Ok, let's keep an eye on thing's as teams start to qualify for next years edition and new nations plan to enter. Myanmar have applied to enter the 2012 AFC Cup Malaysian Clubs will re-enter the tournament after a 1 year absence Provisional Entrant List: Al Muharraq (Bahraini League Champions) Al Wehdat (Jordan League and Cup winners) Al Faisaly (Jordan League runners up) Al Qadisiya (Kuwaiti League Champions) Kazma (Kuwaiti Emir Cup winners) Al Ahed (Lebanese League and Cup winners) Safa (Lebanese League runners up) Al Suwaiq (Omani League Champions) Al Oruba Zabid (Yemeni League Champions) Kitchee (HK League Champions) Citizen (HK Cup winners) Kelantan (Malaysian League Champions) Terengganu (Malaysian Cup winners) Al Ittihad Aleppo (Syrian Cup winners)
Myanmar prepare to enter the AFC Cup http://www.the-afc.com/en/news-centre/inside-afc/676-afc-news/35832-myanmar-sets-sights-on-afcc-2012 What's your thoughts?
Malaysian clubs back in the fold http://www.the-afc.com/en/tournaments/clubs/afc-cup/35665-green-light-to-malaysian-sides-for-afc-cup Any thoughts?
It should be the usual March opening. Of course, the excitiment starts with trying to guess the allocations and if anyone is promoted to the ACL or promoted from the Presidents Cup.
AFC delegation is currently in Myanmar inspecting the pitches and facilities. Not certain when they will decide (before Oct?). Let's hope for the best. I am not familiar with acceptance criteria - can anyone post? Apparently number of stadiums meeting AFC standards is one. For the 12 MNL teams I understand we now have six stadiums, with 4 outside Yangon. This is an improvement. When MNL began in 2009, there were two stadiums barely acceptable outside Yangon, one in Mandalay (for Yadanarbon) and Taungyi (for Kanbawza). Now stadiums have been added in two additional towns. The existing two stadiums in Yangon are common to MNL teams, meaning not a home field for a club. However, with the fan base it feels like it they belong to Yangon United. Yangon United really seem to have established a sustainable system - their own new pitch (turf) with stands, robust reserve and academy teams. (BTW, all 12 teams have reserve squad who a play their two-leg league). If MNL is given two spots for AFC Cup we can be competitive, esp at home.
druryfire, why do you devote your life to following weak asian teams? are you trying to be a coach in asia or something? just curious.
Who said i'm followig weak football teams I give as much effort to these threads as I do to the bigger comps.
how ironic... an american saying such. but the lack of intellect on your part, not so much [ironic]. Iran is not on the level of the teams drury follows, and i am Iranian; he isnt of the nationalities that he supports in football.
Let's not turn this into a slanging match please lads. Let's try to keep the focus on the AFC Cup, and for the record I'm a neutral except for Thailand, the country of my wife and daughter. Now, maybe a question for yourself persianfootball or anyone else that feel they can answer: Iran enter the ACL, generally it's the same teams in every edition, would it be more worthwhile for the AFC and Iranian football if teams also entered the AFC Cup. Here, we could be talking about a Malavan for example, a long time since they have played continental football, surely this would be a step in the right direction for themselves and also a step forward for the AFC as they could start to improve the competition? Of course, I'm only talking if Malavan won something (they nearly did), I'm not taking of invites. This question can be open for followers of other leagues that are generally dominated by 3 or 4 clubs (Saudi Arabia, Qatar spring to mind).
Thank you YomaTaung. By the way, the AFC Special Mission Team are in Myanmar this week to assess the 6 grounds. Here's hoping that Myanmar will be included in next years AFC Cup where we can have some good regional matchups between Thai, Burmese, Singaporese and Malaysian teams. Who needs an ASEAN Club Championship if we can have these? Anyways, Iraq appear to have moved to the final stages of there season. Looks like championship finalists Arbil and Al Zawaraa qualify for next years edition.
I'm not too bothered about us (Kuwait SC) being out of the 2012 tournament, just as long as we put up a good fight this year and try reaching the latter stages.
Two more teams enter the competition, both from Iraq. Al Zawra'a, won the league championship today, 12th title overall Arbil qualify as runners up.
Will Indonesian clubs participate in this competition again? And how many is the quota for Indonesian club?
Last year Indonesian clubs were invited, but in 2012 the AFC have already allocated 2 slots to clubs from Malaysia who didn't enter last year. Singapore FA pulled out of continetal competition last year aswell, but Tampines were invited. The same could happen again. As it stands, the allocation seems to be: 2 teams to qualify from each of the following associations: Hong Kong Iraq Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Malaysia[1] Maldives Oman Syria Vietnam Yemen 1 team to qualify from each of the following associations: Bahrain India Thailand 2 invited teams, associations TBD 5 losers from the 2012 AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs (including any of the 2011 AFC Cup finalists which fail to fulfil the criteria set by AFC to compete in the 2012 AFC Champions League, and thus directly enter the 2012 AFC Cup) Myanmar have also applied for upgrade from the 2012 AFC President's Cup to the 2012 AFC Cup. So, this could in theory take away one of the invited slots. All the above is of course guess work usign the previous qualifying slots which at this moment haven't changed, but AFC do continue to do the rounds at the moment.
Spore did nt pulled out of AFC Cup Bth Home & Tampines had been send as applicant in AFC Cup But bth were rejected as they did nt meet target as champions of their own domestic competition before Tampines gt a invitation
Singapore pulled out of the Champions League and the AFC Special Mission Team cancelled their visit to Singapore to assess the facilities, the facilities that are used to give slots to ACL and AFC Cup. The fact FAS pulled them out did put the S.League out of contention. They went from one guarenteed slot along with a ACL half slot to nothing because they withdrew. Like you said, Tampines got an invitation but if Myanmar get a slot in 2012 and if Indonesia did then were would Singapore fit in? AFC won't send a team to Singapore to assess them until FAS go back to the AFC to apply. Vietnam got kicked out of the ACL for non submission of documents but they didn't get kicked out of the AFC Cup because they already went through the assessment process. They were on the roll call so to speak, but Singapore never were. In Korea Republic it was decided that next highest placed K-League club would take the place of Gwangju Sangmu in case they qualify for the AFC Champions League. But it was never decided in Singapore's case cause again they were never part of the assessment process.
Our pullout only meant we cld nt ply in ACL as AFC still ask us to send teams for AFC Cup Also ACL inspection results was delayed in the end by 1 yr becos of India & tht was why there was no reform last yr so it did nt affect any outcome But the prblem as I wrote in ASEAN thread is we hve a politician as our head who is a media whore He only wnt success nt failure so by pulling of ACL before AFC act He will nt be blamed as the focus became elsewhere as he expected Looked at him, only turning up when the media is around but nvr arnd for any S-league events & he has grounded out women football (as they hve no media coverage)
Navibank Saigon won todays Vietnamese Cup final 3:0 over league champions Song Lam Nghe An to take their place in the 2012 edition. Navibank play in Ho Chi Minh City (formally Saigon)
Taken from Jonnys over AFC Cup thread: AFC Cup playoff : al Tilal (Yemen) vs Victory (Maldives) Terengganu (Malaysia) vs Ayeyawady (Myanmar) West : Kuwait : Qadsia , Kazma, Kuwait SC Jordan : Al Wehdat , al Faisaly Syria : Al Shorta, Al Ittihad Iraq : al Zawra , Arbil Oman : al Suwaiq , TBC Lebanon : Al Ahed, Safa India : Salgoacar, Kingfisher East Bengal Yemen : Al Orouba Maldives : V.B. East : Vietnam : Song Lam Nghe An , Navibank Saigon Indonesia : Arema Indonesia Singapore : Tampines Rovers, Home United Hong Kong : Kitchee, Citizen Malaysia : Kelantan Myanmar : Yangon United -------------------- 4 losers from ACL Total 32 teams Bahrain not participating. Source : afc documents