2006 AFC Challenge Cup

2006 AFC Challenge Cup
The 2006 AFC Challenge Cup was held between 1 and 16 April 2006 in Bangladesh. Sixteen teams were split into four groups, the top two in each group qualifying for the quarterfinals, and from then on a straight knockout contest. There was no qualification stage. The cup winner was Tajikistan. The fair play award was won by Sri Lanka and Tajik Ibrahim Rabimov won the most valuable player award.
Selection of teams
The AFC classed seventeen nations as emerging associations, which need time to develop their football. They were selected in August 2005 to take part. Laos, Mongolia, and Timor-Leste were initially selected to participate, but were later replaced by Bangladesh and India of the developing associations class, reducing the number of participating teams to sixteen.
Hosts and stadia
The AFC decided at its annual meeting, that Bangladesh would host the opening ceremony and that Nepal would host the final unless Bangladesh makes it into the last two, in which case it would be held in Dhaka, its capital. It was originally planned that the teams in Groups A and B would play their games in Nepal and that teams in Groups C and D would play in Bangladesh, but due to the political unrest that shook Nepal, it was decided that only Bangladesh would host the tournament. The Challenge Cup was originally scheduled to take place between 26 March to 9 April 2006 but was changed to avoid clashes with Bangladesh's Independence Day on 26 March. The two stadia that were selected to be used during this tournament were: the Bangabandhu Stadium in Dhaka and the MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong. However, the Bangladesh Army Stadium in Dhaka was later used to make-up the matches that were abandoned due to heavy rain.
Venues
Teams
Some teams did not take part with their 'main' national squad, as noted below:
India decided to field their under-20 team in preparation for the AFC Youth Championship they were later hosting.
Kyrgyzstan took part with a young squad, made up mostly of players from their under-20 team which had qualified for the AFC Youth Championship.
Squads
Group stage
All times are Bangladesh Standard Time (BST) – UTC+6
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:
points earned in the matches between the teams concerned;
goal difference in the matches between the teams concerned;
number of goals scored in the group matches between the teams concerned;
goal difference in all group matches;
number of goals scored in all group matches;
kicks from the penalty mark (if only two teams are level and they are both on the field of play);
fewer yellow and red cards received in the group matches;
drawing of lots by the organising committee.
Group A
Group B
Group C
Group D
Knockout stage
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Winner
Awards
Goalscorers
8 goals
Fahed Attal
5 goals
Pradeep Maharjan
4 goals
Dzhomikhon Mukhidinov
Yusuf Rabiev
3 goals
Vimal Pariyar
Khurshed Makhmudov
2 goals
Hafizullah Qadami
Alfaz Ahmed
Zahid Hasan Ameli
Mohamed Abdul Hossain
Chuang Wei-lun
Chan Kin Seng
Basanta Thapa
Muhammad Essa
Ziyad Al-Kord
Ibrahim Al-Sweirki
Ahmed Keshkesh
Alvin Valeroso
Kasun Jayasuriya
Mohamed Izzadeen
Numonjon Hakimov
Ibrahim Rabimov
1 goal
Sayed Maqsood
Mahadi Tapu
Adie Arsham Salleh
Riwandi Wahit
Sok Buntheang
Keo Kosal
Chan Rithy
Kouch Sokumpheak
Liang Chien-wei
Roman Ablakimov
Ruslan Djamshidov
Azamat Ishenbaev
Andrey Krasnov
Tashi Tsering
Adeel Ahmed
Ismail Al-Amour
Francisco Atura
Sanjaya Pradeep Arachchige
Chandradasa Karunaratne
Jeewantha Dhammika Ratnayaka
Odil Irgashev
Rustam Khojaev
Shujoat Nematov
Notes
References
External links
Official site of the AFC Challenge Cup Bangladesh 2006
AFC Challenge Cup 2006 at RSSSF
AFC Challenge Cup 2006 at FutbolPlanet.de
AFC Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
AFC Challenge Cup
International association football competitions hosted by Bangladesh