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Competition FormatSixteen teams will contest the final rounds of the AFC Asian Cup 2007, which will, for the first time, be co-hosted by four nations – Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. To determine the 12 countries that will join the four host nations in the finals in July 2007, a qualification competition is to be held in 2006.
Qualification Competition
The entries of twenty-five (25) teams were accepted by the AFC Competition Committee for the AFC Asian Cup 2007. To streamline the qualifying process for the final rounds, it was decided that the Qualification Competition would take place in two stages with a preliminary round preceding the main qualifying round.
Participating Nations
Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Korea Republic, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Yemen.
Preliminary Round
Based on the seeding of teams that had been accepted for the Qualification Competition, the two lowest-ranked sides – Bangladesh and Pakistan – met in a two-leg preliminary round playoff in December 2005 to determine the 24th and final side that would compete in the qualifying round.
Bangladesh won the tie 1-0 on aggregate but the late withdrawal of Sri Lanka from the Qualification Competition meant that Pakistan were also granted entry into the qualifying round draw on January 4, 2006.
Qualifying Round
Seedings & Draw
The 24 teams were ranked on the basis of their performances in the qualification and final rounds of the AFC Asian Cup 2004 and divided into four pots of six teams each for the Qualifying Round draw.
At the draw held in Kuala Lumpur, the following qualifying round groups were determined:
Group A: Japan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, India
Group B: Iran, Korea Republic, Syria, Chinese Taipei
Group C: Jordan, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan
Group D: Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Australia
Group E: China, Iraq, Singapore, Palestine
Group F: Uzbekistan, Qatar, Hong Kong, Bangladesh
Format
The matches in the qualifying round are to be played in groups according to a double round-robin league system, with each team playing all opponents in its group in home and away matches. Three points are awarded for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for a defeat.
The winners and runners-up of each of the six groups at the conclusion of the qualifying round will go through to the final rounds of the AFC Asian Cup 2007.
Tiebreakers
If two or more teams in a group are equal on points on completion of the group matches, their places shall be determined as follows:
a) Greater number of points obtained in the group matches between the teams concerned.
b) Goal difference resulting from the group matches between the teams concerned.
c) Greater number of goals scored in the group matches between the teams concerned (Away Goals do not apply in this stage of the competition).
d) Goal difference in all the group matches.
e) Kicks from the penalty mark if only two teams are involved and they are both on the field of play.
f) Drawing of lots.
Final Rounds
Sixteen teams will qualify for the final rounds – the six winners and runners-up of the qualifying round groups, and the host associations Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. The tournament from July 7 to 29, 2007 will be split into two stages with a round-robin group stage and a knockout stage.
Group Stage
The 16 finalists will be seeded and divided into four groups of four teams each during the final round draw. Each team plays each of the other teams in the same group according to a league system (three points for a win, one point for a draw, no points for a defeat). The winners and runners-up in each group will advance to the quarter-finals.
Knockout Stage
Quarter-finals
The winners of each of the four groups will meet a runner-up from another group in the quarter-finals. All four quarter-finals will take place over one match with the winner progressing to the semi-finals. If the score is tied at the end of the regulation playing time, an extra two periods of 15 minutes each will be played. If the score is still level after extra time, the winners will be determined by kicks from the penalty mark.
Semi-finals
The four winners of the quarter-finals play the semi-finals over one match with the winners progressing to the final. As with the quarter-finals, extra-time and penalties will be utilised in the event of a draw between two sides.
Final
The winners of the semi-finals play in the final to determine the AFC Asian Cup 2007 champions. As with the quarter-finals and semi-finals, extra-time and penalties will be utilised in the event of a draw between the two sides.
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