By S.R. Pathiravithana

The AFC Challenge Cup for soccer’s emerging nations will take place in Colombo from the 16th to the 27th of February with eight group winners taking part.

Rohan Ruwantilleke

The winner of the 2010 edition will automatically qualify for the AFC Asian Cup 2011 to be held in Qatar.
This is apart of AFC’s Vision Asia Programme.

The countries taking part are: - Group ‘A’ 1.Tajikistan, 2 Myanmar, 3 Sri Lanka and 4 Bangladesh. Group ‘B’ 1 India, 2 North Korea, 3 Turkmenistan and 4 Kyrgyzstan

The matches are scheduled to be played at the Sugathadasa Stadium and the CR and FC grounds.
The programme will get under way on the 16th with Tajikistan taking on Bangladesh at p.m. and hosts Sri Lanka playing Myanmar at 6 p.m. this match will be played at the Sugathadasa Stadium on 17 February India will take on Kyrgyzstan while North Korea will face Turkmenistan at 6 p.m.

On 18 February Bangladesh will play Myanmar at 4 p.m. with the evening match being the game that features Sri Lanka and Tajikistan. The next day Kyrgyzstan will play North Korea while Turkmenistan will play the top ranking team India.

On Saturday February 20 Tajikistan will play Myanmar at the CR and FC Ground at 3 p.m. while Sri Lanka will play Bangladesh at the Sugathadasa Stadium at the same time.

Sunday’s games will see India taking on North Korea at the Sugathadasa Stadium and Turkmenistan taking on Kyrgyzstan at the CR and FC grounds at 3 p.m.

The first semi-final will be on the 24th with winners of group ‘A’ taking on the runners-up of the Group ‘B’ at 3.30 p.m. while winners of Group ‘B’ taking on the runners-up of Group ‘A’ at 6 p.m.The tussle for the 3rd and 4th places will take place at the Sugathadasa Stadium on the 27th of February at 3.30 p.m. while the final will be played at the same venue at 6 p.m.

Bangladesh won the AFC cup in 2006 while India had the honour of gabbing the trophy in 2008.
Final Ranking AFC rankings reads as; 1. India, 2. Tajikistan, 3. North Korea, 4. Myanmar, 5. Turkmenistan, 6. Nepal, 7. Sri Lanka, 8. Afghanistan, 9. Philippines, 10. Pakistan, 11. Cambodia, 12. Kyrgyzstan, 13. Chinese Taipei, 14. Bangladesh, 15. Macau, 16. Bhutan, 17. Brunei, 18. Guam

The Sri Lankan national team however is in a bit if a dilemma right now after the disbanding of the National team in the aftermath of their poor showing at the just concluded SAF Soccer Championships, but it very likely that Rohan Ruwantilleke would lead the side. The Sri Lanka squad for this tournament is likely to be picked on February 9.