2010 AFC Challenge Cup

2010 AFC Challenge Cup
Tournament details
Host country	Sri Lanka
Dates	16–27 February
Venue(s)	2 (in 1 host city)
Final positions
Champions	North Korea (1st title)
Runners-up	Turkmenistan
Third place	Tajikistan
Fourth place	Myanmar
Tournament statistics
Matches played	16
Goals scored	44 (2.75 per match)
Attendance	12,550 (784 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Ryang Yong-gi ; (4 goals)
Best player(s)	Ryang Yong-gi
	← 2008 2012 →

The 2010 AFC Challenge Cup was the third edition of the tournament which was held from 16–27 February 2010 in Sri Lanka.^[1] India, the defending champions, fielded their under-23 team for this tournament in preparation for the 2010 Asian Games later that year.^[2]^[3]^{[note 1]} The champions, North Korea, qualified for the 2011 Asian Cup.

Qualification

The finals saw three automatic qualifiers joined by five teams from the qualification phase. Qualification consisted of two sections.

A playoff between the 19th and 20th ranked entrants (Mongolia and Macau)
Four qualification groups for four teams. Each group winner advanced to the finals, along with the best-ranked runner-up. Because of the withdrawal of Afghanistan the ranking of second-placed teams was excluded results of any matches against fourth-placed sides.^[4]

Qualifiers

Qualifiers for the final tournament were:

India U23 (Automatic Qualifier)
North Korea (Automatic Qualifier)
Tajikistan (Automatic Qualifier)
Myanmar (Winner Qualification Group A)
Turkmenistan (Winner Qualification Group B)
Kyrgyzstan (Winner Qualification Group C)
Sri Lanka (Winner Qualification Group D)
Bangladesh (Best Runner-up)

The draw for the final tournament was held on 30 November 2009 at the Galadari Hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka.^[5]

Venues

Colombo
Sugathadasa Stadium	CR & FC Grounds
Capacity: 25,000	Capacity: 5,550

Colombo

Match officials

The following referees were chosen for the 2010 AFC Challenge Cup.^[6]

Referees	Assistant Referees
Nawaf Abdulla Tan Hai Alireza Faghani Hajime Matsuo Andre El Haddad Chaiya Mahapab Mukhtar Al Yarimi	Ebrahim Mubarak Huo Weiming Shaji Kurian Morteza Karimi Toshiyuki Nagi Ahmad El Kawas Mohd Sabri Mat Daud Hamed Al Mayahi Hussein Shukran

Squads

Group stage

All times are Sri Lanka Time (SLT) – 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:

points earned in the matches between the teams concerned;
goal difference in the matches between the teams concerned;
number of goals scored in the group matches between the teams concerned;
goal difference in all group matches;
number of goals scored in all group matches;
kicks from the penalty mark (if only two teams are level and they are both on the field of play);
fewer yellow and red cards received in the group matches;
drawing of lots by the organising committee.

Group A

Team	Pld	W	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Tajikistan	3	2	1	7	3	+4	6
Myanmar	3	2	1	6	4	+2	6
Sri Lanka	3	1	2	4	7	−3	3
Bangladesh	3	1	2	3	6	−3	3

Source: RSSSF

16 February 2010

16:00

Tajikistan	1–2	Bangladesh
Rabiev 70'	Report	Enamul 67' Meshu 74'

Sugathadasa Stadium, Colombo

Attendance: 1,000

Referee: Hajime Matsuo (Japan)

16 February 2010