2010 AFC Cup

The preliminary qualification scheme for the AFC 2010 was released in 2008.^[1] A total of 33 clubs were due to participate in the 2010 AFC Cup (eventually reduced to 31).

Qualifying play-off (2 teams)

The teams were from the following associations:

•   Qatar
•   Uzbekistan

However, the qualifying play-off was not needed and both teams advanced automatically in the group stage after FIFA's suspension of the Iraqi Football Association was not lifted by 6 January 2010.

Group stage (32 teams)

• Qualifying play-off winner (eventually not played)
• 2 teams to qualify from each of the following associations:
  •   Hong Kong
  •   Iraq
  •   Jordan
  •   Kuwait
  •   Lebanon
  •   Maldives
  •   Oman
  •   Syria
  •   Yemen

Both teams from Iraq were disqualified after FIFA's suspension on the Iraq Football Association was not lifted on 6 January 2010.

• 1 team to qualify from each of the following associations:
  •   Bahrain
  •   India
  •   Indonesia
  •   Malaysia
  •   Singapore
  •   Thailand
  •   Vietnam
• 6 losers from 2010 AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs (including any of the 2009 AFC Cup finalists which fail to fulfil the criteria set by AFC to compete in the 2010 AFC Champions League, and thus directly enter the 2010 AFC Cup)

Notes

• Three teams from elite countries have been given a chance to take part in the 2010 AFC Cup competition, therefore a qualifying play-off match has been added to the calendar (eventually not played).
• For the second time in its history, teams from Kuwait will join the AFC Cup fray. Syrian clubs again reappear in the competition after winning the inaugural edition (Al Jaish) in 2004.
• A Qatari team will participate in the tournament for the first time.

The following is the list of participants confirmed by the AFC.^[2]

West Asia (Groups A–E) Team Qualifying method App Last App   Al-Riffa 2008–09 Bahrain Classification Soccer League runners-up 1st   Kingfisher East Bengal 2009–10 Indian Federation Cup winners 4th 2008   Al-Wahdat 2008–09 Jordan League champions 2008–09 Jordan FA Cup winners 5th 2009   Shabab Al-Ordon 2008–09 Jordan League runners-up 3rd 2008   Al-Kuwait1 2009 AFC Cup winners 2009 Kuwait Emir Cup winners 2nd 2009   Al-Qadsia 2008–09 Kuwaiti Premier League champions 1st   Kazma 2008–09 Kuwaiti Premier League runners-up 1st   Al-Nejmeh 2008–09 Lebanese Premier League champions 5th 2007   Al-Ahed 2008–09 Lebanese FA Cup winners 4th 2009   Al-Nahda 2008–09 Omani League champions 2nd 2008   Saham 2009 Sultan Qaboos Cup winners 1st   Al-Rayyan2 2008–09 Qatar Stars League 3rd place 1st   Al-Ittihad 2008–09 Syrian Premier League runners-up 1st   Al-Jaish 2008–09 Syrian Premier League 3rd place 2nd 2004   Nasaf Qarshi2 2009 Uzbek League 3rd place 1st   Al-Hilal 2008–09 Yemeni League champions 3rd 2009   Al-Ahli 2009 Yemeni President Cup winners 2nd 2008   Al-Karamah SC 2010 AFC Champions League qualifying play-off losers 2nd 2009   Churchill Brothers 2010 AFC Champions League qualifying play-off losers 1st

East Asia (Groups F–H) Team Qualifying method App Last App   South China 2008–09 Hong Kong First Division League champions 3rd 2009   Tai Po 2009 Hong Kong FA Cup winners 1st   Persiwa Wamena3 2008–09 Indonesia Super League runners-up 1st   Selangor 2009 Super League Malaysia champions 2nd 2006   VB Sports Club 2009 Dhivehi League champions 3rd 2009   Victory SC 2009 Maldives FA Cup winners 3rd 2008   Geylang United 2009 Singapore Cup winners 2nd 2004   Thai Port 2009 Thai FA Cup winners 1st   Bình Dương 2009 V-League runners-up 2nd 2009   Sriwijaya FC 2010 AFC Champions League qualifying play-off losers 1st   SHB Đà Nẵng 2010 AFC Champions League qualifying play-off losers 1st   Muangthong United 2010 AFC Champions League qualifying play-off losers 1st

¹ Al-Kuwait failed to fulfil the criteria set by AFC to compete in the 2010 AFC Champions League, and so directly enter the 2010 AFC Cup.^[3]

² Nasaf Qarshi were due to host Al-Rayyan in the qualifying play-off, with the winner advancing to the group stage (Group E). However, both teams advanced automatically to the group stage after the two teams from Iraq, Arbil (Group C) and Najaf (Group B), were disqualified after FIFA's suspension on the Iraq Football Association was not lifted on 6 January 2010.^[4] As a result, the tournament was reduced to 31 teams.

³ Negeri Sembilan FA (second representative of Malaysia) withdrew, and was replaced by Persiwa Wamena.

The 2010 AFC Cup will have the same format as the 2009 AFC Cup.

The draw for the group stage was held on 7 December 2009 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.^[8] The ACL play-off losers were placed in their groups on 8 February 2010.^[9]

Each club plays double round-robin (home and away) against fellow three group members, a total of 6 matches each. Clubs receive 3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, 0 points for a loss. The clubs are ranked according to points and tie breakers are 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; (Away goals do not apply)
3. Greater number of goals scored in the group matches between the teams concerned; (Away goals do not apply)
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; (1 point for each yellow card, 3 points for each red card as a consequence of two yellow cards, 3 points for each direct red card, 4 points for each yellow card followed by a direct red card)
8. Drawing of lots.

Winners and runners-up of each group will qualify for the next round.

Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts		KAR	SHA	SAH	AHL
Al-Karamah	6	4	2	0	12	4	+8	14			1–1	2–0	2–0
Shabab Al-Ordon	6	3	3	0	13	5	+8	12		2–2		3–1	6–1
Saham	6	1	2	3	5	11	−6	5		1–4	0–0		1–0
Al-Ahli	6	0	1	5	3	13	−10	1		0–1	0–1	2–2

Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts		KUW	CHU	HIL
Al-Kuwait	4	2	2	0	13	5	+8	8			7–1	2–2
Churchill Brothers	4	2	1	1	6	10	−4	7		2–2		1–0
Al-Hilal	4	0	1	3	3	7	−4	1		0–2	1–2

Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts		KAZ	NAS	JAI	AHE
Kazma	6	4	1	1	6	3	+3	13			0–0	0–1	1–0
Nasaf Qarshi	6	3	2	1	12	4	+8	11		1–2		2–1	4–0
Al-Jaish	6	2	2	2	10	8	+2	8		0–1	1–1		6–3
Al-Ahed	6	0	1	5	5	18	−13	1		1–2	0–4	1–1

Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts		QAD	ITT	NEJ	EB
Al-Qadsia	6	4	2	0	14	5	+9	14			3–0	1–1	4–1
Al-Ittihad	6	3	1	2	10	8	+2	10		0–0		4–2	2–1
Al-Nejmeh	6	3	1	2	12	8	+4	10		1–3	1–0		3–0
Kingfisher East Bengal	6	0	0	6	5	20	−15	0		2–3	1–4	0–4

Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts		RAY	RIF	WAH	NAH
Al-Rayyan	6	5	0	1	16	7	+9	15			0–2	3–0	3–2
Al-Riffa	6	4	1	1	7	5	+2	13		1–4		2–1	1–0
Al-Wihdat	6	2	1	3	8	10	−2	7		2–4	0–0		2–0
Al-Nahda	6	0	0	6	3	12	−9	0		0–2	0–1	1–3

Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts		SRI	BD	SEL	VIC
Sriwijaya	6	4	1	1	17	3	+14	13			1–0	6–1	5–0
Bình Dương	6	4	1	1	14	2	+12	13		2–1		4–0	3–0
Selangor	6	1	1	4	7	16	−9	4		0–4	0–0		5–0
Victory SC	6	1	1	4	2	19	−17	4		0–0	0–5	2–1

Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts		SC	MTU	VB	WAM
South China	6	4	1	1	12	5	+7	13			0–0	3–1	6–3
Muangthong United	6	3	2	1	12	7	+5	11		0–1		3–1	4–1
VB Sports Club	6	3	0	3	12	11	+1	9		1–0	2–3		4–0
Persiwa Wamena	6	0	1	5	8	21	−13	1		0–2	2–2	2–3

Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts		DN	TP	GEY	TAI
SHB Đà Nẵng	6	4	2	0	12	6	+6	14			0–0	3–2	3–0
Thai Port	6	3	2	1	8	5	+3	11		2–3		2–2	2–0
Geylang United	6	0	4	2	7	9	−2	4		1–1	0–1		1–1
Tai Po	6	0	2	4	3	10	−7	2		1–2	0–1	1–1

The matches were played on 11 and 12 May 2010.

Team 1	Score	Team 2
Al-Karamah	1–0	Nasaf Qarshi
Kazma	1–1 (a.e.t.) (6–5 p)	Shabab Al-Ordon
Al-Rayyan	1–1 (a.e.t.) (2–4 p)	Muangthong United
South China	1–3	Al-Riffa
Al-Kuwait	1–1 (a.e.t.) (4–5 p)	Al-Ittihad
Al-Qadsia	2–1	Churchill Brothers
Sriwijaya	1–4	Thai Port
SHB Đà Nẵng	4–3 (a.e.t.)	Bình Dương

The draw for the remaining rounds was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 25 May 2010.^[10] Because of the country protection rule, if there are two clubs from the same country, they will not face each other in the quarter-finals. Therefore, the two clubs from Syria, Kuwait, and Thailand may not be drawn with each other in the quarter-finals.^[11]

The first legs were played on 14 and 15 September, and the second legs were played on 21 and 22 September 2010.

Team 1	Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score	Team 2	1st leg	2nd leg
Al-Riffa	8–3	SHB Đà Nẵng	3–0	5–3
Al-Karamah	1–2	Muangthong United	1–0	0–2
Thai Port	0–3	Al-Qadsia	0–0	0–3
Al-Ittihad	4–2	Kazma	3–2	1–0

The first legs were played on 5 October, and the second legs were played on 19 October 2010.

Team 1	Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score	Team 2	1st leg	2nd leg
Muangthong United	1–2	Al-Ittihad	1–0	0–2
Al-Riffa	3–4	Al-Qadsia	2–0	1–4

The final was played on 6 November 2010. It was a one-leg match originally set to be played at the host stadium of one of the finalists, but was changed to a larger capacity stadium one week before the final.^[12]

6 November 2010

19:00 (UTC+3)

Al-Qadsia	1 – 1 (a.e.t.)	Al-Ittihad
Al Enezi   29'	Report	Dyab   53'
Penalties
(penalty takers may not be in correct order) Al Ansari   Al Bloushi   Al Khatib   Al Mejmed	2–4	(penalty takers may not be in correct order)   Hemidi   Dyab   Dakka   Kalaji

Jaber International Stadium, Kuwait City

Attendance: 58,604

Referee: Khalil Al Ghamdi (Saudi Arabia)

AFC Cup 2010 Winners
Al-Ittihad First Title

• AFC Cup Official Page (in English)