Dec 11, 2012

AFC Challenge Cup Group D Qualifers: Nepal To Host AFC Challenge Cup Group D Qualifiers

Nepal have been grouped in Group D with Palestine, Bangladesh & Northern Mariana Island in AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers. The draw was held Tuesday afternoon at AFC HQ, Kuala Lumpur where Nepal was drawn in an average group.Nepal will host the qualifiers. 
AFC Challenge Cup Qualifier Draw


Here are the groups: Hosts are mentioned in Block Letter.

Group A: Myanmar, India, Chinese Taipei, Guam - Hosts Myanmar
Group B: Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Pakistan & Macau -Hosts Kyrgyzstan
Group C: Laos, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Mongolia - Hosts Laos
Group D: Nepal, Palestine, Bangladesh & Northern Mariana Island - Hosts Nepal
Group E: Philippines, Turkmenistan, Cambodia & Brunei Hosts - Philippines

** Maldives don't need to play qualifiers as it is hosting the tournament.

Matches will be played on March 2, 4 and 6 with the exception of Group B where the games will be played on March 17, 19 and 21.

The four group winners and two best second-placed teams will join host nation the Maldives at the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup finals.

The team that emerges victorious at the end of the fifth edition of the tournament will join 2012 AFC Cup Challenge Cup winners DPR Korea, who have had their status upgraded and no longer qualify for participation in the competition

The AFC Challenge Cup was a welcome introduction to the continental football calendar in 2006 with the biennial tournament established to provide the confederation's developing and emerging nations with a more competitive platform.

Tajikistan were the inaugural AFC Challenge Cup winners with a 4-0 victory over Sri Lanka in the final before the Central Asians had to settle for second place two years later when they lost 4-1 to hosts India.

India's victory in the 2008 final earned them qualification to the 2011 AFC Asian Cup and DPR Korea followed a similar route to Asia's flagship tournament when they defeated Turkmenistan 5-4 on penalties in the finale of the 2010 edition in Sri Lanka.

Two years later in the most recent edition of the AFC Challenge DPR Korea and Turkmenistan met again in the final with the East Asians successfully defending their title with a 2-1 triumph in Nepal to seal their place in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup in Australia

No comments:

Post a Comment