AFC Challenge Cup

The AFC Challenge Cup was an international football competition for Asian Football Confederation (AFC) member countries that was categorized as "emerging countries" in the "Vision Asia" programme.[1] "Vision Asia", created by former AFC president, Mohammed Bin Hammam, is the AFC's plan for a continent wide programme to raise the standards of Asian football at all levels.[2] The AFC Challenge Cup, which reflected the philosophy of Vision Asia, was created for teams to experience playing in a continental competition with the possibility to win an AFC trophy and to potentially discover new talent.[3]

For the AFC Challenge Cup's replacement tournament, see AFC Solidarity Cup.

AFC Challenge Cup
Official logo of the AFC Challenge Cup
Founded2006
Abolished2014
RegionAsia (AFC)
Number of teams8 (at the finals)
Last champions Palestine
(1st title)
Most successful team(s) North Korea
(2 titles)
WebsiteOfficial website

The inaugural tournament was hosted by Bangladesh in 2006 and was held biennially. An amendment to men's national team competitions in July 2006, meant that starting with the 2008 and 2010 editions of the AFC Challenge Cup, the winners automatically qualify for the AFC Asian Cup.[4]

In the 2011 and 2015 AFC Asian Cup tournaments, two qualification spots have been allocated to the two most recent AFC Challenge Cup winners. The 2014 tournament was the last edition of this competition, due to the expansion of the Asian Cup to the 24-nations format from the 16-nations one after the 2015 edition.[5][6] In April 2016, due to several associations requesting a new competition to replace the Challenge Cup as they were having problems arranging friendly matches, the AFC created the AFC Solidarity Cup.[7]

Selection of teams

The AFC initially divided their 46 member nations into three groups in 2006. Although the tournament is meant for the countries of emerging associations class, some countries from the developing associations class have participated in the qualification and the finals of the tournament such as India, Maldives, Myanmar, North Korea, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. As a result, only one team from the emerging class ever won the tournament, when Palestine won in 2014. In late March 2012, the Northern Mariana Islands Football Association, although only an associate member of the AFC, was approved by the AFC to enter their national team in the competition.[8] In November 2012, the AFC announced North Korea's exclusion from future AFC Challenge Cups.[9]

  Eligible in the AFC Challenge Cup
  Former participants

The last 17 are classed as emerging associations, which need time to develop their football. They are eligible in the AFC Challenge Cup. These are the teams which participate:

Results
Year Host Final Losing semi-finalists Number of teams
Winner Score Runner-up
2006
Details
Bangladesh
Tajikistan		 4–0
Sri Lanka		  Kyrgyzstan and    Nepal 16
Year Host Final Third place match Number of teams
Winner Score Runner-up Third place Score Fourth place
2008
Details
India
India		 4–1
Tajikistan
North Korea		 4–0
Myanmar		 8
2010
Details
Sri Lanka
North Korea		 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(5–4 pens.)
Turkmenistan
Tajikistan		 1–0
Myanmar		 8
2012
Details
Nepal
North Korea		 2–1
Turkmenistan
Philippines		 4–3
Palestine		 8
2014
Details
Maldives
Palestine		 1–0
Philippines
Maldives		 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(8–7 pens.)
Afghanistan		 8

Successful national teams
Team Champion Runners-up Third place Fourth place
 North Korea 2 (2010, 2012) 1 (2008)
 Tajikistan 1 (2006) 1 (2008) 1 (2010)
 Palestine 1 (2014) 1 (2012)
 India 1 (2008)
 Turkmenistan 2 (2010, 2012)
 Philippines 1 (2014) 1 (2012)
 Sri Lanka 1 (2006)
 Kyrgyzstan 1 (2006^)
   Nepal 1 (2006^)
 Maldives 1 (2014)
 Myanmar 2 (2008, 2010)
 Afghanistan 1 (2014)

Participating nations
The participating countries of the AFC Challenge Cup and their number of appearances in the tournament.
  4 appearances
  3 appearances
  2 appearances
  1 appearance
  Never qualified
  Ineligible
  Not an associate member of AFC
Legend

For each tournament, the number of teams in each of the finals tournament are shown.

Teams 2006
(16)		 2008
(8)		 2010
(8)		 2012
(8)		 2014
(8)		 Years
 Afghanistan GS GS × • 4th 3
 Bangladesh QF • GS • • 2
 Bhutan GS • • • • 1
 Brunei GS • • × × 1
 Cambodia GS • • • • 1
 Chinese Taipei QF • • • • 1
 Guam GS • • • • 1
 India QF 1st GS GS • 4
 Kyrgyzstan SF • GS • GS 3
 Laos • × • • GS 1
 Macau GS • • • • 1
 Maldives ‡ ‡ • GS 3rd 2
 Mongolia • × • • • 0
 Myanmar ‡ 4th 4th • GS 3
   Nepal SF GS • GS • 3
 North Korea ‡ 3rd 1st 1st ‡ 3
 Northern Mariana Islands ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ • 0
 Pakistan GS • • • • 1
 Palestine QF × • 4th 1st 3
 Philippines GS • • 3rd 2nd 3
 Sri Lanka 2nd GS GS • • 3
 Tajikistan 1st 2nd 3rd GS • 4
 Timor-Leste × × × × × 0
 Turkmenistan ‡ GS 2nd 2nd GS 4

General Statistics
Rank Team Part Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts.
1  North Korea 3151221354+3138
2  Tajikistan 41911263616+2034
3  Turkmenistan 4168442714+1328
4  Palestine 314833298+2127
5  Philippines 3136341814+421
6  India 4155371321-818
7  Kyrgyzstan 311506712-515
8  Myanmar 3135081522-715
9  Sri Lanka 3124261222-1014
10    Nepal 3113261114-311
11  Bangladesh 273131013-310
12  Maldives 28224912-38
13  Afghanistan 311155719-128
14  Chinese Taipei 1412135-25
15  Brunei 131112204
16  Pakistan 1311134-14
17  Cambodia 1310246-23
18  Bhutan 1301203-31
19  Macau 1301228-61
20  Laos 1301217-61
21  Guam 13003017-170

General Statistics (Qualification)
Rank Team Part Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts.
1  Philippines 4137332311+1224
2  Afghanistan 310622104+620
3  Turkmenistan 38611283+2519
4  Tajikistan 39612152+1319
5  Sri Lanka 4125342818+1018
6  Myanmar 39522168+817
7  Pakistan 4125252621+517
8  Kyrgyzstan 4105231210+217
9  Palestine 38440162+1416
10    Nepal 410442126+616
11  Bangladesh 4115151410+416
12  Maldives 26411156+913
13  India 26411134+713
14  Chinese Taipei 4143472224-213
15  North Korea 1330070+79
16  Cambodia 4123091335-229
17  Mongolia 37214611-57
18  Laos 25131910-16
19  Macau 41220101129-186
20  Guam 26105727-203
21  Brunei 26015222-201
22  Bhutan 38017124-231
23  Timor-Leste 000000000
24  Northern Mariana Islands 13003019-190

Awards

Most Valuable Players
Year Player
2006 Ibrahim Rabimov
2008 Bhaichung Bhutia
2010 Ryang Yong-Gi
2012 Pak Nam-Chol
2014 Murad Ismail

Top scorers
Year Player Goals
2006 Fahed Attal 8
2008 Pak Song-Chol 6
2010 Ryang Yong-Gi 4
2012 Phil Younghusband 6
2014 Ashraf Nu'man 4

See also

References
  1. "Regulations - AFC Challenge Cup" (PDF) (PDF). Asian Football Confederation. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
  2. "Visiona Asian Philosophy". Asian Football Confederation. 31 August 2007. Archived from the original on 16 October 2012. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
  3. "AFC Challenge Cup in 2006 competition information". Asian Football Confederation. Archived from the original on 2 September 2012. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
  4. "AFC Competitions Update following meeting of the AFC Executive Committee". Asian Football Confederation. 21 July 2006. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
  5. "Revamp of AFC competitions". Asian Football Confederation. 25 January 2014. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014.
  6. "ExCo approves expanded AFC Asian Cup finals". Asian Football Confederation. 16 April 2014. Archived from the original on 16 April 2014.
  7. "AFC Competitions Committee decisions". www.the-afc.com. 12 April 2016. Archived from the original on 28 February 2009. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  8. "Competitions Committee takes key decisions". Asian Football Confederation. 22 March 2012. Archived from the original on 2 August 2012. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
  9. "Maldives to host 2014 AFC Challenge Cup". Asian Football Confederation. 28 November 2012. Archived from the original on 1 December 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
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