World Cup path to 2010

[kevrenor]

2010 FIFA World Cup™: AFC announces seedings, qualification process
3 August 2007

KUALA LUMPUR: AFC has announced the seeding and qualification process for Asian teams for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.

The seeding for the qualification format is based on the results from the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™ and earlier qualifying rounds.

The draw for Round 1 will be conducted at AFC House here on Monday 6th August 2007 at 3pm. The draw results will be announced immediately on www.the-afc.com.

The seeding is as follows:

1. Australia 16. Qatar 31. Malaysia
2. Korea Republic 17. Syria 32. Chinese Taipei
3. Saudi Arabia 18. Palestine 33. Bangladesh
4. Japan 19. Thailand 34. Macau
5. IR. Iran 20. Turkmenistan 35. Pakistan
6. Bahrain 21. Tajikistan 36. Afghanistan
7. Uzbekistan 22. Indonesia 37. Mongolia
8. Kuwait 23. Hong Kong 38. Guam
9. DPR Korea 24. Yemen 39. Nepal
10. China 25. Vietnam 40. Cambodia
11. Jordan 26. Kyrgyzstan 41. Bhutan
12. Iraq 27. Maldives 42. Myanmar
13. Lebanon 28. India 43. Timor Leste
14. Oman 29. Singapore
15. UAE 30. Sri Lanka

The format is as follows:

* 43 teams

* 4.5 qualification berths for Asia

* Teams ranked 1-5 receive a bye to Round 3

Round 1: Teams ranked 6-43 are paired by draw and play one home-and-away knock-out round. Teams ranked from 6-24 will be placed in Pot A and teams ranked from 25-43 will be placed in Pot B. From 19 teams that progress through this round the lowest eight based on ranking move to round 2 and the other eleven to round 3.


Match Day 1: 8 Oct 2007

Match Day 2: 28 Oct 2007

or dates to be determined by teams but both matches to be completed by 28th October 2007.

Round 2: Eight teams are paired by draw and play one home-and-away knock-out round. Four teams progress to round 3

Match Day 1: 9 Nov 2007
Match Day 2: 18 Nov 2007

or dates to be determined by teams but both matches to be completed by 18th November 2007

Round 3: Eleven qualifiers from round 1 and four qualifiers from round 2 are joined by five highest ranked countries. These 20 teams are split into 5 groups of 4. First and second in each group qualify to next round


Match Day 1: 6 Feb 2008
Match Day 2: 26 Mar 2008
Match Day 3: 7 Jun 2008
Match Day 4: 14 Jun 2008
Match Day 5: 6 Sep 2008
Match Day 6: 10 Sep 2008

Round 4: 10 remaining teams split into two groups of 5 teams
Teams finishing first and second in each group automatically qualify


Match Day 1: 15 Oct 2008
Match Day 2: 19 Nov 2008
Match Day 3: 11 Feb 2009
Match Day 4: 28 Mar 2009
Match Day 5: 1 Apr 2009
Match Day 6: 6 Jun 2009
Match Day 7: 10 Jun 2009
Match Day 8: 17 Jun 2009
Match Day 9: 5 Sep 2009
Match Day 10: 9 Sep 2009

AFC Playoff: Teams finishing 3rd in each group from Round 4 play home-and-away playoff

Match Day 1: 10 Oct 2009
Match Day 2: 14 Oct 2009

AFC/OFC Playoff: Team winning AFC Playoff plays winner of OFC qualification in a home and away playoff

Match Day 1: 14 Nov 2009
Match Day 2: 21 Nov 2009

[dibo (pron. "DIB-OH")]

ha! shouldn't we be seeded 5 to 8 somewhere, rather than 1? we lost in the AFC Asian Cup quarter finals after all...

[northernspirit]

yeah but its based on wc results not ac results

[omni]

Good to see Timor Leste giving it a crack!

[Pete]

The format looks OK for Australia, we have until Feb 2008 to sort out all the lingering questions from the Asian Cup campaign. If we are going to replace Arnold, we should get a new manager ASAP, so the incumbent has a chance to get around to as many HAL games this coming season and look at hopefuls (Heff, Danny & Wilko?), then assess the form of those playing overseas.
And it should be put up in bold print in the newspapers that qualifying is not going to be some sojourn in Asia. On the last form we displayed we'll be lucky to qualify. Don't let the jingoists out into the media, for crying out loud.

[omni]

First Round:
1) Pakistan vs Iraq

2) Uzbekistan vs Chinese Taipei

3) Thailand vs Macau

4) Sri Lanka vs Qatar

5) China vs Myanmar

6) Bhutan vs Kuwait

7) Kyrgyzstan vs Jordan

8) Vietnam vs UAE

9) Bahrain vs Malaysia

10) Timor Leste vs Hong Kong

11) Syria vs Afghanistan

12) Yemen vs Maldives

13) Bangladesh vs Tajikistan

14) Mongolia vs DPR Korea

15) Oman vs Nepal

16) Palestine vs Singapore

17) Lebanon vs India

18) Cambodia vs Turkmenistan

19) Guam vs Indonesia

Australia are walked to the third stage.

[Foriegnmariner]

Predicted upset: Guam to beat Indonesia

[Fish]

Syria v Afghanistan for me
Up front for the afghans the elusive osama bin hiding

[ryan]

Vietnam vs UAE has to be the pick of the round

[Bearinator]

Clearly, the game of the round is Bangladesh vs Tajikistan. 2 super powers of international football clashing it out.

[LeedsMariner#4]

Prediction: No one will care about Yemen vs Maldives and the football won't be highlight worthy

[omni]

davejackson10 said:

Prediction: No one will care about Yemen vs Maldives and the football won't be highlight worthy

I personally think that will be a brilliant match and I'm getting my ticket to the Maldives right now!

[kevrenor]

omni said:

davejackson10 said:

Prediction: No one will care about Yemen vs Maldives and the football won't be highlight worthy

I personally think that will be a brilliant match and I'm getting my ticket to the Maldives right now!

Chris, that is where the glitterati of Europe go for their weddings and business junkets! You couldn't afford to sleep on the beach there.

Like Bearinator, I rather fancy the trip to deepest Tajikstan, and the old silk road, in the 3rd round. I can just see Harry turning up there on a FIFA friendly date!

[marinermick]

sjf said:

Up front for the afghans the elusive osama bin hiding

dialysis machine and all

[Pete]

So many ....stans in this AFC isn't there?
What does the AFC do if the draw ends up throwing together two countries that have the deepest hatred for each other as nations, like India vs. Pakistan, Timor Leste vs. Indonesia, Iran vs. Iraq? I mean they'd have to play both legs at neutral venues and have the strictest security surely. And could Australia be used as such a neutral venue?

[omni]

kevrenor said:

Chris, that is where the glitterati of Europe go for their weddings and business junkets! You couldn't afford to sleep on the beach there.!

I'm going to Queensland and won't be bothering getting a hotel room (given the person going with me needs to be in Melbourne 2 days later for a friend's wedding) so yes the Maldives is a bit of a stretch!

How on earth do Nepal cope with this FIFA ruling about games at altitude?