The 2012 AFC Challenge Cup qualification phase saw eight teams advance to the final tournament in Nepal.[1] The qualification draw was held on 20 October 2010, in AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[2]
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.
Group Stage Entrants | Playoff Entrants (8 lowest ranked) | Non entrants (Teams eligible to enter, but didn't) |
---|---|---|
|
For the pre-qualifying phase, the eight lowest ranked teams played off over two legs on a home-and-away basis[3] 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.[4]
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.[5] 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.[6]
Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bhutan | 0–5 | Afghanistan | 0–3 | 0–2 |
Philippines | 3–2 | Mongolia | 2–0 | 1–2 |
Chinese Taipei | 6–3 | Laos | 5–2 | 1–1 |
Cambodia | 5–4 | Macau | 3–1 | 2–3 (aet) |
Bhutan | 0–3 | Afghanistan |
---|---|---|
Report | Walizada 2', 36', 80' |
Philippines | 2–0 | Mongolia |
---|---|---|
Caligdong 43' P. Younghusband 90+4' |
Report |
Chinese Taipei | 5–2 | Laos |
---|---|---|
Lin Cheng-yi 10' Chang Han 22', 56' Chen Po-Liang 44' Lo Chih-An 49' |
Report | Thongkhen 65' Syvilay 73' |
Afghanistan | 2–0 | Bhutan |
---|---|---|
Nadeem 61' Kohistani 65' |
Report |
Afghanistan win 5–0 on aggregate
Mongolia | 2–1 | Philippines |
---|---|---|
Lkhümbengarav 22' Garidmagnai 35' |
Report | J. Younghusband 4' |
Philippines win 3–2 on aggregate
Laos | 1–1 | Chinese Taipei |
---|---|---|
Vongchiengkham 82' | Report | Chen Po-Liang 65' |
Chinese Taipei win 6–3 on aggregate
Macau | 3–2 (a.e.t.) | Cambodia |
---|---|---|
Vernon 62' Leong Ka Hang 73' Vinício 75' |
Report | Borey 45+2' El Nasa 107' |
Cambodia win 5–4 on aggregate
In the group stage, the 16 teams were divided into four groups of four teams each playing a single round-robin tournament (league system).[3] 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.[2] 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.[7]
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.[8][9]
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:[3]
Key to colours in group tables |
---|
Group winners and runners-up qualify for the final tournament |
Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Palestine | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 7 |
Philippines | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 5 |
Bangladesh | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 3 |
Myanmar | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 1 |
Myanmar | 1–1 | Philippines |
---|---|---|
Khin Maung Lwin 90+3' | Report | J. Younghusband 76' (pen.) |
Palestine | 2–0 | Bangladesh |
---|---|---|
Alyan 46', 65' | Report |
Bangladesh | 2–0 | Myanmar |
---|---|---|
Shakil 10' Komol 88' |
Report |
Bangladesh | 0–3 | Philippines |
---|---|---|
Report | Araneta 41' Guirado 55', 80' |
Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
India | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 7 |
Turkmenistan | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 7 |
Pakistan | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 | −3 | 3 |
Chinese Taipei | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | −7 | 0 |
India | 3–0 | Chinese Taipei |
---|---|---|
Lalpekhlua 32' Chhetri 76' Jewel 88' |
Report |
Chinese Taipei | 0–2 | Turkmenistan |
---|---|---|
Report | Şamyradow 73' Hangeldiýew 76' |
Turkmenistan | 1–1 | India |
---|---|---|
Çoňkaýew 52' (pen.) | Report | Lalpekhlua 60' |
Chinese Taipei | 0–2 | Pakistan |
---|---|---|
Report | Mehmood 26' Bashir 67' |
Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Maldives | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 7 |
Tajikistan | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 7 |
Kyrgyzstan | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 3 |
Cambodia | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 11 | −8 | 0 |
Tajikistan | 1–0 | Kyrgyzstan |
---|---|---|
R. Sydykov 88' (o.g.) | Report |
Kyrgyzstan | 1–2 | Maldives |
---|---|---|
Abdul Ghani 87' (o.g.) | Report | Ali 5' Qasim 79' |
Tajikistan | 0–0 | Maldives |
---|---|---|
Report |
Cambodia | 3–4 | Kyrgyzstan |
---|---|---|
Sokumpheak 39', 49' Rithy 89' |
Report | A. Sydykov 5' Usanov 45+1' Esenkul Uulu 80', 85' |
Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
North Korea | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | +7 | 9 |
Nepal | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
Afghanistan | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 3 |
Sri Lanka | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | −5 | 1 |
North Korea | 4–0 | Sri Lanka |
---|---|---|
Choe Kum-Chol 2', 47' Ri Chol-Myong 5' Pak Nam-Chol 21' |
Report |
Afghanistan | 0–1 | Nepal |
---|---|---|
Report | Khawas 27' |
Nepal | 0–1 | North Korea |
---|---|---|
Report | Jong Il-Gwan 31' |
Sri Lanka | 0–1 | Afghanistan |
---|---|---|
Report | Hadid 82' |
North Korea | 2–0 | Afghanistan |
---|---|---|
Choe Kum-Chol 45+1' Ri Chol-Myong 68' |
Report |
The following eight teams qualified for the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup held from 8 to 19 March 2012 in Nepal:[10]