2012 AFC Challenge Cup qualification

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.

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First leg

P. Younghusband

Chang Han
Chen Po-Liang
Lo Chih-An Syvilay

Laboravy

Second leg

Kohistani Afghanistan win 5–0 on aggregate

Garidmagnai Philippines win 3–2 on aggregate

Chinese Taipei win 6–3 on aggregate

Leong Ka Hang
Vinício El Nasa 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:

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;
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

• Times are Myanmar Time (MMT) – UTC+6:30

Komol

Harbi Guirado

Group B

• Times are Malaysia Standard Time (MST) – UTC+8

Amanow
Garadanow Chhetri
Jewel

Dias Hangeldiýew

Bashir

Group C

• Times are Maldives Time (MVT) – UTC+5

Ashfaq

Qasim Ergashev
Rabimov

Rithy Usanov
Esenkul Uulu

Group D

• Times are Nepal Time (NPT) – UTC+5:45

Ri Chol-Myong
Pak Nam-Chol

Ri Chol-Myong

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

• IND Jeje Lalpekhlua
• PLE Murad Alyan

;3 goals

• AFG Sidiq Walizada
• CAM Sam El Nasa
• MDV Ali Ashfaq
• PRK Choe Kum-Chol

;2 goals

• CAM Kouch Sokumpheak
• TPE Chang Han
• TPE Chen Po-liang
• KGZ Cholponbek Esenkul Uulu
• MAC Leong Ka Hang
• PRK Ri Chol-Myong
• PAK Arif Mehmood
• PHI Ángel Guirado
• PHI James Younghusband

;1 goal

• AFG Mustafa Hadid
• AFG Israfeel Kohistani
• AFG Waheed Nadeem
• BAN Shakil Ahmed
• BAN Abdul Baten Komol
• CAM Khim Borey
• CAM Khoun Laboravy
• CAM Sok Rithy
• TPE Lin Cheng-yi
• TPE Lo Chih-an
• IND Sunil Chhetri
• IND Steven Dias
• IND Jewel Raja Shaikh
• KGZ Aziz Sydykov
• KGZ Rustem Usanov
• LAO Phattana Syvilay
• LAO Kitsada Tongkhen
• LAO Soukaphone Vongchiengkham
• MAC Vernon
• MAC Vinício
• MDV Ashad Ali
• MDV Mukhthar Naseer
• MDV Shamweel Qasim
• MGL Bayasgalangiin Garidmagnai
• MGL Donorovyn Lkhümbengarav
• MYA Khin Maung Lwin
• MYA Zaw Htat Aung
• NEP Bharat Khawas
• PRK Jong Il-Gwan
• PRK Pak Nam-Chol
• PAK Atif Bashir
• PLE Ahmed Harbi
• PHI Ian Araneta
• PHI Emelio Caligdong
• PHI Phil Younghusband
• TJK Nuriddin Davronov
• TJK Davronjon Ergashev
• TJK Ibrahim Rabimov
• TKM Arslanmyrat Amanow
• TKM Gahrymanberdi Çoňkaýew
• TKM Mämmedaly Garadanow
• TKM Guwanç Hangeldiýew
• TKM Berdi Şamyradow
• TKM Didargylyç Urazow

;Own goal

• KGZ Ruslan Sydykov (playing against Tajikistan)
• MDV Assad Abdul Ghani (playing against Kyrgyzstan)

References

References

1. "No direct entry for 2012 AFC Challenge Cup". Asian Football Confederation.
2. "2012 AFC Challenge Cup draw results". Asian Football Confederation.
3. "AFC Challenge Cup 2012 (Qualifiers) Competition Regulations". Asian Football Confederation.
4. (22 February 2011). "Afghanistan, Bhutan tie in India". Asian Football Confederation.
5. Henson, Joaquin. (4 January 2011). "PFF readying Panaad for Challenge Cup". The Philippine Star.
6. Galunan Jr., Jerome S.. (8 January 2011). "Mongolian XI insists on home and away". Sun.Star.
7. (18 February 2011). "AFC CC 2012 qualifying hosts confirmed". Asian Football Confederation.
8. Timalsina, Prakash. (31 December 2010). "Nepal to host AFC Challenge Cup group". My Republica.
9. (7 February 2011). "AFC Challenge Cup date postponed". Goal Nepal.
10. "AFC Calendar of Competitions 2012 (Men)". Asian Football Confederation.