2008 AFC Cup explained

Tourney Name:AFC Cup
Year:2008
Num Teams:20
Associations:10
Champion Other: Al-Muharraq
Count:1
Second Other: Safa
Matches:74
Goals:235
Top Scorer: Rico (19 goals)
Prevseason:2007
Nextseason:2009

The 2008 AFC Cup was the fifth edition of the AFC Cup, played by clubs from nations who are members of the Asian Football Confederation.

Qualified teams

20 clubs competed, including champions of the national leagues and champions of the primary knock-out competition from the following countries which are AFC-affiliated countries and which fall into the AFC's 'developing nations' category.In that season, the clubs of Bangladesh, Turkmenistan, Indonesia did not participate.

East Asia (2)
Hong Kong (2)South China (2006–07 Hong Kong First Division League champions & 2007 Hong Kong FA Cup winners)Kitchee (2006–07 Hong Kong First Division League runners-up)
South Asia (4)
India (2)Dempo (2006–07 Indian National Football League champions)East Bengal (2007 Indian Federation Cup winners)
Maldives (2)Victory (2007 Dhivehi League champions)New Radiant (2007 Maldives FA Cup winners)
Southeast Asia (4)
Malaysia (2)Kedah (2006–07 Super League Malaysia champions & 2007 Malaysia FA Cup winners)Perak (2006–07 Super League Malaysia runners-up)
Singapore (2)SAFFC (2007 S.League champions & 2007 Singapore Cup winners)Home United (2007 S.League runners-up)
West Asia (10)
Bahrain (2)Al-Muharraq (2006–07 Bahraini Premier League champions)Al-Najma (2007 Bahraini King's Cup winners)
Jordan (2)Al-Wahdat (2006–07 Jordan League champions)

Shabab Al-Ordon (2007 AFC Cup winners & 2006–07 Jordan FA Cup winners)

Lebanon (2)Al-Ansar (2006–07 Lebanese Premier League champions & 2007 Lebanese FA Cup winners) Safa (2006–07 Lebanese Premier League runners-up)
Oman (2)Al-Nahda (2006–07 Omani League champions)Sur (2007 Sultan Qaboos Cup winners)
Yemen (2)Al-Ahli San‘a’ (2007 Yemeni League champions)Al-Sha'ab Hadramaut (2006 Yemeni President Cup winners)

Group stage

The draw was held on 17 October 2007 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Key to colors in group tables:

Group A

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Group B

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Group C

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Group D

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Group E

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Best runners-up

Three best three runners-up qualified for the quarter-finals.

Knockout stage

Quarter-finals

The first leg matches will be played on 16 September, and the second leg matches will be played on 23 September 2008.|}

First leg

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Second leg

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Semi-finals

The first leg matches were played on 7 October, and the second leg matches were played on 21 October 2008.

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First leg

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Second leg

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Final

The first and second legs of the final were played on 31 October and 7 November 2008, respectively.

Second leg

AFC Cup
2008 Winners
Al-Muharraq
First Title

Awards

Player of the Tournament

Al-Muharraq

Top scorer

Al-Muharraq

Statistics

Top goalscorers

RankScorerTeamGoals
1 Rico Al-Muharraq19
2 Aleksander Duric SAFFC9
3 Ranty Martins Soleye Dempo8
4 Mahmood Abdulrahman Al-Muharraq7
Peres de Oliveira Home United
5 Libambami Yedibahoma Al-Nahda6
Rony Azar Safa
Mohammad Kassas Safa
Rashed Jamal Salem Al-Najma
6 Shahril Ishak Home United5
Indra Sahdan Daud Home United
Hassan Abdel Fattah Al-Wahdat
Hussein Tahan Safa
11 Marlon Alex James Kedah4
Nelson San Martin Kedah
13 Cheng Siu Wai South China3
Salih Sadir Al-Ansar
Chidi Edeh Dempo
Cris South China
Kengne Ludovick Home United
Mustafa Shehdeh Shabab Al-Ordon
Beto Dempo

External links