2008 AFC Challenge Cup

The 2008 AFC Challenge Cup football tournament was organised by AFC and was hosted by India.The tournament was played from 30 July – 13 August 2008. India won the final against Tajikistan.[1] India was also the winner of the fair play award and the India captain Bhaichung Bhutia won the most valuable player award.

2008 AFC Challenge Cup
Tournament details
Host countryIndia
Dates30 July – 13 August
Venue(s)3 (in 2 host cities)
Final positions
Champions India (1st title)
Runners-up Tajikistan
Third place North Korea
Fourth place Myanmar
Tournament statistics
Matches played16
Goals scored41 (2.56 per match)
Attendance15,900 (994 per match)
Top scorer(s) Pak Song-Chol
(6 goals)
Best player(s) Bhaichung Bhutia

Chinese Taipei was originally designated the host, but could not guarantee it would meet the AFC's standards for hosting the tournament.[2] Thailand was first chosen as host but withdrew due to lack of time to prepare.[3] The Philippines also was to take over as host with matches to be played in Bacolod in May 2008 but the plan failed to materialized.[4]

The winners of the 2008 and 2010 competitions will qualify directly for the 2011 Asian Cup.As a result India qualified for the AFC Asian Cup,the first time since 1984.This competition is exclusive to members of the emerging nations class of the AFC. However, in the previous edition, Bangladesh and India were invited from the developing nations class - Bangladesh actually hosting the tournament, and India sending their under-20 team. India and Bangladesh have again been invited for the 2008 edition of the tournament, along with North Korea, Myanmar and Turkmenistan who are also a part of the developing nations class.

Laos withdrew from the competition on 2 May 2008.[5] Palestine withdrew from the competition on 14 May 2008.[6]

Due to the poor conditions of the pitch at Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, the AFC moved the majority of the matches to another venue. It was decided that ten matches would be played at the Gachibowli Athletic Stadium, and two at the LBS Stadium.[7] Due to incessant rains in Hyderabad in the days leading up to the final, the AFC changed the venue of the final and the third place play-off to the Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi.[8][9]

Tournament

Qualification saw the top team from each of the four qualification groups qualify for the tournament proper, bringing the total number of participating teams in the centralized finals to eight. In addition, India (tournament hosts), Korea DPR, Turkmenistan and Myanmar qualified automatically.

Mongolia and Timor-Leste decided not to take part.[10]

Seeding

Bold Type - qualified teams, Italics - withdrawn teams

Venues
Hyderabad
New Delhi
Gachibowli Athletic Stadium Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium Ambedkar Stadium
Capacity: 30,000 Capacity: 30,000 Capacity: 20,000

Qualification
Main article: 2008 AFC Challenge Cup qualification

The following teams qualified for the final tournament:

Squads
Main article: 2008 AFC Challenge Cup squads

Group stage

All times are Indian Standard Time (IST) – UTC+5:30

Key to colours in group tables
Top two placed teams advance to the semi-finals

Tie-breaking criteria

Where two or more teams end the group stage with the same number of points, their ranking is determined by the following criteria:

  1. points earned in the matches between the teams concerned;
  2. goal difference in the matches between the teams concerned;
  3. number of goals scored in the group matches between the teams concerned;
  4. goal difference in all group matches;
  5. number of goals scored in all group matches;
  6. kicks from the penalty mark (if only two teams are level and they are both on the field of play);
  7. fewer yellow and red cards received in the group matches;
  8. drawing of lots by the organising committee.

Group A
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 India 3 2 1 0 4 2 +2 7
 Tajikistan 3 1 2 0 5 1 +4 5
 Turkmenistan 3 1 1 1 6 2 +4 4
 Afghanistan 3 0 0 3 0 10 −10 0
Source:
Turkmenistan 0–0 Tajikistan
Report
Attendance: 150
India 1–0 Afghanistan
Lawrence  90+2' Report
Attendance: 300
Referee: Masaaki Toma (Japan)
Tajikistan 1–1 India
Rabiev  11' Report Tuychiev  61' (o.g.)
Attendance: 350
Afghanistan 0–5 Turkmenistan
Report Öwekow  1', 41', 77', 80'
Krendelev  23'
Attendance: 100
Referee: Ali Saleem (Maldives)
Turkmenistan 1–2 India
Orazmämmedow  84' Report Bhutia  54', 80'
Attendance: 1,000
Referee: Khalid Al-Senan (UAE)
Afghanistan 0–4 Tajikistan
Report Rabiev  14', 44', 56'
Tukhtasunov  39'
Attendance: 150
Referee: Vo Minh Tri (Vietnam)

Group B
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 North Korea 3 3 0 0 5 0 +5 9
 Myanmar 3 2 0 1 6 2 +4 6
   Nepal 3 1 0 2 3 4 −1 3
 Sri Lanka 3 0 0 3 1 9 −8 0
Source:
North Korea 3–0 Sri Lanka
Peiris  5' (o.g.)
Pak Song-Chol  9', 27'		 Report
Attendance: 100
Referee: Vo Minh Tri (Vietnam)
Myanmar 3–0   Nepal
Yazar Win Thein  66'
Myo Min Tun  76'
Soe Myat Min  86'		 Report
Attendance: 150
Referee: Khalid Al-Senan (UAE)
Sri Lanka 1–3 Myanmar
Jayasuriya  51' Report Soe Myat Min  47'
Yan Paing  70'
Si Thu Win  85'
Attendance: 100
Nepal   0–1 North Korea
Report Pak Song-Chol  39'
Attendance: 100
Referee: Masaaki Toma (Japan)
North Korea 1–0 Myanmar
Ro Hak-Su  15' Report
Attendance: 100
Nepal   3–0 Sri Lanka
Sahukhala  14'
J.M. Rai  55'
Anjan  68'		 Report
Attendance: 200
Referee: Ali Saleem (Maldives)

Knockout stage
 
Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
07 August - Hyderabad
 
 
 India1
 
13 August - New Delhi
 
 Myanmar0
 
 India4
 
07 August - Hyderabad
 
 Tajikistan1
 
 North Korea0
 
 
 Tajikistan1
 
Third place
 
 
13 August - New Delhi
 
 
 North Korea4
 
 
 Myanmar0

Semi-finals
India 1–0 Myanmar
Chhetri  82' Report
Attendance: 1,500
North Korea 0–1 Tajikistan
Report Mukhidinov  39'
Attendance: 600
Referee: Masaaki Toma (Japan)

Third place play-off
Myanmar 0–4 North Korea
Report Pak Song-Chol  10', 12', 44' (pen.)
Ro Hak-Su  53'
Attendance: 1,000
Referee: Khalid Al-Senan (UAE)

Final
India 4–1 Tajikistan
Chhetri  9', 23', 75'
Bhutia  18'		 Report Fatkhuloev  44'
Attendance: 10,000

Winner
 2008 AFC Challenge Cup Champions 

India
First title

Awards
Fair Play Award Golden Shoe Most Valuable Player
 India Pak Song-Chol Bhaichung Bhutia

Goalscorers

References
  1. The Roon Ba News, 17 December 2007 Archived 28 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  2. Thailand replaces Taiwan as 2008 Challenge Cup host
  3. India almost set to host Asian Challenge Cup
  4. Tupas, Cedelf (18 February 2008). "Asian Challenge Cup in Bacolod uncertain". The Visayan Daily Star. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  5. "Laos withdraws from Challenge Cup". Archived from the original on 5 May 2008. Retrieved 2 May 2008.
  6. "Palestine withdraws from Challenge Cup". Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 14 May 2008.
  7. "AFC Challenge Cup Venues Changed". Archived from the original on 28 July 2008. Retrieved 27 July 2008.
  8. "New Delhi to host AFC Challenge Cup final on Aug 13". Retrieved 13 August 2008.
  9. AFC Challenge Cup final shifted Archived 20 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  10. AFC Asian Cup 2011 and AFC Challenge Cup 2008: AFC announces seedings and revised qualification process Archived 23 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine
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