AFC Challenge Cup
Bangladesh get direct entry
The Asian Football Confede-ration (AFC) yesterday revealed the rules and regulations for the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup with Bangla-desh playing in the 16-team finals directly.
The fourth edition of the Challenge Cup, which is designed for the third-tier nations of the continent, will however have stage qualifiers among lowest ranking nations if the number of desiring participants surpasses 16. The sport’s Asian governing body this time invited 22 teams including Bangladesh, who will not have to play any qualifiers thanks to finishing among the top eight teams last edition.
There were also no qualifiers in the first edition of the meet held in Bangladesh in 2006, but the next two editions saw four semifinalists given direct entries and Bangladesh last time reached the eight-team finals in Sri Lanka early this year after playing the qualifiers.
The sixteen teams, split into four groups, will play the group stage matches and then move into the semifinals.
A source at the Bangladesh Football Federation said Bangladesh intended to hold the 16-team finals so that the fourth Bangladesh League would suffer less following the preparation of the national team.
