# 2008 AFC Cup

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:
* Green: Group winners and Best runners-up advance to the quarter-finals.

### Group A

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Al-Muharraq | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 7 | +7 | 11 |
| Dempo | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 12 | +1 | 10 |
| Al-Ansar | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 8 | −2 | 8 |
| Sur | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 15 | −6 | 4 |

### Group B

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Safa | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 6 | +2 | 10 |
| Al-Wahdat | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 7 |
| East Bengal | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 7 |
| Al-Ahli San‘a’ | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 6 |

### Group C

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Al-Nahda | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 8 | +1 | 9 |
| Shabab Al-Ordon | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Al-Najma | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Al-Sha'ab Hadramaut | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 8 | −1 | 6 |

### Group D

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Home United | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 10 | +8 | 15 |
| Kedah | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 8 | +5 | 13 |
| South China | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 13 | −6 | 4 |
| Victory | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 10 | −7 | 2 |

### Group E

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| SAFFC | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 4 | +12 | 13 |
| Perak | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 10 | +3 | 13 |
| Kitchee | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 12 | −6 | 4 |
| New Radiant | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 13 | −9 | 4 |

### Best runners-up

Three best three runners-up qualified for the quarter-finals.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Kedah | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 8 | +5 | 13 |
| Perak | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 10 | +3 | 13 |
| Dempo | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 12 | +1 | 10 |
| Al-Wahdat | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 7 |
| Shabab Al-Ordon | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 |

## Knockout stage
### Bracket

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | Al-Muharraq | 5 | 2 | 7 | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Kedah | 0 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Kedah | 0 | 1 | 1 | Al-Muharraq (a) | 0 | 2 | 2 | | | | |
| | | | | | Al-Nahda | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | | |
| 4 | SAFFC | 2 | 0 | 2 | Al-Nahda | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | | |
| 5 | Al-Nahda | 1 | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | Al-Nahda | 1 | 3 | 4 | | | | | Al-Muharraq | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| | | | | | | | | | Safa | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| 3 | Perak | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | | | | | | | Safa | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| 6 | Safa | 2 | 5 | 7 | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Safa | 2 | 5 | 7 | Safa | 1 | 4 | 5 | | | | |
| | | | | | Dempo | 0 | 1 | 1 | | | | |
| 2 | Dempo | 1 | 4 | 5 | Dempo | 0 | 1 | 1 | | | | |
| 7 | Home United | 1 | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | |

### Quarter-finals

The first leg matches will be played on 16 September, and the second leg matches will be played on 23 September 2008.
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Perak | 0–7 | Safa | 0–2 | 0–5 |
| SAFFC | 2–4 | Al-Nahda | 2-1 | 0-3 |
| Dempo | 5–4 | Home United | 1–1 | 4–3 |
| Al-Muharraq | 7–1 | Kedah | 5–0 | 2–1 |

#### Second leg
### Semi-finals

The first leg matches were played on 7 October, and the second leg matches were played on 21 October 2008.
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Al-Muharraq | (a)2–2 | Al-Nahda | 0-1 | 2-1 |
| Safa | 5–1 | Dempo | 1–0 | 4–1 |

#### Second leg
### 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

## Statistics
### Top goalscorers

| Rank | Scorer | Team | Goals |
| 1 | Rico | Al-Muharraq | 19 |
| 2 | Aleksander Duric | SAFFC | 9 |
| 3 | Ranty Martins Soleye | Dempo | 8 |
| 4 | Mahmood Abdulrahman | Al-Muharraq | 7 |
| 4 | Peres de Oliveira | Home United | 7 |
| 5 | Libambami Yedibahoma | Al-Nahda | 6 |
| 5 | Rony Azar | Safa | 6 |
| 5 | Mohammad Kassas | Safa | 6 |
| 5 | Rashed Jamal Salem | Al-Najma | 6 |
| 6 | Shahril Ishak | Home United | 5 |
| 6 | Indra Sahdan Daud | Home United | 5 |
| 6 | Hassan Abdel Fattah | Al-Wahdat | 5 |
| 6 | Hussein Tahan | Safa | 5 |
| 11 | Marlon Alex James | Kedah | 4 |
| 11 | Nelson San Martin | Kedah | 4 |
| 13 | Cheng Siu Wai | South China | 3 |
| 13 | Salih Sadir | Al-Ansar | 3 |
| 13 | Chidi Edeh | Dempo | 3 |
| 13 | Cris | South China | 3 |
| 13 | Kengne Ludovick | Home United | 3 |
| 13 | Mustafa Shehdeh | Shabab Al-Ordon | 3 |
| 13 | Beto | Dempo | 3 |