fourth AFC Challenge Cup

Chinese Taipei clear play-off: meet Pakistan on 25 March

Lahore, 20 February: Chinese Taipei booked their ticket to the AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers and clash with Pakistan on 25 March after a 1-1 draw with Laos in the second-leg of their pre-qualifying playoff sealed a 6-3 aggregate win for the East Asians. Pakistan are in Group B and their other matches will be against India (23 March) and Turkmenistan (21 March). All three matches will be held at Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur.

Laos were left with a proverbial mountain to climb following their 5-2 first-leg defeat in Chinese Taipei and things were to get worse for the ASEAN side when Chen Po-Liang made it two goals in two matches with a 65th minute opener. Vongchiengkham Soukaphone reduced arrears with eight minutes left to play but it was too little too late for Laos, who were reduced to ten men after substitute Konekham Inthammavong – who only entered the field in the 72nd minute – was sent off after being booked in the 80th and 86th minutes.

Meanwhile at Estádio Campo Desportivo, Taipa, Sam El Nasa’s extra-time winner sealed Cambodia’s place in the qualifiers as the ASEAN side advanced with a 5-4 aggregate win over Macau. El Nasa scored twice as the Cambodians won 3-1 in the first-leg in Phnom Penh before a goal from Thailand-based striker Khim Borey on the stroke of half-time extended their advantage. Cambodia appeared to be cruising until Macau levelled the tie with three goals in the space of 13 minutes.

Vernon Wong’s 62nd minute strike sparked Macau’s fight back before Leong Ka Hang – scorer of the former Portuguese colony’s crucial away goal in the first leg – added a 73rd minute second. Just two minutes later the contest was all square courtesy of Vinicio de Jesus Morais Alves but Macau couldn’t capitalise on their dominance and the match went into extra-time, where it was settled by El Nasa’s 107th minute winner. Cambodia’s victory places them in qualification Group C where they will face inaugural Challenge Cup champions Tajikistan, the Maldives and Kyrgyzstan.

Chinese Taipei and Laos were two of the eight lowest-ranked teams out of 20, which entered the fray, played off on a home-and-away basis and the four winners will qualify for the 16-team group phase. The other two play-offs Philippines vs Mongolia and Bhutan/Afghanistan will be decided next month.
Draws of AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers

Group-A at Yangon ( Myanmar)

21 March : Myanmar v Mongolia/Philippines, Palestine v Bangladesh

23 March : Palestine v Mongolia/Philippines, Bangladesh v Myanmar

25 March: Myanmar v Palestine, Bangladesh v Mongolia/Philippines

Group B at Kuala Lumpur ( Malaysia)

21 March: Pakistan v Turkmenistan, India v Chinese Taipei

23 March: Pakistan v India, Chinese Taipei v Turkmenistan

25 March: Turkmenistan v India, Pakistan v Chinese Taipei

Group C at Male ( Maldives)

21 March: Tajikistan v Kyrgyzstan, Maldives v Cambodia

23 March: Kyrgyzstan v Maldives, Cambodia v Tajikistan

25 March: Tajikistan v Maldives, Cambodia v Kyrgyzstan

Group D at Kathmandu ( Nepal)

7 April : North Korea v Sri Lanka, Nepal v Afghanistan/Bhutan

9 April : Sri Lanka v Afghanistan/Bhutan, Nepal v North Korea

11 April :North Korea v Afghanistan/Bhutan, Nepal v Sri Lanka