2012 AFC Challenge Cup qualification

2012 AFC Challenge Cup qualification
The 2012 AFC Challenge Cup qualification phase saw eight teams advance to the final tournament in Nepal. The qualification draw was held on 20 October 2010, in AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Seeding
The seedings are based on the 2010 AFC Challenge Cup. Unlike previous editions with the exception of the inaugural edition, no team has been given direct entry into the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup. Defending champions Korea DPR, runners-up Turkmenistan and third-placed Tajikistan would now have to go through the qualifiers to enter the finals. The eight lowest ranked teams would take part in the playoff round while the remaining 12 teams would enter the Group Stage.
Qualifying play-off round
For the pre-qualifying phase, the eight lowest ranked teams played off over two legs on a home-and-away basis with the away goals rule, extra time and penalty shootouts to determine winners if necessary. The matches took place on 9 and 16 February 2011 with the four winners advancing to the group stage. However, for Afghanistan–Bhutan fixtures, they were rescheduled for 23 and 25 March and were played in at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Gurgaon, India.
The second leg of the Philippines–Mongolia fixture was originally due to take place on 16 February 2011. However, in early January 2011, Philippine Football Federation president Mariano Araneta said he wanted the match to take place at the same venue as the first leg on 12 February, citing the winter conditions in Mongolia. Mongolian Football Federation president Ganbold Buyannemekh insisted that the second leg be played in Mongolia but proposed a 15 March date instead as a compromise.
|}
First leg
Second leg
Afghanistan win 5–0 on aggregate
Philippines win 3–2 on aggregate
Chinese Taipei win 6–3 on aggregate
Cambodia win 5–4 on aggregate
Qualifying group stage
In the group stage, the 16 teams were divided into four groups of four teams each playing a single round-robin tournament (league system). This included the 12 highest ranked automatically qualified teams and the four qualifiers from the playoff round. The original match days were 20–31 March 2011. The top two teams in each group qualified for the final tournament. On 18 February 2011, the AFC announced that the hosts for each group were: Myanmar for Group A, Malaysia for Group B, Maldives for Group C, and Nepal for Group D; with match dates on 21, 23 and 25 March 2011.
However, for Group D, the All Nepal Football Association proposed the hosting rights since the end of December 2010, which the AFC had endorsed. The fixtures were also scheduled to take place from 21 to 25 March but on 7 February 2011 it was announced that the qualifiers had to be postponed due to the unavailability of the main stadium (Dasarath Rangasala Stadium) due to a wrestling event. The fixtures were then set to 7 to 11 April 2011.
The teams were 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:
Greater number of points obtained in the group matches between the teams concerned;
Goal difference resulting from the group matches between the teams concerned;
Greater number of goals scored in the group matches between the teams concerned;
Goal difference in all the group matches;
Greater number of goals scored in all the group matches;
Kicks from the penalty mark if only two teams are involved and they are both on the field of play;
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)
Drawing of lots.
Group A
Times are Myanmar Time (MMT) – UTC+6:30
Group B
Times are Malaysia Standard Time (MST) – UTC+8
Group C
Times are Maldives Time (MVT) – UTC+5
Group D
Times are Nepal Time (NPT) – UTC+5:45
Qualifiers
The following eight teams qualified for the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup held from 8 to 19 March 2012 in Nepal:
– Group A winners
– Group A runners-up
– Group B winners
– Group B runners-up
– Group C winners
– Group C runners-up
– Group D winners
– Group D runners-up
Goalscorers
4 goals
Jeje Lalpekhlua
Murad Alyan
3 goals
Sidiq Walizada
Sam El Nasa
Ali Ashfaq
Choe Kum-Chol
2 goals
Kouch Sokumpheak
Chang Han
Chen Po-liang
Cholponbek Esenkul Uulu
Leong Ka Hang
Ri Chol-Myong
Arif Mehmood
Ángel Guirado
James Younghusband
1 goal
Mustafa Hadid
Israfeel Kohistani
Waheed Nadeem
Shakil Ahmed
Abdul Baten Komol
Khim Borey
Khoun Laboravy
Sok Rithy
Lin Cheng-yi
Lo Chih-an
Sunil Chhetri
Steven Dias
Jewel Raja Shaikh
Aziz Sydykov
Rustem Usanov
Phattana Syvilay
Kitsada Tongkhen
Soukaphone Vongchiengkham
Vernon
Vinício
Ashad Ali
Mukhthar Naseer
Shamweel Qasim
Bayasgalangiin Garidmagnai
Donorovyn Lkhümbengarav
Khin Maung Lwin
Zaw Htat Aung
Bharat Khawas
Jong Il-Gwan
Pak Nam-Chol
Atif Bashir
Ahmed Harbi
Ian Araneta
Emelio Caligdong
Phil Younghusband
Nuriddin Davronov
Davronjon Ergashev
Ibrahim Rabimov
Arslanmyrat Amanow
Gahrymanberdi Çoňkaýew
Mämmedaly Garadanow
Guwanç Hangeldiýew
Berdi Şamyradow
Didargylyç Urazow
Own goal
Ruslan Sydykov (playing against Tajikistan)
Assad Abdul Ghani (playing against Kyrgyzstan)
References
External links
AFC Challenge Cup
Qualification
qual