2008 AFC Challenge Cup
Tournament details
Host countryIndia
Dates30 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 played16
Goals scored41 (2.56 per match)
Attendance15,900 (994 per match)
Top scorer(s)North Korea Pak Song-chol
(6 goals)
Best player(s)India Bhaichung Bhutia

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

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

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

Hyderabad New Delhi
Gachibowli Athletic Stadium Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium Ambedkar Stadium
Capacity: 30,000 Capacity: 30,000 Capacity: 20,000

Qualification

The following teams qualified for the final tournament:

Squads

Group stage

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

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

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
India 1–0 Afghanistan
Lawrence 90+2' Report
Attendance: 300
Referee: Masaaki Toma (Japan)
Tajikistan 1–1 India
Rabiev 11' Report Tuychiev 61' (o.g.)
Attendance: 350
Afghanistan 0–5 Turkmenistan
Report Öwekow 1', 41', 77', 80'
Krendelev 23'
Attendance: 100
Referee: Ali Saleem (Maldives)
Turkmenistan 1–2 India
Orazmämmedow 84' Report Bhutia 54', 80'
Attendance: 1,000
Referee: Khalid Al-Senan (UAE)
Afghanistan 0–4 Tajikistan
Report Rabiev 14', 44', 56'
Tukhtasunov 39'
Attendance: 150
Referee: Vo Minh Tri (Vietnam)

Group B

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
North Korea 3–0 Sri Lanka
Madushka Peiris 5' (o.g.)
Pak Song-chol 9', 27'		 Report
Attendance: 100
Referee: Vo Minh Tri (Vietnam)
Myanmar 3–0   Nepal
Yazar Win Thein 66'
Myo Min Tun 76'
Soe Myat Min 86'		 Report
Attendance: 150
Referee: Khalid Al-Senan (UAE)
Nepal   0–1 North Korea
Report Pak Song-chol 39'
Attendance: 100
Referee: Masaaki Toma (Japan)
North Korea 1–0 Myanmar
Ro Hak-su 15' Report
Attendance: 100
Nepal   3–0 Sri Lanka
Sahukhala 14'
J.M. Rai 55'
K.C. Anjan 68'		 Report
Attendance: 200
Referee: Ali Saleem (Maldives)

Knockout stage

 
Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
7 August – Hyderabad
 
 
 India1
 
13 August – New Delhi
 
 Myanmar0
 
 India4
 
7 August – Hyderabad
 
 Tajikistan1
 
 North Korea0
 
 
 Tajikistan1
 
Third place
 
 
13 August – New Delhi
 
 
 North Korea4
 
 
 Myanmar0

Semi-finals

India 1–0 Myanmar
Chhetri 82' Report
Attendance: 1,500
North Korea 0–1 Tajikistan
Report Mukhidinov 39'
Attendance: 600
Referee: Masaaki Toma (Japan)

Third place play-off

Myanmar 0–4 North Korea
Report Pak Song-chol 10', 12', 44' (pen.)
Ro Hak-su 53'
Attendance: 1,000
Referee: Khalid Al-Senan (UAE)

Final

India 4–1 Tajikistan
Chhetri 9', 23', 75'
Bhutia 18'		 Report Fatkhuloev 44'
Attendance: 10,000

Winner

 2008 AFC Challenge Cup champions 

India
First title

Awards

Fair Play Award Golden Shoe Most Valuable Player
 India North Korea Pak Song-chol India Bhaichung Bhutia

Goalscorers

Team statistics

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 541093+6
2 Tajikistan 522175+2
3 North Korea 540191+8
4 Myanmar 520367-1
Eliminated in the group stage
5 Turkmenistan 311162+4
6   Nepal 310234−1
7 Sri Lanka 300319−8
8 Afghanistan 3003010−10

[10]

References

  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.
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