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AFC Asian Cup 2007
Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam will co-host the AFC Asian Cup 2007. Twelve teams will join the four host nations bringing to Sixteen the number of nations to contest the finals in July 2007.
The AFC Competition Committee accepted twenty-five teams for the AFC Asian Cup 2007. The Qualification Competition took 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
The Qualification Competition only caters for 24 nations with the two lowest-ranked sides – Bangladesh and Pakistan – meeting 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 advanced with a 1-0 aggregate win but were joined in the Qualifying Round Draw by Pakistan after the late withdrawal of Sri Lanka.
Qualifying Round
The 24 teams were ranked and seeded 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.
The draw was held in Kuala Lumpur with the six qualifying round groups as follows:
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
Each group will see the teams meet on a home and away basis with three points 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.
The AFC Asian Cup 2007 tournament will be held from July 7 to July 29, 2007.
Group Stage
The 16 finalists will be seeded and divided into four groups of four teams each during the final round draw. The winners and runners-up in each group will advance to the quarter-finals when the knockout phase of the competition will begin.
Knockout Stage
The four winners will play the four runners up in the quarterfinals of the AFC Asian Cup. With the knockout stage to be decided by extra time and penalties should the teams be level when the referee blows the final whistle.
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AFC Asian Cup 2007 : Aussie Football, A-League Australia
