round.

Notes

1. Web site: No home play for Iraq in World Cup qualifiers . Soccerway . 6 August 2007 . 21 June 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090624041052/http://www.soccerway.com/news/2007/August/6/no-home-play-for-iraq-in-world-cup-qualifiers. 24 June 2009 . live.
2. Web site: Bhutan out of 2010 race . FIFA . Zurich, Switzerland . 13 September 2007 . 21 June 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090216224916/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/newsid%3D595607.html . 16 February 2009 .
3. Web site: Indonesia goes straight through – Guam declines . id . . 21 June 2009 . 7 August 2007 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090412003735/http://www.pssi-football.com/id/view_news_111082.php?id=1061 . 12 April 2009 .
4. Web site: Myanmar-China switched to Malaysia . FIFA . Zurich, Switzerland . 21 June 2009 . 18 October 2007 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090410031621/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/newsid%3D619505.html . 10 April 2009 .
5. News: Fifa reject Palestinian appeal . Al Jazeera Sports . 31 October 2007 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20071102035057/http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/703267B5-96C2-4A35-A960-412093559409.htm . 2 November 2007 .
6. https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/newsid=595607.html Bhutan out of 2010 race