2006 AFC Challenge Cup

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.

Host and stadiums

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

Main article: 2006 AFC Challenge Cup 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:

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

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Liang Chien-wei

Group B

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Riwandi

Group C

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Attal
Atura
Al Amour
Al-Kord Ameli

Al-Sweirki
Attal Abul

Kosal
K. Kumpheak

Group D

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Rabiev
Rabimov
Khojaev

Irgashev

Essa

Ishenbaev

Knockout stage

|8 April – Chittagong||0||**3 ** |9 April – Chittagong||0||3 |9 April – Dhaka||0||1 |10 April – Dhaka||1||6

|12 April – Chittagong||||1 (3) |13 April – Dhaka||0|****|2

|16 April – Dhaka||0|****|4

Quarter-finals

Sanjaya
Ratnayaka

Basanta

Mahmudov
Mukhidinov
Hakimov
Rabiev
Nematov

Semi-finals

Chathura
Gunaratne
Channa
Ratnayaka Tashi Nabin Pradeep

Final

Main article: 2006 AFC Challenge Cup final

Mahmudov

Winner

Awards

Goalscorers

;8 goals

• PLE Fahed Attal

;5 goals

• NEP Pradeep Maharjan

;4 goals

• TJK Dzhomikhon Mukhidinov
• TJK Yusuf Rabiev

;3 goals

• IND Vimal Pariyar
• TJK Khurshed Makhmudov

;2 goals

• AFG Hafizullah Qadami
• BAN Alfaz Ahmed
• BAN Zahid Hasan Ameli
• BAN Mohamed Abul Hossain
• TPE Chuang Wei-lun
• MAC Chan Kin Seng
• NEP Basanta Thapa
• PAK Muhammad Essa
• PLE Ziyad Al-Kord
• PLE Ibrahim Al-Sweirki
• PLE Ahmed Keshkesh
• PHI Alvin Valeroso
• SRI Kasun Jayasuriya
• SRI Mohamed Izzadeen
• TJK Numonjon Hakimov
• TJK Ibrahim Rabimov

;1 goal

• AFG Sayed Maqsood
• BAN Mehedi Hassan Tapu
• BRU Adie Arsham Salleh
• BRU Riwandi Wahit
• CAM Sok Buntheang
• CAM Keo Kosal
• CAM Chan Rithy
• CAM Kouch Sokumpheak
• TPE Liang Chien-wei
• KGZ Roman Ablakimov
• KGZ Ruslan Djamshidov
• KGZ Azamat Ishenbaev
• KGZ Andrey Krasnov
• NEP Tashi Tsering
• PAK Adeel Ahmed
• PLE Ismail Al-Amour
• PLE Francisco Atura
• SRI Sanjaya Pradeep Arachchige
• SRI Chandradasa Karunaratne
• SRI Jeewantha Dhammika Ratnayaka
• TJK Odil Irgashev
• TJK Rustam Khojaev
• TJK Shujoat Nematov

Notes

References

References

1. "Victory a boost for Tajikistan football: Nazarov". Asian Football Confederation.
2. "Big Soccer Forum Thread on AFC Challenge Cup 2006".
3. "Opening ceremony of AFC Challenge Cup to be held in Bangladesh". Xinhua News Agency.
4. "AFC Challenge Cup opening ceremony in Bangladesh". Asian Football Confederation.
5. "Bangladesh to be sole host of inaugural AFC Challenge Cup 2006". The AFC.
6. Acharya, Pawan. (2006). "Nepal Dumped as AFC Cup Host". OhmyNews.
7. "Nepal dumped as co-host of AFC Challenge Cup". Daily Times.
8. Kantipur. (2006). "AFC dumps Nepal from co-hosting AFC Challenge Cup 2006". eKantipur.com.
9. Kantipur. (2006). "AFC dumps Nepal from co-hosting AFC Challenge Cup 2006". KantipurOnline.com.
10. "Podkorytov is Kyrgyzstan acting coach". Asian Football Confederation.
11. (19 April 2006). "Tajikistan lift inaugural AFC Challenge Cup". Asian Football Confederation.