2008 AFC Challenge Cup

Tournament details
Host country| India
Dates| 30 July – 13 August
Venue(s)| 3 (in 2 host cities)
Final positions
Champions|  India (1st title)
Runners-up|  Tajikistan
Third place|  North Korea
Fourth place|  Myanmar
Tournament statistics
Matches played| 16
Goals scored| 41 (2.56 per match)
Attendance| 15,900 (994 per match)
Top scorer(s)|  Pak Song-chol
(6 goals)
Best player(s)|  Bhaichung Bhutia

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2010 ->

International football competition

The 2008 AFC Challenge Cup football tournament was organised by AFC and was hosted by India.The tournament was played from 30 July – 13 August 2008. India won the final against Tajikistan.[1] India was also the winner of the fair play award and the India captain Bhaichung Bhutia won the most valuable player award.

Chinese Taipei was originally designated the host, but could not guarantee it would meet the AFC's standards for hosting the tournament.[2] Thailand was first chosen as host but withdrew due to lack of time to prepare.[3] The Philippines also was to take over as host with matches to be played in Bacolod in May 2008 but the plan failed to materialized.[4]

The winners of the 2008 and 2010 competitions will qualify directly for the 2011 Asian Cup. As a result, India qualified for the AFC Asian Cup, the first time since 1984.This competition is exclusive to members of the emerging nations class of the AFC. However, in the previous edition, Bangladesh and India were invited from the developing nations class – Bangladesh actually hosting the tournament, and India sending their under-20 team. India and Bangladesh have again been invited for the 2008 edition of the tournament, along with North Korea, Myanmar and Turkmenistan who are also a part of the developing nations class.

Laos withdrew from the competition on 2 May 2008.[5] Palestine withdrew from the competition on 14 May 2008.[6]

Due to the poor conditions of the pitch at Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, the AFC moved the majority of the matches to another venue. It was decided that ten matches would be played at the Gachibowli Athletic Stadium, and two at the LBS Stadium.[7] Due to incessant rains in Hyderabad in the days leading up to the final, the AFC changed the venue of the final and the third place play-off to the Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi.[8]

## Tournament[edit]

Qualification saw the top team from each of the four qualification groups qualify for the tournament proper, bringing the total number of participating teams in the centralized finals to eight. In addition, India (tournament hosts), Korea DPR, Turkmenistan and Myanmar qualified automatically.

Mongolia and Timor-Leste decided not to take part.[9]

### Seeding[edit]

Bold Type – qualified teams, Italics – withdrawn teams

1. North Korea
2. Turkmenistan
3. India
4. Myanmar
5. Tajikistan
6. Sri Lanka
7. Nepal
8. Kyrgyzstan
9. Palestine (Withdrew 14 May 2008)
10. Chinese Taipei
11. Bangladesh
12. Brunei
13. Pakistan
14. Cambodia
15. Philippines
16. Afghanistan
17. Bhutan
18. Macau
19. Guam
20. Laos (Withdrew 2 May 2008)

## Venues[edit]

Hyderabad |

Hyderabad

New Delhi

| New Delhi

|
|

Gachibowli Athletic Stadium | Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium | Ambedkar Stadium
Capacity: 30,000 | Capacity: 30,000 | Capacity: 20,000
|  |

## Qualification[edit]

Main article: 2008 AFC Challenge Cup qualification

The following teams qualified for the final tournament:

* India (Host)
* North Korea (Automatic Qualifier)
* Turkmenistan (Automatic Qualifier)
* Myanmar (Automatic Qualifier)
* Sri Lanka (Winner Qualification Group A)
* Tajikistan (Winner Qualification Group B)
* Afghanistan (Winner Qualification Group C)
* Nepal (Winner Qualification Group D)

## Squads[edit]

Main article: 2008 AFC Challenge Cup squads

## Group stage[edit]

All times are Indian Standard Time (IST) – UTC+5:30

Key to colours in group tables

Top two placed teams advance to the semi-finals

### Tie-breaking criteria[edit]

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[edit]

Team  | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

India | 3  | 2  | 1  | 0  | 4  | 2  | +2  | 7
Tajikistan | 3  | 1  | 2  | 0  | 5  | 1  | +4  | 5
Turkmenistan | 3  | 1  | 1  | 1  | 6  | 2  | +4  | 4
Afghanistan | 3  | 0  | 0  | 3  | 0  | 10  | −10  | 0

Source: RSSSF

30 July 2008

16:00

Turkmenistan | 0–0|  Tajikistan

|
|

| Report |

Gachibowli Athletic Stadium, Hyderabad

Attendance: 150

Referee: Valentin Kovalenko (Uzbekistan)

* * *

30 July 2008

18:30

India | 1–0|  Afghanistan

|
|

Lawrence 90+2' | Report |

Gachibowli Athletic Stadium, Hyderabad

Attendance: 300

Referee: Masaaki Toma (Japan)

* * *

1 August 2008

16:00

Tajikistan | 1–1|  India

|
|

Rabiev 11' | Report | Tuychiev 61' (o.g.)

Gachibowli Athletic Stadium, Hyderabad

Attendance: 350

Referee: Tayeb Shamsuzzaman (Bangladesh)

* * *

1 August 2008

18:30

Afghanistan | 0–5|  Turkmenistan

|
|

| Report | Öwekow 1', 41', 77', 80'
Krendelev 23'

Gachibowli Athletic Stadium, Hyderabad

Attendance: 100

Referee: Ali Saleem (Maldives)

* * *

3 August 2008

18:30

Turkmenistan | 1–2|  India

|
|

Orazmämmedow 84' | Report | Bhutia 54', 80'

Gachibowli Athletic Stadium, Hyderabad

Attendance: 1,000

Referee: Khalid Al-Senan (UAE)

* * *

3 August 2008

18:30

Afghanistan | 0–4|  Tajikistan

|
|

| Report | Rabiev 14', 44', 56'
Tukhtasunov 39'

Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Hyderabad

Attendance: 150

Referee: Vo Minh Tri (Vietnam)

### Group B[edit]

Team  | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

North Korea | 3  | 3  | 0  | 0  | 5  | 0  | +5  | 9
Myanmar | 3  | 2  | 0  | 1  | 6  | 2  | +4  | 6
Nepal | 3  | 1  | 0  | 2  | 3  | 4  | −1  | 3
Sri Lanka | 3  | 0  | 0  | 3  | 1  | 9  | −8  | 0

Source: RSSSF

31 July 2008

16:00

North Korea | 3–0|  Sri Lanka

|
|

Madushka Peiris  5' (o.g.)
Pak Song-chol 9', 27' | Report |

Gachibowli Athletic Stadium, Hyderabad

Attendance: 100

Referee: Vo Minh Tri (Vietnam)

* * *

31 July 2008

18:30

Myanmar | 3–0|  Nepal

|
|

Yazar Win Thein 66'
Myo Min Tun 76'
Soe Myat Min 86' | Report |

Gachibowli Athletic Stadium, Hyderabad

Attendance: 150

Referee: Khalid Al-Senan (UAE)

* * *

2 August 2008

16:00

Sri Lanka | 1–3|  Myanmar

|
|

Jayasuriya 51' | Report | Soe Myat Min 47'
Yan Paing 70'
Si Thu Win 85'

Gachibowli Athletic Stadium, Hyderabad

Attendance: 100

Referee: Valentin Kovalenko (Uzbekistan)

* * *

2 August 2008

18:30

Nepal | 0–1|  North Korea

|
|

| Report | Pak Song-chol 39'

Gachibowli Athletic Stadium, Hyderabad

Attendance: 100

Referee: Masaaki Toma (Japan)

* * *

4 August 2008

18:30

North Korea | 1–0|  Myanmar

|
|

Ro Hak-su 15' | Report |

Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Hyderabad

Attendance: 100

Referee: Tayeb Shamsuzzaman (Bangladesh)

* * *

4 August 2008

18:30

Nepal | 3–0|  Sri Lanka

|
|

Sahukhala 14'
J.M. Rai 55'
K.C. Anjan  68' | Report |

Gachibowli Athletic Stadium, Hyderabad

Attendance: 200

Referee: Ali Saleem (Maldives)

## Knockout stage[edit]

| Semi-finals| | Final

|
|
|

|  |  |  |  |  |

| 7 August – Hyderabad| |

|  India| 1

| 13 August – New Delhi

|  Myanmar| 0 |

|  India| 4

| 7 August – Hyderabad

| |  Tajikistan| 1

|  North Korea| 0

|  Tajikistan| 1 |

| Third place

| 13 August – New Delhi

|  North Korea| 4

|  Myanmar| 0

### Semi-finals[edit]

7 August 2008

16:00

India | 1–0|  Myanmar

|
|

Chhetri 82' | Report |

Gachibowli Athletic Stadium, Hyderabad

Attendance: 1,500

Referee: Tayeb Shamsuzzaman (Bangladesh)

* * *

7 August 2008

19:30

North Korea | 0–1|  Tajikistan

|
|

| Report | Mukhidinov 39'

Gachibowli Athletic Stadium, Hyderabad

Attendance: 600

Referee: Masaaki Toma (Japan)

### Third place play-off[edit]

13 August 2008

16:00

Myanmar | 0–4|  North Korea

|
|

| Report | Pak Song-chol 10', 12', 44' (pen.)
Ro Hak-su 53'

Ambedkar Stadium, New Delhi

Attendance: 1,000

Referee: Khalid Al-Senan (UAE)

### Final[edit]

Main article: 2008 AFC Challenge Cup Final

13 August 2008

19:00

India | 4–1|  Tajikistan

|
|

Chhetri 9', 23', 75'
Bhutia 18' | Report | Fatkhuloev 44'

Ambedkar Stadium, New Delhi

Attendance: 10,000

Referee: Valentin Kovalenko (Uzbekistan)

## Winner[edit]

2008 AFC Challenge Cup champions

India
First title

## Awards[edit]

Fair Play Award  | Golden Shoe  | Most Valuable Player

|
|

India |  Pak Song-chol |  Bhaichung Bhutia

## Goalscorers[edit]

6 goals

* Pak Song-chol

4 goals

* Sunil Chhetri
* Yusuf Rabiev
* Guwançmuhammet Öwekow

3 goals

* Bhaichung Bhutia

2 goals

* Soe Myat Min
* Ro Hak-su

1 goal

* Climax Lawrence
* Myo Min Tun
* Si Thu Win
* Yan Paing
* Yazar Win Thein

1 goal

* K.C. Anjan
* Ju Manu Rai
* Santosh Sahukhala
* Kasun Jayasuriya
* Fatkhullo Fatkhuloev
* Dzhomikhon Mukhidinov
* Davronjon Tukhtasunov
* Vyacheslav Krendelev
* Ýusup Orazmämmedow

Own goal

* Madushka Peiris (playing against Korea DPR)
* Alisher Tuychiev (playing against India)

|
|

## Team statistics[edit]

This table shows all team performance. Matches that ended in a penalty shoot out are counted as draws

Pos | Team  | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Reached the knockout stage
1 |  India | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 3 | +6
2 |  Tajikistan | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 5 | +2
3 |  North Korea | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 1 | +8
4 |  Myanmar | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 7 | -1
Eliminated in the group stage
5 |  Turkmenistan | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 | +4
6 |  Nepal | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | −1
7 |  Sri Lanka | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 9 | −8
8 |  Afghanistan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | −10

[10]

## References[edit]

1. ^ The Roon Ba News, 17 December 2007 Archived 28 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine
2. ^ "Thailand replaces Taiwan as 2008 Challenge Cup host". Archived from the original on 22 December 2007. Retrieved 29 November 2007.
3. ^ "India almost set to host Asian Challenge Cup". Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
4. ^ Tupas, Cedelf (18 February 2008). "Asian Challenge Cup in Bacolod uncertain". The Visayan Daily Star. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
5. ^ "Laos withdraws from Challenge Cup". Archived from the original on 5 May 2008. Retrieved 2 May 2008.
6. ^ "Palestine withdraws from Challenge Cup". Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 14 May 2008.
7. ^ "AFC Challenge Cup Venues Changed". Archived from the original on 28 July 2008. Retrieved 27 July 2008.
8. ^ AFC Challenge Cup final shifted Archived 20 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine
9. ^ AFC Asian Cup 2011 and AFC Challenge Cup 2008: AFC announces seedings and revised qualification process Archived 23 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine
10. ^ "AFC Challenge Cup 2008". Archived from the original on 23 September 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.

## External links[edit]

* Official Site
* Stats at a glance

* v
* t
* e

AFC Challenge Cup

Tournaments|

* Bangladesh 2006
* India 2008
* Sri Lanka 2010
* Nepal 2012
* Maldives 2014

Qualification|

* 2006
* 2008
* 2010
* 2012
* 2014

Squads|

* 2006
* 2008
* 2010
* 2012
* 2014

Finals|

* 2006
* 2008
* 2010
* 2012
* 2014

*[Pld]: Played
*[W]: Won
*[D]: Drawn
*[L]: Lost
*[GF]: Goals for
*[GA]: Goals against
*[GD]: Goal difference
*[Pts]: Points
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template