Pot 1 (Host): Terton, Bhutan ....., Cambodia Erchim, Mongolia Pot 2: Sheikh Russel KC, Bangladesh Dordoi Dynamo, Kyrgyzstan Benfica de Macau, Macau Pot 3: Rovers, Guam Three Star, Nepal Taiwan Power Company, Chinese Taipei
There is no Phnom Penh Crown in the list as representative of Cambodian League because of match-fixing issue? http://www.fourfourtwo.com/sg/news/exclusive-phnom-penh-expelled-2017-afc-cup-over-match-fixing
And Nagaworld replaced Crown as the Cambodian representative and Kyrgyzstan replaced Cambodia as the host. Tatung will play from Chinese Taipei instead Taiwan Power Company. The hosts will be in pot 1, clubs from Bangladesh and Macau will be in pot 2. Clubs from Nepal, Chinese Taipei, Mongolia and Guam will be in pot 3- these countries did not send participants in the previous edition. Draw will be conducted to put 3 of 4 teams from the last pot into group A, B and C respectively and the rest one will move to pot 2 with club sides from Bangladesh and Macau. From there on, the draw will continue as usual format.
Kuala Lumpur: Nine clubs will learn their opponents in the qualifying tournament for the AFC Cup 2017 Play-off stage during Friday's official draw to be held at 11am (local time) at AFC House in the Malaysian capital. Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra Ltd (Bangladesh), FC Tertons (Bhutan), Nagaworld FC (Cambodia), Tatung FC (Chinese Taipei), Rovers FC (Guam), Dordoi (Kyrgyzstan), Casa Benfica (Macau), Erchim FC (Mongolia) and Three Star Club (Nepal) will battle it out for three slots available in the AFC Cup 2017 Playoffs. The clubs’ ranking for the draw will be based on the results of the AFC Cup 2016 Playoff Qualifiers while clubs that did not take part in the AFC Cup 2016 Playoff Qualifiers will be unranked. Dordoi (Kyrgyzstan), FC Tertons (Bhutan) and Erchim (Mongolia) have been approved as the hosts of the Playoff Qualifiers and will be placed in a ‘Hosts Pot’ during the draw and the clubs ranked below them will automatically move up in the overall ranking. The nine clubs will be divided into three groups of three clubs and each group will play a one-round league, wherein each club in the group shall play one match against every other club. The three group winners will advance to the Playoff stage of the competition. The draw will be made from three pots as follows: Hosts Pot: Dordoi, FC Tertons and Erchim Pot 1: Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra Ltd (ranked 1st), Casa Benfica (ranked 2nd) Pot 2: Three Star Club, Nagaworld FC, Tatung FC, Rovers FC (all unranked clubs)
Kuala Lumpur: Nine teams now know who stands between themselves and the next stage of 2017 AFC Cup qualifying when the official draw for the competition's Playoff Qualifiers was held in Kuala Lumpur on Friday. The Teams Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra Ltd (Bangladesh), FC Tertons (Bhutan), Nagaworld FC (Cambodia), Tatung FC (Chinese Taipei), Rovers FC (Guam), Dordoi (Kyrgyzstan), Casa Benfica (Macau), Erchim FC (Mongolia) and Three Star Club (Nepal) Dordoi (Kyrgyzstan), FC Tertons (Bhutan) and Erchim (Mongolia) have been approved as the hosts. Draw Result Group A: A1 Dordoi (hosts) A2 Casa Benfica A3 Rovers FC Group B: B1 Erchim FC (hosts) B2 Nagaworld FC B3 Three Star Club Group C: C1 FC Tertons (hosts) C2 Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra Ltd C3 Tatung FC Each group will play a one-round league, wherein each club in the group shall play one match against every other club. The three group winners will advance to the Playoff stage of the competition. Click here for official match schedule http://www.the-afc.com/afc-cup-2016/teams-learn-2017-afc-cup-playoff-qualifiers-opponents
Sheikh Russel KC lost 1-2 to Dhaka Abahani in Federation Cup semis yeasterday and bowed out in the process.
Three Star Club from Nepal preparing for AFC Cup playoffs. http://www.goalnepal.com/news.php?id=27815
Sheikh Russel KC got their first league point yesterday drawing against Team BJMC coming into the 5th round.
Benfica de Macau departed for Kyrgyzstan yesterday. They are confident of doing better than last year, due to the club having recruited more local players for the last campaign. They really hope to progress from the group and bring AFC Cup action back home for the Macau football fans.
Benfica de Macau have arrived in Kyrgyzstan and they have conducted their first training session. A couple of players have yet to arrive but they will arrive today. Dordoi and Rovers FC will play first anyway so they have time.
Ulaanbaatar: Nepal’s Three Star Club beat Mongolia’s Erchim FC 2-0 on Sunday to begin their 2017 AFC Cup Play-off Qualifiers campaign in fine style. The Nepali side now top Group B and can assure themselves of a spot in the next phase of qualifying with a win over Cambodia’s Nagaworld FC on Tuesday. Ajayi Martins Kayode gave Three Star the lead against Erchim on 14 minutes, the striker seizing on a dreadful handling error by host goalkeeper Ariunbold Natsaikhan to fire home into an empty net. Three Star duly secured all three points in the 76th minute when captain Bikram Lama rose highest at the far post to convert Sunil Bai’s corner with a thumping header. http://www.the-afc.com/afc-cup-2017/afc-cup-2017-play-off-qualifiers-three-star-club-2-0-erchim-fc
Group A Benfica de Macau 4:2 Rovers Benfica had same GD with Dordoi with advantage of scoring more goals against Rovers. The Macauese need at least a draw on Tuesday to qualify.
Benfica de Macau played well yesterday against Rovers FC. But they had a man sent off in the match for two bookable offences. I hope they get a good rest today so they can be ready for the crunch match against the hosts tomorrow, who has a clear advantage in terms of scheduling. Two matches in 3 days is very tough for anybody.
Nagaworld 1-1 Three Star Club Fc Dordoi 2-1 Benfica Tatung 1-1 Sheikh Russel Dordoi qualified for next round
Conceding regular late goals and settling down for draw/loss has become an agony for Bangladesh football in last couple of years. Well, at the end this draw today is not bad for a team who faced defeats in 6 of its last 7 domestic matches.
I think Dordoi benefited greatly from having extra two days' rest between matches. The two away clubs Rovers FC and Benfica de Macau both have to play two matches within 3 days. That's not fair. AFC should really consider changing the groupings. Three clubs in a group is not a fair way to do a round robin tournament. There should be four clubs in each group.
Tatung can qualify only if there is a goalless draw between Tertons and Sheikh Russel tomorrow, as they will have same GD, same no. of goal and less yellow/red card than Sheikh Russel.