2010 AFC Challenge Cup qualification


The 2010 AFC Challenge Cup qualification phase saw five teams advance to the finals to join three automatic qualifiers in the final tournament in Sri Lanka.
Qualification consisted of two sections.
  • A playoff between the 19th and 20th ranked entrants
  • 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 excluded results of any matches against fourth-placed sides.

Seeding

Seeding was based partially on the FIFA World Ranks as at January 2009.
Automatic QualifiersGroup HostsOther Teams


, and chose not to compete. Afghanistan withdrew prior to their first match.

Qualifying preliminary round

Moved from originally scheduled dates of 7 March and 14 March due to conflict with the qualification for the 2010 East Asian Football Championship.
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''3–3 on aggregate. Macau advanced to the group phase on the away goals rule.''

Qualifying group stage

Qualification was officially scheduled to take place from 2–13 April 2009, although the actual dates began before and extended beyond that. Each qualification group was held in a single location - Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka hosting their respective groups.
The teams were ranked according to points and tie breakers were in following order:
  1. Greater number of points obtained in the group matches between the teams concerned;
  2. Goal difference resulting from the group matches between the teams concerned;
  3. Greater number of goals scored in the group matches between the teams concerned;
  4. Goal difference in all the group matches;
  5. Greater number of goals scored in all the group matches;
  6. Kicks from the penalty mark if only two teams are involved and they are both on the field of play;
  7. Fewer score calculated according to the number of yellow and red cards received in the group matches;
  8. Drawing of lots.
Key to colours in group tables
Group winners and runners-up qualify for the final tournament

Group A

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Group B

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Group C

Tie-breaking situation:
  • Kyrgyzstan ranked ahead of Nepal and Palestine on the basis of goals scored.
  • Nepal ranked ahead of Palestine on the basis of a better disciplinary record.
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Group D

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Ranking of second placed teams

The best-ranked second placed team also qualified for the finals tournament.
Due to Afghanistan's withdrawal from Group C, matches against fourth-placed sides in the other groups were excluded from the following comparison.
Notes on the tie-breaking situation:
  • Bangladesh ranked ahead of the Maldives on the basis of goal difference.
  • Pakistan ranked ahead of Nepal on the basis of goals scored.

Final tournament

The final tournament, consisting of 8 teams, was eventually held from 16–27 February in Sri Lanka.

Qualifiers

The eight teams that qualified for the final tournament are:
  • – automatic qualifier
  • – automatic qualifier
  • – automatic qualifier
  • – winner Group A
  • – winner Group B
  • – winner Group C
  • – winner Group D
  • – best runner-up
The draw for the final tournament was done on 30 November 2009 at the Galadri Hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Goalscorers

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;4 goals
;3 goals
;2 goals
;1 goal
;Own goal