2008 AFC Challenge Cup qualification

The qualification phase for the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup saw four teams advance to the finals to join four automatic qualifiers in the final tournament in India. Qualification was held from 2 April to 28 May, 2008 in four different venues. Sixteen teams participated in qualification in four groups containing four teams each. The four group winners joined hosts India, North Korea, Myanmar, and Turkmenistan in the final round.

Seedings

  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)

The draw for the qualification groups was made on 18 January 2008 at AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Qualification

Group A

Team Pld
 W
 D
 L
 GF
 GA
 GD
 Pts
 Sri Lanka 3 2 1 0 14 4 +10 7
 Pakistan 3 2 0 1 12 10 +2 6
 Chinese Taipei 3 1 1 1 7 5 +2 4
 Guam 3 0 0 3 4 18 −14 0

2 April 2008
16:00 UTC+8
Sri Lanka  5–1  Guam
Bandanage  54'
Siyaguna  55', 64'
S. Mohamed  82'
Jayasuriya  90+1' 		Report Mendiola  62'

2 April 2008
18:30 UTC+8
Chinese Taipei  1–2  Pakistan
Lo Chih-an  5' Report Essa  13'
Masih  34'
Chungshan Stadium, Taipei
Attendance: 800
Referee: Masaaki Toma (Japan)

4 April 2008
16:00 UTC+8
Pakistan  1–7  Sri Lanka
A. Ahmed  17' Report Jayasuriya  7', 42', 90+2'
Bandanage  13' (pen.), 82'
Dehiwalage  72', 77'

4 April 2008
18:30 UTC+8
Guam  1–4  Chinese Taipei
Pangelinan  17' Report Chang Han  20'
Huang Wei-yi  28'
Chen Po-liang  33'
Chiang Shih-lu  44'
Chungshan Stadium, Taipei
Attendance: 850
Referee: Win Cho (Myanmar)

6 April 2008
16:00 UTC+8
Pakistan  9–2  Guam
Anwar  9', 18'
Shah  28'
Qasim  44', 72', 82'
T. Ahmed  62'
Hameed  65' (pen.)
Rehman  85' 		Report Pangelinan  74'
I. Ahmed  80' (o.g.)
Chungshan Stadium, Taipei
Attendance: 200
Referee: Kadhum Auda Lazim (Iraq)

6 April 2008
18:30 UTC+8
Sri Lanka  2–2  Chinese Taipei
Chen Po-liang  59' (o.g.)
Jayasuriya  86' 		Report Chang Han  28'
Tsai Hsien-tang  74'
Chungshan Stadium, Taipei
Attendance: 900
Referee: Masaaki Toma (Japan)

Group B

Team Pld
 W
 D
 L
 GF
 GA
 GD
 Pts
 Tajikistan 3 2 1 0 7 1 +6 7
 Philippines 3 2 1 0 4 0 +4 7
 Bhutan 3 0 1 2 2 7 −5 1
 Brunei 3 0 1 2 1 6 −5 1

13 May 2008
15:30 UTC+8
Tajikistan  3–1  Bhutan
Hakimov  27'  88' (pen.)
Rabiev  60' 		Report P. Tshering  69'
Barotac Nuevo Plaza Field, Barotac Nuevo
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: Ng Chiu Kok (Hong Kong)

13 May 2008
15:30 UTC+8
Brunei  0–1  Philippines
Report Caligdong  28'
Iloilo Sports Complex, Iloilo City
Attendance: 3,500
Referee: Ali Saleem (Maldives)

15 May 2008
15:30 UTC+8
Philippines  0–0  Tajikistan
Report
Iloilo Sports Complex, Iloilo City
Attendance: 4,500
Referee: Ali Al-Badawi (United Arab Emirates)

15 May 2008
15:30 UTC+8
Bhutan  1–1  Brunei
Dendup  12' Report Bin Salleh  76'

17 May 2008
15:30 UTC+8
Philippines  3–0  Bhutan
Gould  41'
P. Younghusband  43'
Rinchen  58' (o.g.) 		Report
Barotac Nuevo Plaza Field, Barotac Nuevo
Attendance: 7,000
Referee: Ali Saleem (Maldives)

17 May 2008
15:30 UTC+8
Tajikistan  4–0  Brunei
Rabiev  46', 87'
Mukhidinov  61'
Hakimov  69' 		Report
Iloilo Sports Complex, Iloilo City
Attendance: 450
Referee: Ali Al-Badawi (United Arab Emirates)

Group C

Team Pld
 W
 D
 L
 GF
 GA
 GD
 Pts
 Afghanistan 2 1 1 0 1 0 +1 4
 Kyrgyzstan 2 1 0 1 2 2 0 3
 Bangladesh 2 0 1 1 1 2 −1 1

5 May 2008
17:30 UTC+6
Bangladesh  0–0  Afghanistan
Report
Spartak Stadium, Bishkek
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Khalid Al-Senan (United Arab Emirates)

7 May 2008
17:30 UTC+6
Afghanistan  1–0  Kyrgyzstan
Yamrali  38' Report
Spartak Stadium, Bishkek
Attendance: 7,000
Referee: Rosdi Shaharul (Malaysia)

9 May 2008
17:30 UTC+6
Kyrgyzstan  2–1  Bangladesh
Kornilov  83'
Sydykov  87' 		Report Ameli  63'
Spartak Stadium, Bishkek
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: Atallah Jatli Al-Enezi (Kuwait)

Group D

Team Pld
 W
 D
 L
 GF
 GA
 GD
 Pts
   Nepal 2 2 0 0 4 2 +2 6
 Cambodia 2 1 0 1 3 2 +1 3
 Macau 2 0 0 2 3 6 −3 0

24 May 2008
15:00 UTC+7
Nepal    3–2  Macau
S. Rai  43'
J.M. Rai  57', 65' 		Report Che Chi Man  29' (pen.)
Chan Kin Seng  59'
National Olympic Stadium, Phnom Penh
Attendance: 2,000
Referee: Vo Minh Tri (Vietnam)

26 May 2008
15:00 UTC+7
Cambodia  0–1    Nepal
Report J.M. Rai  44'
National Olympic Stadium, Phnom Penh
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Mohsen Torky (Iran)

28 May 2008
15:00 UTC+7
Cambodia  3–1  Macau
Sinoun  30', 90+2'
Rithy  67' 		Report Che Chi Man  65'
National Olympic Stadium, Phnom Penh
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Çarymyrat Gurbanow (Turkmenistan)

Final tournament

The final tournament, consisting of 8 teams, was held from 30 July to 13 August 2008 in India.

Qualifiers

Qualifiers for the final tournament were:

Goalscorers

5 goals
3 goals
2 goals
1 goal
1 goal
Own goal

External links