2014 AFC Challenge Cup qualification

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]

2014 AFC Challenge Cup qualification
Tournament details
Dates2–26 March 2013
Teams19 (from 1 confederation)
Tournament statistics
Matches played27
Goals scored82 (3.04 per match)
Attendance127,100 (4,707 per match)
Top scorer(s) Phil Younghusband
(5 goals)

Qualified nations
CountryQualified asDate qualification was securedPrevious appearances in tournament
 MaldivesHosts28 November 20121 (2012)
 AfghanistanGroup C winner6 March 20132 (2006, 2008)
 MyanmarGroup A winner6 March 20132 (2008, 2010)
 PalestineGroup D winner6 March 20132 (2006, 2012)
 KyrgyzstanGroup B winner21 March 20132 (2006, 2010)
 PhilippinesGroup E winner26 March 20132 (2006, 2012)
 TurkmenistanBest second place team26 March 20133 (2008, 2010, 2012)
 Laos[note 1]Best second place team20 March 20130 (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
 Timor-Leste (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:
India 2–1 Chinese Taipei
Raja  40'
Singh  90'		 Report Lee Tai-Lin  54'
Attendance: 1,000
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'
Attendance: 3,000
Chinese Taipei 0–3 Guam
Report Cunliffe  15', 78'
Mariano  54'
Attendance: 700
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:
Tajikistan 1–0 Pakistan
Makhmudov  89' Report
Attendance: 400
Referee: Masoud Tufayelieh (Syria)
Kyrgyzstan 1–0 Macau
Tetteh  45+1' Report
Attendance: 6,000
Referee: Ali Sabah Adday Al-Qaysi (Iraq)
Macau 0–3 Tajikistan
Report Ismailov  56', 90+2'
Ergashev  82'
Attendance: 800
Referee: Jameel Abdulhusin (Bahrain)
Pakistan 0–1 Kyrgyzstan
Report Tetteh  1'
Attendance: 12,000
Pakistan 2–0 Macau
Bashir  44' (pen.)
Kalim Ullah  70'		 Report
Attendance: 800
Referee: Jameel Abdulhusin (Bahrain)
Kyrgyzstan 1–0 Tajikistan
Tetteh  41' Report
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:
Afghanistan 1–0 Sri Lanka
Arezou  45' Report
Attendance: 200
Referee: Muhammad Taqi Aljaafari Bin Jahari (Singapore)
Laos 1–1 Mongolia
Sayyabounsou  33' Report Tumenjargal  45+2'
Attendance: 1,200
Referee: Ali Shaban (Kuwait)
Mongolia 0–1 Afghanistan
Report Arezou  59'
Attendance: 500
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
Attendance: 200
Referee: Muhammad Taqi Aljaafari Bin Jahari (Singapore)
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:
  • 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
Attendance: 4,000
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'
Attendance: 2,700
Bangladesh 2–0   Nepal
Rony  28' (pen.), 57' Report
Attendance: 19,000
Bangladesh 4–0 Northern Mariana Islands
Toklis  2', 83'
Rony  37'
Linkon  90'		 Report
Attendance: 2,000
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:
Turkmenistan 7–0 Cambodia
Amanow  7'
Baýramow  23', 36'
Thavrak  41' (o.g.)
Şamyradow  74'
Abylow  81'
Batyrow  87'		 Report
Attendance: 200
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:

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. "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. 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. "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. 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.
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