2007 AFC Asian Cup
Encyclopedia
The Asian Football Confederation
Asian Football Confederation
The Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of association football in Asia. It has 46 member countries, mostly located on the Asian continent. However, due to the disputed boundary of Europe and Asia, nations such as Russia and Turkey which are located mostly in geographic Asia are...

's 2007 AFC Asian Cup
AFC Asian Cup
The AFC Asian Cup is an international association football tournament run by the Asian Football Confederation . It is the second oldest continental football championship in the world after Copa América. The winning team becomes the champion of Asia and automatically qualifies for the FIFA...

finals were held from July 7 to July 29, 2007. For the first time in its history, the competition was co-hosted by four nations: Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...

, Malaysia, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

 and Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...

. The tournament was won by first-time champions Iraq
Iraq national football team
The Iraqi national football team represents Iraq in international football and is controlled by the Iraq Football Association. They won the 2007 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup tournament.-The Golden Generation:...

, who defeated Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia national football team
Saudi Arabia national football team is the national team of Saudi Arabia and is controlled by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation...

 1-0 in the final. As the winner, Iraq represented the AFC at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009 as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The opening match was played at Ellis Park...

.

The Asian Cup had previously been held every 4 years from 1956 onwards, the last cup being held in China PR in 2004. However, with the Summer Olympic Games
Summer Olympic Games
The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...

 and the European Football Championship
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...

 also held in the same year as the Asian Cup (2004, 2008, 2012 etc.), the AFC decided to change their tradition and hold the tournament in 2007, and every four years henceforth from that date.

An estimated worldwide television audience of 650 million people tuned in to watch the 2007 AFC Asian Cup.

This was the first major AFC tournament in which Australia participated as a member.

Host selection

The decision to have four host nations for this edition of the Asian Cup was proposed and presented to the executive committee by AFC president Mohammed Bin Hammam
Mohammed Bin Hammam
Mohamed bin Hammam is a Qatari who was formerly a football administrator and president of the Asian Football Confederation from 1 August 2002 to 14 June 2011, and a member of FIFA's 24-man executive committee from 1996 to 2011 for more than 15 years...

. However, he later regretted this decision and called it his "mistake", citing the financial and logistic difficulties in organising an event across four countries.

He said that "It is proving very difficult for [the executive committee as they] have to have four organising committees, four media centres and there are also financial considerations." He also revealed that "[He would] definitely [not do] it [again]," if he had the choice.

In June 2005, the Asian Football Confederation warned Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

 that it needed to improve its facilities before 2007, otherwise it would be dropped, possibly being replaced with Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...

. On August 12 of the same year, the AFC confirmed that Thailand would be a co-host of the 2007 Asian Cup. However in October 2006, Thailand was again warned to improve its facilities in 90 days.

Venues

Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...

, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...

Palembang
Palembang
Palembang is the capital city of the South Sumatra province in Indonesia. Palembang is one of the oldest cities in Indonesia, and has a history of being a capital of a maritime empire. Located on the Musi River banks on the east coast of southern Sumatra island, it has an area of 400.61 square...

, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...

Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...

, Malaysia
Shah Alam
Shah Alam
Shah Alam is the state capital of Selangor, Malaysia situated within the Petaling District and a small portion of the neighboring Klang District. It is located about west of the country's capital, Kuala Lumpur. Shah Alam replaced Kuala Lumpur as the capital city of the state of Selangor in 1978...

, Malaysia
Gelora Bung Karno Stadium Gelora Sriwijaya Stadium National Stadium
National Stadium, Bukit Jalil
Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Bukit Jalil, located in the National Sports Complex to the south of the capital city of Malaysia Kuala Lumpur, is a 87,411 capacity all-seater, multi-purpose stadium that was built in 1998 to host the 1998 Commonwealth Games.-History:The stadium was built in 1...

Shah Alam Stadium
Shah Alam Stadium
Shah Alam Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Shah Alam, Malaysia. It is used mostly for football matches but also has facilities for athletics...

Capacity: 88,306 Capacity: 40,000 Capacity: 87,411 Capacity: 69,932
Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...

, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...

, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...

, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...

Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...

, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...

Rajamangala Stadium
Rajamangala Stadium
Rajamangala National Stadium , also known as Hua Mark Indoor Stadium, is the national stadium of Thailand and the home stadium for the Thailand national football team. Located in Khwaeng Hua Mak, Khet Bang kapi, Bangkok, it officially opened in 1998....

Suphachalasai Stadium
Suphachalasai Stadium
Suphachalasai Stadium, also known as the National Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The stadium holds 26,000 people and was opened in 1935.-History:...

My Dinh National Stadium
My Dinh National Stadium
My Dinh National Stadium is a stadium in My Dinh commune, Tu Liem District, Hanoi, Vietnam, has a capacity of 40,192 seats and is the centerpiece of Vietnam's National Sports Complex...

Army Stadium
Capacity: 65,000 Capacity: 35,000 Capacity: 40,192 Capacity: 25,000
Image

Qualification

The qualification round ran from February 22, 2006 to November 15, 2006. For the first time, the defending champions (Japan
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...

) needed to attend the qualification stage. Twenty-four teams attempted to qualify for 2007 AFC Asian Cup. They were divided into 4 teams for each group and determined the remaining last 12 places, as the four co-hosts - Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam - were already granted automatic qualification. Australia was the first non-host nation to qualify.
Country |Date qualification was secured 00Co-hosts 007 August 2004 33 (1996
1996 AFC Asian Cup
The Asian Football Confederation's 1996 AFC Asian Cup finals were held in the United Arab Emirates between December 4 and December 21. Saudi Arabia defeated host nation U.A.E. in the final match in Abu Dhabi.-Qualification:...

, 2000
2000 AFC Asian Cup
The Asian Football Confederation's 2000 AFC Asian Cup finals were held in Lebanon between October 12 and October 29. Japan defeated defending champion Saudi Arabia in the final match in Beirut.-Qualification:...

, 2004
2004 AFC Asian Cup
The 2004 AFC Asian Cup football competition is the thirteenth staging of AFC Asian Cup. It was held from July 17 to August 7, 2004 in China. The defending champions Japan defeated China in the final in Beijing....

)
01Co-hosts 017 August 2004 22 (1976
1976 AFC Asian Cup
-Group B:---------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Goalscorers:3 goals: Gholam Hossein Mazloumi Nasser Nouraei Fathi Kamel2 goals: Alireza Azizi Alireza Khorshidi Hassan Roshan...

, 1980
1980 AFC Asian Cup
The 1980 AFC Asian Cup was the seventh edition of the Asian Nations Cup, the football championship of Asia . It was hosted by Kuwait between September 15 and 30. The field of ten teams was split into two groups of five. Kuwait won their first championship, beating Korea Republic in the final 3-0....

)
02Co-hosts 027 August 2004 55 (1972
1972 AFC Asian Cup
-Semi-finals:----- Third place play-off :-Final:-External links:**...

, 1992
1992 AFC Asian Cup
The Asian Football Confederation's 1992 AFC Asian Cup finals were held in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan between October 29 and November 8. The host nation, Japan, defeated the defending champion Saudi Arabia in the final in Hiroshima.-Stadiums:...

, 1996
1996 AFC Asian Cup
The Asian Football Confederation's 1996 AFC Asian Cup finals were held in the United Arab Emirates between December 4 and December 21. Saudi Arabia defeated host nation U.A.E. in the final match in Abu Dhabi.-Qualification:...

, 2000
2000 AFC Asian Cup
The Asian Football Confederation's 2000 AFC Asian Cup finals were held in Lebanon between October 12 and October 29. Japan defeated defending champion Saudi Arabia in the final match in Beirut.-Qualification:...

, 2004
2004 AFC Asian Cup
The 2004 AFC Asian Cup football competition is the thirteenth staging of AFC Asian Cup. It was held from July 17 to August 7, 2004 in China. The defending champions Japan defeated China in the final in Beijing....

)
03Co-hosts 037 August 2004 22 (1956*
1956 AFC Asian Cup
The 1956 AFC Asian Cup was the inaugural tournament of the AFC Asian Cup. The final tournament was held in Hong Kong from 1 September to 15 September 1956...

, 1960*
1960 AFC Asian Cup
The 1960 AFC Asian Cup was the second edition of the tournament. The finals were hosted by South Korea from October 14 to October 23, 1960. The final tournament was organised on a round robin basis, and host country South Korea won with a perfect record of three wins.- Venues :- Qualification...

)

Note : * as South Vietnam

Seeds

For the first time, the seeds are based on the October 2006 FIFA World Rankings
FIFA World Rankings
The FIFA World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, currently led by Spain. The teams of the member nations of FIFA , football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful teams being ranked highest...

 instead of the basis of the performance from the previous AFC Asian Cup competition. This was to ensure that the same number of strong teams do not meet in the early stage.

The four seeded teams were announced on December 19, 2006. The seeds comprised Pot 4 in the draw. Pot 1 consists of the teams from all co-hosts.
Pot 1 Pot 2 Pot 3 Pot 4






























On December 19, 2006, the draw was held in the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre
Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre
The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre is a convention and exhibition centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and part of the Kuala Lumpur City Centre precinct, known as KLCC...

.

Match ball

The Official Match Ball for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup was launched by Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...

 on May 15, 2007, making it the first time ever that a ball had been launched specifically for any football competition in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...

. The Nike Mercurial Veloci AC features four blue stripes with gold trim with each host city's name inscribed, as well as the AFC Asian Cup
AFC Asian Cup
The AFC Asian Cup is an international association football tournament run by the Asian Football Confederation . It is the second oldest continental football championship in the world after Copa América. The winning team becomes the champion of Asia and automatically qualifies for the FIFA...

 logo.

Officials

16 referees and 24 assistant referees were officially cleared following a fitness test on July 2 in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...

, Malaysia. One referee and two assistant referees were also named from the CAF
Confederation of African Football
The Confederation of African Football is the administrative and controlling body for African association football.CAF represents the national football associations of Africa, runs continental, national, and club competitions, and controls the prize money, regulations and media rights to those...

.
Matthew Breeze
Matthew Breeze
Matthew Christopher Breeze is an Australian association football referee. He is also a barrister and a former police prosecutor.-Domestic career:He officiates in the Australian A-League football competition....

 Mark Shield
Mark Shield
Mark Shield is a former Australian Football referee. He most recently refereed in Australia's A-League. He first played soccer for the Innisfail Tigers at the age of six. Not showing much promise as a player, he began refereeing at age 12, and by 16 was officiating adult matches in Townsville...

 Jasim Karim Sun Baojie Masoud Moradi
Masoud Moradi
Masoud Moradi is an Iranian retired football referee. Moradi has been a FIFA international referee since 2000.Moradi has been an Iran Pro League referee since 1998.Moradi has been an official in major competitions including the:...

 Yuichi Nishimura
Yuichi Nishimura
is a Japanese football referee who has been a full international referee for FIFA.He was the only Asian referee and one of three judges selected to judge in 2008 African Cup of Nations in Ghana along with assistant referees Toru Sagara from Japan and Jeong Hae-Sang from South Korea. He was also a...

 Saad Kamil Al-Fadhli
Saad Kamil Al-Fadhli
Saad Kameel Al-Fadhli is a football referee from Kuwait, best known for supervising three matches at the 2002 FIFA World Cup held in Japan and South Korea.He was in charge of the FIFA Youth World Cup final in 1997 in Malaysia....

 Talaat Najm
Abdulrahman Abdou Khalil Al-Ghamdi Eddy Maillet
Eddy Maillet
Eddy Allen Maillet is a Seychellois football referee. He has been a full international referee for FIFA since 2001.He was selected as a referee for the 2004 African Cup of Nations in Tunisia, the 2006 African Cup of Nations in Egypt, 2007 AFC Asian Cup, the 2008 African Cup of Nations in Ghana,...

 Kwon Jong-Chul Lee Gi-Young Muhsen Basma
Muhsen Basma
Muhsen Basma is a Syrian football referee. He has been a FIFA international referee since 2003. He has refereed games at 2007 AFC Asian Cup, a semifinal of the AFC Champions League 2008 and qualifiers for 2006 FIFA World Cup and 2010 FIFA World Cup.-References:...

 Satop Tongkhan Ali Hamad Al-Badwawi

Replaced   Shamsul Maidin
Shamsul Maidin
Shamsul Maidin is an association football referee from Singapore.A physiotherapist by profession, Shamsul gave up his practice to become a full time member of the Football Association of Singapore in his role as referee's executive...

 after the referee pulled out with injury.

Songs

In 2007 AFC Asian Cup had 2 songs: "I believe" by Tata Young
Tata Young
Amita Marie Young , better known under her stage name Tata Young, is a Thai singer, model actress and dancer....

 from Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

 and "Play hard" by Kim from Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...

.

Tournament summary

The Asian Cup saw many upsets in the early stages of the tournament. In Group A, Oman
Oman national football team
The Oman national football team is the national team of Oman. Although the team was officially founded in 1978, the squad was formed long before, and has established a proper football association in only December, 2005...

 held favourites Australia to a surprising draw. Oman took the lead and would have won save for an injury time goal from Tim Cahill
Tim Cahill
Timothy Filiga "Tim" Cahill is an football player of Australian nationality who plays for Everton and the Australian national football team...

. Next, hosts Vietnam
Vietnam national football team
The Vietnam national football team is the national football team representing Vietnam and is managed by the Vietnam Football Federation.In the FIFA World Rankings, Vietnam's highest standing was in the first release of the figures, in September 1998, at 84th...

 shocked Gulf Champions UAE with a 2-0 victory. In the same group, Qatar
Qatar national football team
The Qatar national football team is the national team of Qatar and is controlled by the Qatar Football Association. They have never qualified for a FIFA World Cup but are hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The team has also appeared in seven AFC Asian Cup tournaments and hosted the 2011 AFC Asian...

 held Japan
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...

 to a shock 1-1 draw, which caused Japan coach Ivica Osim
Ivica Osim
Ivan "Ivica" Osim is a Bosnian former football player and manager. He was most recently head coach of Japan, before he suffered a stroke in November 2007 and left the post...

 to fly into a rage in which he branded his players as 'amateurs' and reduced his interpreter to tears. In Group D, Indonesia
Indonesia national football team
The Indonesia national football team represents Indonesia in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Indonesia . Prior to independence in 1945, the team competed as the Dutch East Indies national football team. Under this name, Indonesia was the first Asian team to...

 continued the undefeated streak of the hosts by defeating Bahrain
Bahrain national football team
The Bahrain national football team is the national team of the Kingdom of Bahrain and is controlled by the Bahrain Football Association; it was founded in 1951 and joined FIFA in 1966. They have never reached the finals of the World Cup, but have twice come within one match of doing so...

 2-1. Malaysia
Malaysia national football team
The Malaysian national football team nicknamed Harimau Malaya, as the Malayan Tiger, is the national team of Malaysia and is controlled by the Football Association of Malaysia...

 ended up as the only host country to drop their match, losing to China
China national football team
The China PR national football team is the national association football team of the People's Republic of China and is governed by the Chinese Football Association...

 5-1. Thailand
Thailand national football team
The Thailand national football team represents Thailand in international football competition and is governed by the Football Association of Thailand. The team has a history of success in Southeast Asian competition, with three ASEAN Football Championship titles and nine senior-level Southeast...

 recorded just its 2nd win in the Asian Cup finals (their other was in 1972 against Cambodia
Cambodia national football team
The Cambodia national football team is the national team of Cambodia and is controlled by the Football Federation of Cambodia . It was known as the Khmer Republic national football team from 1970 to 1975. It finished fourth in the 1972 Asian Cup, but is currently one of the weakest teams in the...

), and its first ever win in regulation, when they beat Oman 2-0 on July 12. Meanwhile, Australia was upset by a 3-1 defeat against Iraq
Iraq national football team
The Iraqi national football team represents Iraq in international football and is controlled by the Iraq Football Association. They won the 2007 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup tournament.-The Golden Generation:...

 the following day, leaving them floundering in the tournament despite high expectations.

In the quarterfinals, Iraq defeated Vietnam 2-0, South Korea
Korea Republic national football team
The Korea Republic national football team represents Korea Republic in international football and is controlled by the Korea Football Association. Korea Republic is the most successful Asian football team in the history of the FIFA World Cup having participated in eight World Cup tournaments,...

 (known as 'Korea Republic') beat Iran in a shootout 4-2, as did Japan over Australia 4-3 (this was the first time Australian 'keeper Mark Schwarzer
Mark Schwarzer
Mark Schwarzer OAM is an Australian association football player who plays as a goalkeeper. He currently plays for Premier League club Fulham. He rose to prominence during his time at North-East England football club Middlesbrough...

 had ever come out on the losing end of a penalty shoot-out), and Saudi Arabia won over Uzbekistan 2-1. Iraq upset South Korea in the semi-finals by winning 4-3 on penalties, resulting in thousands of Iraqis celebrating in the streets of Baghdad. Over 50 Iraqis were killed by terrorist bombs targeting these crowds. In the other semi-finals, Saudi Arabia topped defending champions Japan 3-2 to make an all-Arab affair for the final match.

Iraq went on to defeat Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia national football team
Saudi Arabia national football team is the national team of Saudi Arabia and is controlled by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation...

 1-0 taking the Asian Cup title. Iraqi forward and captain Younis Mahmoud
Younis Mahmoud
Younis Mahmoud Khalef is an Iraqi football striker who currently playes for Al-Wakrah. He was recently removed from his previous club, Al-Gharafa in Qatar despite being the top goal scorer in the league for the third time in five years. He is also the captain of the Iraq national football team...

 was given the title of Most Valuable Player. South Korea took third place narrowly beating Japan in penalties 6-5. It was the third consecutive match in the tournament that South Korea played 0-0 before a penalty shootout. Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea, as the top three national teams in the tournament, all received automatic berths to the 2011 Asian Cup
2011 AFC Asian Cup
The 2011 AFC Asian Cup finals were held in Qatar on 7–29 January 2011. It was the fifteenth time the tournament has been held, and the second time it has been hosted by Qatar, the other being the 1988 AFC Asian Cup...

 finals to be held in Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...

.

First round

Key to colours in group tables
Group winners and runners-up advance to the quarter-finals

Group A

Team
5 3 1 2 0 4 2
2
4 3 1 1 1 6 4
2
4 3 1 1 1 3 5 −2
2 3 0 2 1 1 3 −2

----
----

Group B

Team
7 3 2 1 0 8 3
5
4 3 1 1 1 4 5 −1
3 3 1 0 2 3 6 −3
2 3 0 2 1 3 4 −1

----
----

Group C

Team
7 3 2 1 0 6 3
3
6 3 2 0 1 9 2
7
4 3 1 1 1 7 6
1
0 3 0 0 3 1 12 −11

----
----

Group D

Team
7 3 2 1 0 7 2
5
4 3 1 1 1 3 3 0
3 3 1 0 2 3 4 −1
3 3 1 0 2 3 7 −4

----
----

Knockout stage

Quarter-finals

----

----

----

Semi-finals

----

Third place play-off

Final

Awards

Top Goalscorers Most Valuable Player Fair Play Award
  Younis Mahmoud
Younis Mahmoud
Younis Mahmoud Khalef is an Iraqi football striker who currently playes for Al-Wakrah. He was recently removed from his previous club, Al-Gharafa in Qatar despite being the top goal scorer in the league for the third time in five years. He is also the captain of the Iraq national football team...


  Yasser Al-Qahtani
Yasser Al-Qahtani
Yasser Saeed Al-Qahtani is a Saudi Arabian footballer who plays as a striker currently on loan with U.A.E. Al-Ain FC captains of the Saudi Arabian national team....


  Naohiro Takahara
Naohiro Takahara
is a Japanese footballer. He currently plays for J. League Division 1 side Shimizu S-Pulse as a strikerTakahara was born in Mishima, Shizuoka. He has previously played for Júbilo Iwata in Japan, Boca Juniors in Argentina, Hamburger SV and Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany.On December 3, 2006, he...

  Younis Mahmoud
Younis Mahmoud
Younis Mahmoud Khalef is an Iraqi football striker who currently playes for Al-Wakrah. He was recently removed from his previous club, Al-Gharafa in Qatar despite being the top goal scorer in the league for the third time in five years. He is also the captain of the Iraq national football team...


Goalscorers

4 goals: Younis Mahmoud
Younis Mahmoud
Younis Mahmoud Khalef is an Iraqi football striker who currently playes for Al-Wakrah. He was recently removed from his previous club, Al-Gharafa in Qatar despite being the top goal scorer in the league for the third time in five years. He is also the captain of the Iraq national football team...

 Naohiro Takahara
Naohiro Takahara
is a Japanese footballer. He currently plays for J. League Division 1 side Shimizu S-Pulse as a strikerTakahara was born in Mishima, Shizuoka. He has previously played for Júbilo Iwata in Japan, Boca Juniors in Argentina, Hamburger SV and Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany.On December 3, 2006, he...

 Yasser Al-Qahtani
Yasser Al-Qahtani
Yasser Saeed Al-Qahtani is a Saudi Arabian footballer who plays as a striker currently on loan with U.A.E. Al-Ain FC captains of the Saudi Arabian national team....


3 goals: Mark Viduka
Mark Viduka
Mark Anthony Viduka is a former Australian soccer player who played as a centre forward. He captained the Australian national team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany to the last 16.-Melbourne Croatia:...

 Sebastián Soria
Sebastián Soria
Andrés Sebastián Soria Quintana , is a naturalized Qatari footballer who plays as a striker for Qatar SC.-Early career:Soria originally had a 2-week trial at Uruguayan club Defensor Sporting in Montevideo as a youngster, however they subsequently rejected Soria, and he returned home.Soria continued...

 Maksim Shatskikh
Maksim Shatskikh
Maksim Aleksandrovich Shatskikh , is an Uzbek professional footballer who plays for Arsenal Kyiv in the Ukrainian Premier League....


2 goals: Han Peng
Han Peng
Han Peng is a Chinese striker who currently plays for Shandong Luneng in the Chinese Super League and the Chinese national football team.-Club career:...

 Shao Jiayi
Shao Jiayi
Shao Jiayi is a Chinese footballer currently playing for MSV Duisburg in the 2. Bundesliga. Previously, Shao played for Energie Cottbus and 1860 Munich, as well as starting his career with Beijing Guoan in the Chinese Super League...

 Wang Dong
Wang Dong
Wang Dong is a Chinese football player who currently plays for Changchun Yatai in the Chinese Super League.-Club career:Wang Dong began his professional football career in the 2000 league season for second tier football club Shanghai Pudong, however he believed that the club wasn't right for him,...

 Javad Nekounam
Javad Nekounam
Javad Nekounam is an Iranian footballer who plays for CA Osasuna in La Liga.Usually playing as a central midfielder, he is known for his passing ability, defensive acumen, ball distribution and powerful long-range shots. He represented his national team over 120 times.-Early years / UAE:Having...

 Seiichiro Maki
Seiichiro Maki
is a Japanese professional football player. He is a forward and currently plays for Tokyo Verdy, and has been a member of the Japanese national football team since 2005.-Personal life:...

 Shunsuke Nakamura
Shunsuke Nakamura
is a Japanese footballer who currently plays for Yokohama F. Marinos in J. League Division 1. He is one of the most prominent and successful Asian players to have played in Scotland and on 13 September 2006 became the first Japanese player to score in the UEFA Champions League and the second Asian...

 Malek Mouath
Malek Mouath
Malek Ali Mouath Al-Hawsawi is a Saudi Arabian professional footballer who currently plays as a striker for Al-Nasr....

 Ahmed Al-Mousa
Ahmed Al-Mousa
Ahmed Al Mousa is a Saudi Arabian footballer , the brother of Al Ahli’s Motaz and Al Wahda’s Kamil, started his career with Al Ittihad before joining Al Wahda. He led Al Wahda to third place in the regular season before beating defending champions Al Shabab in the quarter-finals of the league...

 Taisir Al-Jassim
Taisir Al-Jassim
Taiseer Al Jassam is a Saudi Arabian footballer. He currently plays for Al Ahli.-Career:Al Jassam helped his team win this year’s Crown Prince Cup by scoring a goal in the final, before being loaned to Al Gharafa. He made a quick impact with the Qatar League runners-up as he scored a goal and...

 Pipat Thonkanya
Pipat Thonkanya
Pipat Thonkanya born January 4, 1979, in Udonthani), is a Thai football player.He is a striker and currently plays for Osotspa Saraburi F.C. in the Thai Premier League....

 Saeed Al-Kass Timur Kapadze
Timur Kapadze
Timur Kapadze is an Uzbekistani professional football midfielder of Georgian descent who currently plays for K-League side Incheon United.-International career:...



1 goal: John Aloisi
John Aloisi
John Aloisi is a retired Australian football player who played as a striker, and the current youth team manager at Melbourne Heart....

 Michael Beauchamp
Michael Beauchamp
Michael Francis Beauchamp is an Australian football player. He currently plays for Sydney FC. He was a member of the Australian 2006 World Cup squad.-Club career:...

 Tim Cahill
Tim Cahill
Timothy Filiga "Tim" Cahill is an football player of Australian nationality who plays for Everton and the Australian national football team...

 Harry Kewell
Harry Kewell
Harold "Harry" Kewell is an Australian professional football midfielder who plays for Melbourne Victory in the A-League. Internationally he has received 55 caps, and scored 16 goals, while playing for the Australian national team...

 Ismael Abdullatif
Ismael Abdullatif
Ismail Abdul-Latif, sometimes known as Ismail Latif is a Bahraini football striker and winger. At club level, he currently plays for Omani Salalah-based club, Al-Nasr. Abdullatif also plays for the Bahrain national football team, including the 2007 AFC Asian Cup finals...

 Salman Isa Sayed Mahmood Jalal
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 Mao Jianqing
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 Elie Aiboy Bambang Pamungkas
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Bambang Pamungkas is an Indonesian footballer who currently plays for Persija Jakarta in the Indonesian Super League and the Indonesia national football team. His natural position is striker...

 Budi Sudarsono
Budi Sudarsono
Budi Sudarsono is an active Indonesian footballer. He normally plays either as an attacking midfielder or a forward...

 Jalal Hosseini
Jalal Hosseini
Seyyed Jalal Hosseini Khoshkebejari is an Iranian football player. He currently plays for the Iran's Premier Football League club Sepahan and Iran national football team as a Defender...

 Javad Kazemian
Javad Kazemian
Javad Kazemian is an Iranian Football right winger who plays for Persepolis in the Iran Pro League. He is commonly mistaken for a striker as he is frequently involved in running towards the opposing box, but his preferred position is a right winger....

 Andranik Teymourian
Andranik Teymourian
Andranik Timotian-Samarani , more commonly known as Andranik "Ando" Teymourian is an Armenian Iranian footballer. He usually plays as a defensive midfielder, but can also play as a side midfielder. He is notably the only Christian footballer in the Iranian national team.-Early career:Andranik was...

 Ferydoon Zandi
Ferydoon Zandi
Ferydoon Zandi is an Iranian-German professional footballer who is currently playing for Esteghlal in Iran Pro League.- Childhood :Zandi was born in the city of Emden, in northern Germany, to an Iranian father and a German mother. He speaks German and Persian...

 Nashat Akram
Nashat Akram
Nashat Akram Abid Ali is an Iraqi professional footballer who is currently playing for Lekhwiya. He is an Iraqi international. He usually plays as a midfielder. Akram is one of Iraq's promising young prospects, and has been linked with Manchester City and Sunderland...

 Hawar Mohammed
Hawar Mulla Mohammed
Hawar Mulla Mohammed Taher Zebari is an Iraqi Kurdish football player, who plays as Winger and Wingback positions for Zob Ahan in Iran. Hawar is known to be one of the best players in Iraqi national team and was a key figure in Iraq 2007 Asian Cup glory...

 Karrar Jassim Yuki Abe
Yuki Abe
is a Japanese footballer who plays for Leicester City and the Japanese national team as a midfielder.-JEF United Ichihara:Born in Ichikawa, Chiba, Abe, then a member of the JEF United Ichihara youth side, made his debut with the senior club at the age of 16 years and 333 days on 5 August 1998, at...

 Yasuhito Endo
Yasuhito Endo
is a Japanese footballer, who currently plays for the J. League team Gamba Osaka. His older brother Akihiro, who retired in 2008, was also a professional footballer.-Career:...

 Yuji Nakazawa
Yuji Nakazawa
is a Japanese football player who currently plays for J. League side Yokohama F. Marinos. He is a centre back. He is captain of both Yokohama F. Marinos and the Japan national football team. His nickname is "Bomber" because of his distinctive hairstyle...


Indra Putra Mahayuddin
Indra Putra Mahayuddin
Indra Putra Mahayuddin is a Malaysian footballer who is a versatile forward, who can operate as a striker and winger. He is currently playing for Kelantan FA in the Malaysian Super League.-Career:...

 Badar Al-Maimani
Badar Al-Maimani
Badar Al-Maimani commonly refer as Badar , born on July 16, 1984 is a Omani footballer who is a striker who currently plays for Muscat Club. He is a member of the Oman national football team. Al-Maimani is a key player in the attack on the national squad, and has been serving since 2003. Badar...

 Saad Al-Harthi
Saad Al-Harthi
Saad Mish'al Al-Harthi - also transliterated Sa'ad Al-Harthi - is a Saudi Arabian football striker who plays for Saudi Premiership side Al-Nasr. While he is a regular first team member at his club, he has to battle for a spot on the Saudi Arabia national football team. Recently he was chosen as...

 Abdulrahman Al-Qahtani
Abdulrahman Al-Qahtani
Abdulrahman Al Qahtani is a Saudi Arabian footballer. He currently plays as a winger for Nassr.He started his career with Ettifaq in 2001 and he player for the team until 2007 when he was loaned to Ittihad in a 8.5 million riyals deal, which was the most expensive locally. After that he returned...

 Choi Sung-Kuk Kim Do-Heon Kim Jung-Woo
Kim Jung-Woo
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 Sutee Suksomkit Faisal Khalil
Faisal Khalil
Faisal Khalil is a UAE footballer who plays for Al-Ahli . He plays as a Forward, and plays for the UAE national football team.-2009–10:...

 Pavel Solomin
Pavel Solomin
Pavel Pavlovich Solomin is a Russian-Uzbekistani footballer last played for Persisam Putra Samarinda of Indonesia as a striker....

 Ulugbek Bakayev
Ulugbek Bakayev
Ulugbek Bakayev is a Uzbekistan footballer currently playing for FC Zhetysu as a striker.He is a member of the Uzbekistan national football team...

 Alexander Geynrikh
Alexander Geynrikh
Alexander Geynrikh is a Russian-Uzbek professional footballer forward who plays for Suwon Bluewings and the Uzbekistan national team. He is of partial German descent.-Career:...

 Aziz Ibrahimov
Aziz Ibrahimov
Aziz Ibragimov is a Uzbekistan footballer currently playing for Chinese club Qingdao Jonoon as a forward or right midfielder....

 Phan Thanh Bình
Phan Thanh Bình
Phan Thanh Bình is a Vietnamese footballer who is a striker for Dong Tam Long An F.C.. He is a member of the Vietnam national football team.-Playing style:...

 Huỳnh Quang Thanh
Huynh Quang Thanh
Huỳnh Quang Thanh is a Vietnamese footballer who is a defender for Becamex Bình Dương. He is also a member of the Vietnam national football team.-International goal:-Achievement:'*ASEAN Football Championship...

 Lê Công Vinh
Le Cong Vinh
Lê Công Vinh is a Vietnamese footballer who plays for Hanoi F.C. as a striker. He is also a member of the Vietnamese national team.-Sông Lam Nghệ An:...


Own goals: Rahman Rezaei
Rahman Rezaei
Rahman Rezaei is an Iranian football player who currently plays for Paykan in the Iran Pro League. He is also a former member of the Iran national football team and usually plays in the centre back position.-Club career:...

 (1) (for Uzbekistan) Keita Suzuki
Keita Suzuki
is a Japanese football player. He is a defensive midfielder and currently plays for Urawa Red Diamonds.He is a cousin of Koki Mizuno.-Career:...

(1) (for Vietnam)

Top scoring teams

12 goals

11 goals

10 goals

7 goals

6 goals
4 goals

3 goals

1 goal

Final positions

Team
1 6 3 3 0 7 2
5
12 66.7%
2 6 4 1 1 12 6
6
13 72.2%
3 6 1 4 1 3 3 0 7 38.9%
4 6 2 3 1 11 7
4
9 50.0%
Eliminated in the Quarterfinals
5 4 2 2 0 6 3
3
8 66.7%
6 4 2 0 2 10 4
6
6 50.0%
7 4 1 2 1 7 5
2
5 41.7%
8 4 1 1 2 4 7 −3 4 33.3%
Eliminated in the First Stage
9 3 1 1 1 7 6
1
4 44.4%
10 3 1 1 1 3 5 −2 4 44.4%
11 3 1 0 2 3 4 −1 3 33.3%
12 3 1 0 2 3 6 −3 3 33.3%
13 3 1 0 2 3 7 −4 3 33.3%
14 3 0 2 1 3 4 −1 2 22.2%
15 3 0 2 1 1 3 −2 2 22.2%
16 3 0 0 3 1 12 −11 0 0.0%

External links

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