2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification
The 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification was a qualification process organized by the AFC to determine the participating teams for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. The 2015 AFC Asian Cup, hosted by Australia, featured 16 teams.
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 6 February 2013 – 5 March 2014 | 
| Teams | 20 (from 1 confederation) | 
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 60 | 
| Goals scored | 161 (2.68 per match) | 
| Attendance | 672,607 (11,210 per match) | 
| Top scorer(s) |  Reza Ghoochannejhad  Ali Mabkhout (5 goals each) | 
| AFC Asian Qualifiers | 
|---|
In the initial scheme, ten places were determined by qualification matches, while six places were reserved for the following:
- Hosts (Australia)
- Top three finishers in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup (Japan, Australia, and South Korea)
- Winners of the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup (North Korea)
- Winners of the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup (Palestine)
As the host nation Australia also finished as runners-up in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, the initial 6 automatic qualification spots were reduced to 5, with a total of 11 spots eventually determined by the qualification matches, in which 20 AFC members compete.[1]
Qualified teams
    

| Team | Method of qualification | Date of qualification | Finals appearance | Last appearance | Previous best performance | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .svg.png.webp) Australia | Hosts | 5 January 2011 | 3rd | 2011 | Runners-up (2011) | 
|  Japan | 2011 AFC Asian Cup winners | 25 January 2011 | 8th | 2011 | Winners (1992, 2000, 2004, 2011) | 
|  South Korea | 2011 AFC Asian Cup 3rd place | 28 January 2011 | 13th | 2011 | Winners (1956, 1960) | 
|  North Korea | 2012 AFC Challenge Cup winners | 19 March 2012 | 4th | 2011 | Fourth place (1980) | 
|  Bahrain | Group D winners | 15 November 2013 | 5th | 2011 | Fourth place (2004) | 
|  United Arab Emirates | Group E winners | 15 November 2013 | 9th | 2011 | Runners-up (1996) | 
|  Saudi Arabia | Group C winners | 15 November 2013 | 9th | 2011 | Winners (1984, 1988, 1996) | 
|  Oman | Group A winners | 19 November 2013 | 3rd | 2007 | Group Stage (2004, 2007) | 
|  Uzbekistan | Group E runners-up | 19 November 2013 | 6th | 2011 | Fourth place (2011) | 
|  Qatar | Group D runners-up | 19 November 2013 | 9th | 2011 | Quarter-finals (2000, 2011) | 
|  Iran | Group B winners | 19 November 2013 | 13th | 2011 | Winners (1968, 1972, 1976) | 
|  Kuwait | Group B runners-up | 19 November 2013 | 10th | 2011 | Winners (1980) | 
|  Jordan | Group A runners-up | 4 February 2014 | 3rd | 2011 | Quarter-finals (2004, 2011) | 
|  Iraq | Group C runners-up | 5 March 2014 | 8th | 2011 | Winners (2007) | 
|  China | Best third-placed team | 5 March 2014 | 11th | 2011 | Runners-up (1984, 2004) | 
|  Palestine | 2014 AFC Challenge Cup winners | 30 May 2014 | 1st | Debut | None | 
Qualification process
    
The preliminary draw was held in Melbourne on 9 October 2012, 18:00 UTC+11.[2] The twenty teams involved in the qualifiers were drawn into five groups of four teams each, with each group containing one team from each of the following seeding pots. Each group was played on a home-and-away round-robin basis. The top two teams from each group and the best third-placed team from among all the groups qualified for the finals.[3]
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 | 
|---|---|---|---|
The following teams did not enter the main qualifying draw, as categorized as "emerging countries" they compete separately. The teams were eligible to qualify for the 2015 Asian Cup by winning either the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup or the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup.
.svg.png.webp) Afghanistan † ‡ Afghanistan † ‡
 Bangladesh † ‡ Bangladesh † ‡
 Bhutan † Bhutan †
 Brunei ‡ Brunei ‡
 Cambodia † ‡ Cambodia † ‡
.svg.png.webp) Chinese Taipei † ‡ Chinese Taipei † ‡
 Guam ‡ Guam ‡
 India † ‡ India † ‡
 Kyrgyzstan † ‡ Kyrgyzstan † ‡
 Laos † ‡ Laos † ‡
 Macau † ‡ Macau † ‡
 Maldives † ‡ Maldives † ‡
 Mongolia † ‡ Mongolia † ‡
 Myanmar † ‡ Myanmar † ‡
 Nepal † ‡ Nepal † ‡
 North Korea † North Korea †
 Northern Mariana Islands ‡ Northern Mariana Islands ‡
 Pakistan † ‡ Pakistan † ‡
 Palestine † ‡ Palestine † ‡
 Philippines † ‡ Philippines † ‡
 Sri Lanka † ‡ Sri Lanka † ‡
 Tajikistan † ‡ Tajikistan † ‡
 Timor-Leste Timor-Leste
 Turkmenistan † ‡ Turkmenistan † ‡
† Entrants to 2012 AFC Challenge Cup qualification
‡ Entrants to 2014 AFC Challenge Cup qualification
Schedule
    
The following matchdays were assigned by the AFC for 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification. As 15 and 19 November 2013 were also the dates of the inter-confederation playoffs for the 2014 FIFA World Cup,[4] a number of alternative matchdays were allocated.
| Year | Matchday | Date | 
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Matchday 1 | 6 February | 
| Matchday 2 | 22 March | |
| Matchday 3 | 15 October | |
| Matchday 4 | 15 November | |
| Matchday 5 | 19 November | |
| 2014[5] | Alternative | 11, 18, 25, 31 January 4 February | 
| Matchday 6 | 5 March | 
Groups
    
| Key to colours in group tables | 
|---|
| Group winners, runners-up, and best third-placed team qualified for the finals | 
- Tiebreakers
In each group, the teams were ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, 0 points for a loss) and tie breakers were in the following order:[6]
- Greater number of points obtained in group matches between the teams concerned
- Goal difference resulting from group matches between the teams concerned
- Greater number of goals scored in group matches between the teams concerned (away goals not applicable)
- Goal difference in all group matches
- Greater number of goals scored in all group matches
- Penalty shoot-out if only two teams were involved and they were both on the field of play
- Drawing of lots
Group A
    
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |  |  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|  Oman | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 14 | — | 0–0 | 1–0 | 3–1 | |
|  Jordan | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 3 | +7 | 12 | 0–0 | — | 2–1 | 4–0 | |
|  Syria | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0–1 | 1–1 | — | 4–0 | |
|  Singapore | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 17 | −13 | 3 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 2–1 | — | 
| Oman  | 1–0 |  Syria | 
|---|---|---|
| 
 | 
| Jordan  | 4–0 |  Singapore | 
|---|---|---|
| 
 | Report | 
| Oman  | 0–0 |  Jordan | 
|---|---|---|
| Report | 
Group B
    
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |  |  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|  Iran | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 5 | +13 | 16 | — | 3–2 | 5–0 | 2–1 | |
|  Kuwait | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 7 | +3 | 9 | 1–1 | — | 0–0 | 3–1 | |
|  Lebanon | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 14 | −2 | 8 | 1–4 | 1–1 | — | 5–2 | |
|  Thailand | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 21 | −14 | 0 | 0–3 | 1–3 | 2–5 | — | 
| Thailand  | 0–3 |  Iran | 
|---|---|---|
| Report | 
 | 
| Kuwait  | 0–0 |  Lebanon | 
|---|---|---|
| Report | 
| Iran  | 3–2 |  Kuwait | 
|---|---|---|
| 
 | Report | 
 | 
Group C
    
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |  |  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|  Saudi Arabia | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 3 | +6 | 16 | — | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | |
|  Iraq | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 9 | 0–2 | — | 3–1 | 1–0 | |
|  China | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 8 | 0–0 | 1–0 | — | 1–0 | |
|  Indonesia | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 8 | −6 | 1 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | — | 
| Saudi Arabia  | 2–1 |  China | 
|---|---|---|
| 
 | Report | 
 | 
| Indonesia  | 1–2 |  Saudi Arabia | 
|---|---|---|
| 
 | Report | 
 | 
| Iraq  | 0–2 |  Saudi Arabia | 
|---|---|---|
| Report | 
 | 
| Saudi Arabia  | 2–1 |  Iraq | 
|---|---|---|
| 
 | Report | 
 | 
| China  | 0–0 |  Saudi Arabia | 
|---|---|---|
| Report | 
| Iraq  | 3–1 |  China | 
|---|---|---|
| Report | 
 | 
| Saudi Arabia  | 1–0 |  Indonesia | 
|---|---|---|
| 
 | Report | 
Group D
    
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |  |  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|  Bahrain | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 14 | — | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | |
|  Qatar | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 2 | +11 | 13 | 0–0 | — | 1–0 | 6–0 | |
|  Malaysia | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | −2 | 7 | 1–1 | 0–1 | — | 2–1 | |
|  Yemen | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 18 | −15 | 0 | 0–2 | 1–4 | 1–2 | — | 
| Yemen  | 0–2 |  Bahrain | 
|---|---|---|
| Report | 
| Malaysia  | 1–1 |  Bahrain | 
|---|---|---|
| 
 | Report | 
 | 
| Yemen  | 1–4 |  Qatar | 
|---|---|---|
| 
 | Report | 
| Bahrain  | 1–0 |  Malaysia | 
|---|---|---|
| 
 | Report | 
| Yemen  | 1–2 |  Malaysia | 
|---|---|---|
| 
 | Report | 
Group E
    
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |  |  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|  United Arab Emirates | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 3 | +15 | 16 | — | 2–1 | 4–0 | 5–0 | |
|  Uzbekistan | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 4 | +6 | 11 | 1–1 | — | 0–0 | 3–1 | |
|  Hong Kong | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 13 | −11 | 4 | 0–4 | 0–2 | — | 1–0 | |
|  Vietnam | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 15 | −10 | 3 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 3–1 | — | 
| Hong Kong  | 1–0 |  Vietnam | 
|---|---|---|
| 
 | Report | 
| United Arab Emirates  | 2–1 |  Uzbekistan | 
|---|---|---|
| Report | 
 | 
| Uzbekistan  | 3–1 |  Vietnam | 
|---|---|---|
| 
 | Report | 
| Vietnam  | 0–3 |  Uzbekistan | 
|---|---|---|
| Report | 
| United Arab Emirates  | 4–0 |  Hong Kong | 
|---|---|---|
| 
 | Report | 
| Uzbekistan  | 1–1 |  United Arab Emirates | 
|---|---|---|
| 
 | Report | 
 | 
| Vietnam  | 3–1 |  Hong Kong | 
|---|---|---|
| 
 | Report | 
 | 
Ranking of third-placed teams
    
To determine the best third-placed team, the following criteria were used:[6]
- Number of points obtained in the group matches
- Goal difference in the group matches
- Greater number of goals scored in the group matches
- Fewer points 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)
- Drawing of lots
| Grp | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C |  China | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 8 | 
| B |  Lebanon | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 14 | −2 | 8 | 
| D |  Malaysia | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | −2 | 7 | 
| A |  Syria | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 
| E |  Hong Kong | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 13 | −11 | 4 | 
Goalscorers
    
- 5 goals
- 4 goals
- 3 goals
- 2 goals
 Boaz Solossa Boaz Solossa
 Ashkan Dejagah Ashkan Dejagah
 Fahad Awadh Fahad Awadh
 Hassan Chaito Hassan Chaito
 Mohammed Ghaddar Mohammed Ghaddar
 Mohamad Haidar Mohamad Haidar
 Eid Al-Farsi Eid Al-Farsi
 Qasim Said Qasim Said
 Sebastián Soria Sebastián Soria
 Fahad Al-Muwallad Fahad Al-Muwallad
 Yousef Al-Salem Yousef Al-Salem
 Nasser Al-Shamrani Nasser Al-Shamrani
 Khairul Amri Khairul Amri
 Thitipan Puangchan Thitipan Puangchan
 Ismail Al Hammadi Ismail Al Hammadi
 Habib Fardan Habib Fardan
 Sardor Rashidov Sardor Rashidov
 Vokhid Shodiev Vokhid Shodiev
 Huỳnh Quốc Anh Huỳnh Quốc Anh
 Nguyễn Trọng Hoàng Nguyễn Trọng Hoàng
- 1 goal
 Ismail Abdul-Latif Ismail Abdul-Latif
 Saad Al Amer Saad Al Amer
 Abdulla Saleh Abdulla Saleh
 Mohamed Salmeen Mohamed Salmeen
 Wu Lei Wu Lei
 Wu Xi Wu Xi
 Yu Dabao Yu Dabao
 Zhang Xizhe Zhang Xizhe
 Zhao Xuri Zhao Xuri
 Chan Wai Ho Chan Wai Ho
 Lo Kwan Yee Lo Kwan Yee
 Karim Ansarifard Karim Ansarifard
 Jalal Hosseini Jalal Hosseini
 Alireza Jahanbakhsh Alireza Jahanbakhsh
 Yaghoub Karimi Yaghoub Karimi
 Amir Hossein Sadeghi Amir Hossein Sadeghi
 Masoud Shojaei Masoud Shojaei
 Ali Adnan Ali Adnan
 Hammadi Ahmad Hammadi Ahmad
 Karrar Jassim Karrar Jassim
 Mossab Al-Laham Mossab Al-Laham
 Yusuf Al-Rawashdeh Yusuf Al-Rawashdeh
 Khalil Bani Attiah Khalil Bani Attiah
 Abdallah Deeb Abdallah Deeb
 Fahad Al-Rashidi Fahad Al-Rashidi
 Waleed Ali Waleed Ali
 Hamad Aman Hamad Aman
 Hussain Fadel Hussain Fadel
 Abbas Ali Atwi Abbas Ali Atwi
 Roda Antar Roda Antar
 Soony Saad Soony Saad
 Azamuddin Akil Azamuddin Akil
 Mohd Amri Yahyah Mohd Amri Yahyah
 Ahmad Fakri Saarani Ahmad Fakri Saarani
 Khyril Muhymeen Khyril Muhymeen
 Norshahrul Idlan Talaha Norshahrul Idlan Talaha
 Sami Al-Hasani Sami Al-Hasani
 Amad Al Hosni Amad Al Hosni
 Abdulaziz Al-Muqbali Abdulaziz Al-Muqbali
 Ali Afif Ali Afif
 Yusef Ahmed Yusef Ahmed
 Abdulkarim Al-Ali Abdulkarim Al-Ali
 Hassan Al-Haydos Hassan Al-Haydos
 Abdelkarim Hassan Abdelkarim Hassan
 Jeddo Jeddo
 Mohammed Kasola Mohammed Kasola
 Taisir Al-Jassim Taisir Al-Jassim
 Osama Hawsawi Osama Hawsawi
 Naif Hazazi Naif Hazazi
 Shahril Ishak Shahril Ishak
 Gabriel Quak Gabriel Quak
 Ahmad Al Douni Ahmad Al Douni
 Abdul Fattah Al Agha Abdul Fattah Al Agha
 Oday Jafal Oday Jafal
 Omar Khribin Omar Khribin
 Sanharib Malki Sanharib Malki
 Raja Rafe Raja Rafe
 Burhan Sahyouni Burhan Sahyouni
 Adisak Kraisorn Adisak Kraisorn
 Chanathip Songkrasin Chanathip Songkrasin
 Mongkol Tossakrai Mongkol Tossakrai
 Teerasil Dangda Teerasil Dangda
 Teeratep Winothai Teeratep Winothai
 Omar Abdulrahman Omar Abdulrahman
 Ismail Matar Ismail Matar
 Salem Saleh Salem Saleh
 Odil Ahmedov Odil Ahmedov
 Shohruh Gadoev Shohruh Gadoev
 Nguyễn Anh Đức Nguyễn Anh Đức
 Ayman Al-Hagri Ayman Al-Hagri
 Mohammed Al-Sarori Mohammed Al-Sarori
 Ala'a Al-Sasi Ala'a Al-Sasi
- Own goals
 Hussain Fadel (playing against Iran) Hussain Fadel (playing against Iran)
 Theeraton Bunmathan (playing against Kuwait) Theeraton Bunmathan (playing against Kuwait)
 Âu Văn Hoàn (playing against Uzbekistan) Âu Văn Hoàn (playing against Uzbekistan)
Notes
    
- The Singapore v Oman and Syria v Jordan matches on Matchday 2 were rescheduled from the original date of 22 March 2013 on the request of the football associations of Oman and Jordan so that their respective national teams can prepare for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification AFC fourth round matches on 26 March 2013.[7][8]
- Syria played their home matches outside the country due to security concerns.[9]
- The Oman v Jordan match on Matchday 4 and Singapore v Jordan match on Matchday 5 were rescheduled from the original dates of 15 and 19 November 2013 due to Jordan's qualification to the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification inter-confederation play-off matches on 14 and 20 November 2013.[10]
- Iraq played their home matches outside the country due to security concerns.
- Yemen played their home matches outside the country due to security concerns.[11]
References
    
- "Automatic bye to 2015 Finals for top-three". the-afc.com. 24 January 2011.
- "Giants to know foes on Tuesday". the-afc.com. 8 October 2012.
- "AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015™ preliminary draw results". the-afc.com. 9 October 2012. Archived from the original on 23 October 2014.
- "2014 FWC Asian qualifiers format". The-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 13 August 2010. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- "AFC Calendar of Competitions 2014" (PDF). AFC.
- "AFC Asian Cup 2015 Qualifiers Regulations" (PDF). AFC.com.
- "FAS appoints caretaker national team coach". Football Association of Singapore. January 21, 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-04-18. Retrieved 2013-01-29.
- المنتخب الوطني يلاقي اندونيسيا وديا والاتحاد الاسيوي يوافق على تأجيل مباراة الاردن وسوريا (in Arabic). Jordan Football Association. January 7, 2013. Archived from the original on 2015-01-10. Retrieved 2013-01-29.
- ایران میزبان بازیهای سوریه شد (in Persian). روزنامه شرق. June 30, 2013. Archived from the original on October 24, 2017. Retrieved June 30, 2013.
- "Jordan's AFC Asian Cup 2015 qualifiers to be rescheduled". Asian Football Confederation. 11 September 2013.
- رئيس الاتحاد: حظر اللعب في اليمن بسبب المخاوف الأمنية (in Arabic). Yemen Football Association. January 23, 2013. Archived from the original on October 6, 2013.
External links
    
- AFC Asian Cup (Official website) (in English)
- AFC Asian Cup, the-AFC.com
