2014 AFC Challenge Cup qualification

2014 AFC Challenge Cup qualification
Tournament details
Dates2–26 March 2013
Teams19 (from 1 confederation)
Tournament statistics
Matches played27
Goals scored80 (2.96 per match)
Attendance127,100 (4,707 per match)
Top scorer(s)Philippines Phil Younghusband
(5 goals)
← 2012
International football competition

The 2014 AFC Challenge Cup qualification phase determined the teams which advanced to the final tournament. The qualification draw was held on 11 December 2012, in AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[1]

Qualified nations

Country Qualified as Date qualification was secured Previous appearances in tournament
 Maldives Hosts 28 November 2012 1 (2012)
 Afghanistan Group C winner 6 March 2013 2 (2006, 2008)
 Myanmar Group A winner 6 March 2013 2 (2008, 2010)
 Palestine Group D winner 6 March 2013 2 (2006, 2012)
 Kyrgyzstan Group B winner 21 March 2013 2 (2006, 2010)
 Philippines Group E winner 26 March 2013 2 (2006, 2012)
 Turkmenistan Best second place team 26 March 2013 3 (2008, 2010, 2012)
 Laos[note 1] Best second place team 20 March 2013 0 (debut)
Notes
  1. ^ Bangladesh originally qualified for the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup, but with Brunei's withdrawal, their result against bottom-placed Northern Mariana Islands were declared void, leaving Turkmenistan and Laos as the best two second-placed teams.

Format

Twenty teams expressed their interest to take part before the deadline of 7 September 2012.[2] The Northern Mariana Islands made their Challenge Cup debut after having been approved by the AFC to participate (the Northern Mariana Islands is an associate member of the AFC).[3]

It was decided that starting from this tournament, an automatic qualification place will be given to the AFC Challenge Cup host.[4] The hosting rights were given to Maldives in the AFC Competitions Committee meeting on 28 November.[5]

The twenty teams involved in the qualification draw were drawn into five groups of four teams, with each group containing one team from each of the following seeding pots.[6] Teams in each group will play a single round-robin at a pre-determined host country. The five group winners plus the two best second-placed teams will qualify for the finals.

Below the table of national teams that participated in this qualifications along with their FIFA ranking (and points) as of 7 November 2012 (in bracket with their numbers of ranking are bolded)

Pot 1 ( Hosts ) Pot 2 Pot 3 Pot 4

 Kyrgyzstan (200; 20 pts)
 Laos (179; 80 pts)
 Myanmar (156; 149 pts)
   Nepal (169; 116 pts)
 Philippines (143; 184 pts)

 Turkmenistan (129; 254 pts)
 Palestine (149; 168 pts)
 Tajikistan (137; 225 pts)
 India (169; 116 pts)
 Afghanistan (167; 121 pts)

 Pakistan (180; 72 pts)
 Bangladesh (171; 114 pts)
 Sri Lanka (182; 68 pts)
 Chinese Taipei (176; 90 pts)
 Cambodia (191; 49 pts)

 Macau (199; 22 pts)
 Mongolia (186; 55 pts)
 Brunei (187; 52 pts) (Withdrew on 20 March 2013)
 Guam (181; 71 pts)
 Northern Mariana Islands (Not ranked; N/A pt)

Following teams did not enter qualifications :

Team (ranking; points at FIFA ranking) Reason of not entered qualifications
 Maldives (160; 135 pts) Qualified as host
 North Korea (81; 445 pts) Excluded as they won two previous editions of AFC Challenge Cup
 East Timor (187; 52 pts) Either chosen not to participate or missed deadline
 Bhutan (207; 0 pt) Either chosen not to participate or missed deadline

Notes :

  • It was reported on 26 October 2012 that Cambodia withdrew, citing financial and competitive concerns.[7] However, they were included in the draw.
  • Bangladesh were not one of the original 20 teams which the AFC announced as entrants.[2]
  • Brunei withdrew their participation a day before the AFC Challenge Cup qualifier in Manila citing unavoidable circumstances.[8] The last minute withdrawal puts the country in a possible AFC Challenge Cup ban.[9] Brunei were supposed to be in Group E of the AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers against hosts Philippines, Cambodia and Turkmenistan.

Groups

Groups A, C and D were played 2–6 March 2013, Group B was played 17–21 March 2013, and Group E was played 22–26 March 2013.

Key to colours in group tables
Group winners and two best second-placed teams qualify for the finals
Tiebreakers

In each group, the teams are ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, 0 points for a loss) and tie breakers are in following order:[10]

  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 (Away goals do not apply)
  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

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Myanmar 3 2 1 0 7 1 +6 7
 India 3 2 0 1 6 2 +4 6
 Guam 3 1 0 2 3 9 −6 3
 Chinese Taipei 3 0 1 2 2 6 −4 1
Source: RSSSF
  • Matches played in Myanmar (all times UTC+6:30).
India 2–1 Chinese Taipei
Raja 40'
Singh 90'		 Report Lee Tai-Lin 54'
Myanmar 5–0 Guam
Soe Min Oo 26'
Kyi Lin 40' (pen.)
Pyae Phyo Aung 45+2'
Pai Soe 50'
Kyaw Zayar Win 80'		 Report
Attendance: 3,000
Guam 0–4 India
Report Chhetri 49', 90+1'
Miranda 68'
Raja 79'
Attendance: 400
Referee: Khurram Shahzad (Pakistan)
Chinese Taipei 1–1 Myanmar
Lee Meng-Chian 80' (pen.) Report Soe Kyaw Kyaw 18'
Chinese Taipei 0–3 Guam
Report Cunliffe 15', 78'
Mariano 54'
Myanmar 1–0 India
Soe Min Oo 75' Report
Attendance: 6,000

Group B

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Kyrgyzstan 3 3 0 0 3 0 +3 9
 Tajikistan 3 2 0 1 4 1 +3 6
 Pakistan 3 1 0 2 2 2 0 3
 Macau 3 0 0 3 0 6 −6 0
Source: RSSSF
Tajikistan 1–0 Pakistan
Makhmudov 89' Report
Spartak Stadium, Bishkek
Attendance: 400
Referee: Masoud Tufayelieh (Syria)
Kyrgyzstan 1–0 Macau
Tetteh 45+1' Report
Spartak Stadium, Bishkek
Attendance: 6,000
Macau 0–3 Tajikistan
Report Ismailov 56', 90+2'
Ergashev 82'
Spartak Stadium, Bishkek
Attendance: 800
Referee: Jameel Abdulhusin (Bahrain)
Pakistan 0–1 Kyrgyzstan
Report Tetteh 1'
Spartak Stadium, Bishkek
Attendance: 12,000
Pakistan 2–0 Macau
Bashir 44' (pen.)
Kalim Ullah 70'		 Report
Spartak Stadium, Bishkek
Attendance: 800
Referee: Jameel Abdulhusin (Bahrain)
Kyrgyzstan 1–0 Tajikistan
Tetteh 41' Report
Spartak Stadium, Bishkek
Attendance: 15,500
Referee: Masoud Tufayelieh (Syria)

Group C

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Afghanistan 3 2 1 0 3 1 +2 7
 Laos 3 1 2 0 6 4 +2 5
 Sri Lanka 3 1 0 2 5 5 0 3
 Mongolia 3 0 1 2 1 5 −4 1
Source: RSSSF
  • Matches played in Laos (all times UTC+7).
Afghanistan 1–0 Sri Lanka
Arezou 45' Report
Laos 1–1 Mongolia
Sayyabounsou 33' Report Tumenjargal 45+2'
Attendance: 1,200
Referee: Ali Shaban (Kuwait)
Mongolia 0–1 Afghanistan
Report Arezou 59'
Sri Lanka 2–4 Laos
Ratnayake 74'
Gunaratne 81'		 Report Vongchiengkham 31' (pen.)
Sayyabounsou 47'
Sayyaboun 71'
Phimmasen 77'
Attendance: 1,000
Referee: Mukhtar Al Yarimi (Yemen)
Sri Lanka 3–0 Mongolia
Gunaratne 55'
Migara 58', 88'		 Report
Laos 1–1 Afghanistan
Sayavutthi 30' Report Ahmadi 58'
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Ali Shaban (Kuwait)

Group D

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Palestine 3 2 1 0 10 0 +10 7
 Bangladesh 3 2 0 1 6 1 +5 6
   Nepal 3 1 1 1 6 2 +4 4
 Northern Mariana Islands 3 0 0 3 0 19 −19 0
Source: RSSSF
  • Matches played in Nepal (all times UTC+5:45).
  • Match times were originally scheduled at 14:30 and 17:30 but were changed to 14:00 and 17:05 due to technical reasons.[11]
  • Match times of the last round of matches were changed again to 15:15 and 18:15 due to bandh organized by political parties.[12]
Palestine 1–0 Bangladesh
Dheeb 78' Report
Nepal   6–0 Northern Mariana Islands
Khawas 4', 41', 72'
Sahukhala 30'
Tamang 60' (pen.)
Rai 68'		 Report
Attendance: 17,000
Referee: Fan Qi (China P.R.)
Northern Mariana Islands 0–9 Palestine
Report Salem 7', 76', 82'
Abuhabib 21' (pen.), 27'
Atiya 23', 90+1'
Dheeb 68'
Abugharqud 83'
Bangladesh 2–0   Nepal
Rony 28' (pen.), 57' Report
Bangladesh 4–0 Northern Mariana Islands
Toklis 2', 83'
Rony 37'
Linkon 90'		 Report
Nepal   0–0 Palestine
Report
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: Fan Qi (China P.R.)

Group E

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Philippines 2 2 0 0 9 0 +9 6
 Turkmenistan 2 1 0 1 7 1 +6 3
 Cambodia 2 0 0 2 0 15 −15 0
Source: RSSSF
  • Matches played in the Philippines (all times UTC+8).
  • On 20 March 2013, Brunei withdrew due to "unavoidable circumstances".[13][14]
Turkmenistan 7–0 Cambodia
Amanow 7'
Baýramow 23', 36'
Thavrak 41' (o.g.)
Şamyradow 74'
Abylow 81'
Batyrow 87'		 Report
Philippines Cancelled Brunei
Brunei Cancelled Turkmenistan
Cambodia 0–8 Philippines
Report P. Younghusband 26', 31', 34', 88'
Patiño 45', 58'
Schröck 46'
De Murga 90'
Attendance: 6,500
Referee: Nivon Robesh Gamini (Sri Lanka)
Cambodia Cancelled Brunei
Philippines 1–0 Turkmenistan
P. Younghusband 67' Report
Attendance: 8,000
Referee: Wang Di (China PR)

Ranking of second-placed teams

To determine the two best second-placed teams, the following criteria were used:[10]

  1. Number of points obtained in the group matches
  2. Goal difference in the group matches
  3. Greater number of goals scored in the group matches
  4. 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)
  5. Drawing of lots

For this ranking, the non-participation of Brunei in Group E meant that the results of the matches in the four other groups between the runner-up and the bottom-placed team were declared null and void based on Article 16.1 and Appendix 2 of the tournament regulations.[10][15]

Grp Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
C  Laos 2 1 1 0 5 3 +2 4
E  Turkmenistan 2 1 0 1 7 1 +6 3
A  India 2 1 0 1 4 1 +3 3
D  Bangladesh 2 1 0 1 2 1 +1 3
B  Tajikistan 2 1 0 1 1 1 0 3
Source: RSSSF

Goalscorers

5 goals
3 goals
2 goals
1 goal
Own goal

References

  1. ^ "Up for the challenge". The-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 11 December 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Northern Mariana debuts in Challenge Cup". The-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 14 September 2012. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
  3. ^ "Competitions Committee takes key decisions". The-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 22 March 2012. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
  4. ^ "Tajik FF applauded for excellent hosting". The-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 1 October 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  5. ^ "Maldives to host 2014 AFC Challenge Cup". The-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 28 November 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  6. ^ По дороге на Мальдивы. FFKR.kg (in Russian). Football Federation of Kyrgyz Republic. 4 December 2012. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  7. ^ "Citing financial and competitive concerns, Cambodia withdraws from 2014 AFC Challenge Cup". Goal.com. 27 October 2012. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
  8. ^ "Brunei Withdraw from AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers". 21 March 2013. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
  9. ^ "Brunei facing AFC Challenge Cup ban". 25 March 2013. Archived from the original on 30 March 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
  10. ^ a b c "AFC Challenge Cup 2014 Competition Regulations" (PDF). AFC.
  11. ^ "AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers: Match timing shifted to 2 PM & 5:05 PM". GoalNepal.com. 26 February 2013. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  12. ^ "AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers: ANFA Reschedules Match Timing". GoalNepal.com. 5 March 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  13. ^ Thomas, Jason (20 March 2013). "No Brunei at Manila's AFC Challenge Cup". Filipino Football. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  14. ^ Rifhan, Khalis (20 March 2013). "Players disappointed with Brunei's withdrawal from Challenge Cup". Goal.com. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  15. ^ "AFC Challenge Cup 2014 line-up confirmed". AFC. 28 March 2013.

External links

  • AFC Challenge Cup, the-AFC.com