| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 8 October 2007 – 14 November 2009 |
| Teams | 43 (from 1 confederation) |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 143 |
| Goals scored | 374 (2.62 per match) |
| Attendance | 3,267,023 (22,846 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) |  Sarayoot Chaikamdee Maksim Shatskikh(8 goals each) |
←2006 2014 → | |
| AFC Asian Qualifiers |
|---|
TheAsian Football Confederation (AFC) section of2010 FIFA World Cup qualification was allocated four assured qualifying berths for thefinal tournament inSouth Africa and one place in a play-off. 43 teams were in the running for these spots, whileLaos,Brunei and thePhilippines did not enter qualification. This was the first timeTimor-Leste competed in World Cup qualification and the first timeAustralia attempted to qualify for the World Cup as a member of the AFC, having moved from theOceania Football Confederation at the start of 2006. Note that this edition saw the first effective participation ofMyanmar. The country, called "Burma" until 1989, was registered three times (1950, 1994, 2002) but withdrew each time before playing.
Asia's four automatic qualifying berths were taken byAustralia,Japan and bothNorth andSouth Korea.Bahrain failed to become a fifth Asian representative in the World Cup after losing the play-off match against Oceanian representativesNew Zealand.
The initial seeding (used in the draw for the first two rounds) was based on each team's performance during thequalification stage for theprevious World Cup.[1] The admission of Australia to the AFC complicated matters slightly (as they had not taken part in the previous AFC qualification cycle, but had progressed to the World Cup finals in Germany – and had advanced further than the AFC qualifiers).
Initially, the AFC placed Australia as the first seed even though this contradicted the letter of the seeding – past practice (such as adopted by the AFC in the draw forthe qualification to the 2008 Olympic Football Tournament) would have seeded Australia last.
By the time of the main qualification draw inDurban (which included the AFC third round), the seeding had been adjusted to rank the top 5 AFC nations according to their performance in theWorld Cup Final Tournament (of 2006). This resulted in minor changes to the seeding at that point.
Teams ranked 1–5 received a bye from the first two knockout rounds and are entered into the third round.
Teams ranked 6–43 entered at the first round, with teams ranked from 6–24 drawn against teams ranked from 25 to 43.
Of the first round winners, the eight lowest remaining seeds would go on to play in the second round. The other teams would receive a bye to the third round.[2]
| Top Seeds (Ranked 1st to 5th) | Pot A (Ranked 6th to 24th) | Pot B (Ranked 25th to 43rd) |
|---|---|---|
The official draw took place on 6 August 2007 at the AFC House inKuala Lumpur,Malaysia. Teams fromPot A were randomly paired with a team fromPot B.
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Pakistan  | 0–7 |  Iraq | 0–7 | 0–01 |
| Uzbekistan | 11–0 |  Chinese Taipei | 9–0 | 2–0 |
| Thailand | 13–2 |  Macau | 6–1 | 7–1 |
Sri Lanka  | 0–6 |  Qatar | 0–1 | 0–5 |
China  | 11–0 |  Myanmar | 7–0 | 4–04 |
Bhutan  | w/o2 |  Kuwait | ||
Kyrgyzstan  | 2–2 (5–6pens) |  Jordan | 2–0 | 0–2 (aet) |
Vietnam  | 0–6 |  United Arab Emirates | 0–1 | 0–5 |
Bahrain  | 4–1 |  Malaysia | 4–1 | 0–0 |
Timor-Leste  | 3–11 |  Hong Kong | 2–35 | 1–8 |
Syria  | 5–1 |  Afghanistan | 3–0 | 2–11 |
Yemen  | 3–2 |  Maldives | 3–0 | 0–2 |
Bangladesh  | 1–6 |  Tajikistan | 1–1 | 0–5 |
Mongolia  | 2–9 |  North Korea | 1–4 | 1–5 |
Oman  | 4–0 |  Nepal | 2–0 | 2–0 |
Palestine  | 0–7 |  Singapore | 0–41 | 0–36 |
Lebanon  | 6–3 |  India | 4–1 | 2–2 |
Cambodia  | 1–5 |  Turkmenistan | 0–1 | 1–4 |
Guam  | w/o3 |  Indonesia |
Of the nineteen teams that progressed from the first round, the eight lowest seeded teams by FIFA rankings were required to play in the second round (the other eleven teams received a bye to the third round). As with the first round the draw took place on 6 August 2007 at AFC House inKuala Lumpur,Malaysia.
As the teams involved were not known at the time, the draw placed teams ranked 16–19 against teams ranked 12–15. The ties drawn were
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong | 0–3 | Turkmenistan | 0–0 | 0–3 |
| Indonesia | 1–11 | Syria | 1–4 | 0–7 |
| Singapore | 3–1 | Tajikistan | 2–0 | 1–1 |
| Yemen | 1–2 | Thailand | 1–1 | 0–1 |
The top 5 seeds were joined by the eleven highest-ranked winners from the first round and the four second round winners.
| Byes to Round 3 | Top 11 Round 1 winners | Round 2 winners |
|---|---|---|
1 On 30 October 2007, theKuwait Football Association was suspended from international football competitions by FIFA. On 9 November 2007, Kuwait was conditionally reinstated to international football competitions by FIFA.[8]
These 20 teams were drawn into five groups of four teams at the main group draw inDurban, South Africa on 25 November 2007. The seeding for the main draw was the same for the first two rounds, with the exception that the five seeded nations (those that qualified for the 2006 finals) were ordered on the basis of results in the 2006 finals tournament.[9] This saw Iran move from fifth to third, and Japan and Saudi Arabia ranked equal fourth.
The four seeding Pots used were:
| Pot A | Pot B | Pot C | Pot D |
|---|---|---|---|
The teams in each group played each other twice, once home and once away. The teams that finished first and second in their group qualified for the fourth round.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |  | |  | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 10 | Fourth round | — | 3–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | |
| 2 | Qatar | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 10 | 1–3 | — | 2–0 | 0–0 | ||
| 3 | Iraq | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 7 | 1–0 | 0–1 | — | 1–1 | ||
| 4 | China | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 6 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–2 | — |
On 26 May 2008, FIFA decided to suspend Iraq from all international competitions after theIraq Football Association was disbanded by the government on 20 May 2008.[11] The suspension was provisionally and conditionally lifted on 29 May 2008.[12]
Qatar fielded ineligible playerEmerson in the 2–0 defeat to Iraq on 26 March 2008, prompting FIFA to controversially[13] suspend him but clear Qatar of any wrongdoing, in direct contradiction to its decisions againstSingapore.
Iraq appealed the decision to theCourt of Arbitration for Sport but it was rejected by the CAS, saying that Iraq submitted documents and appeal fees too late.[14]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |  | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japan | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 3 | +9 | 13 | Fourth round | — | 1–0 | 3–0 | 4–1 | |
| 2 | Bahrain | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 11 | 1–0 | — | 1–1 | 1–1 | ||
| 3 | Oman | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 7 | −2 | 8 | 1–1 | 0–1 | — | 2–1 | ||
| 4 | Thailand | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 14 | −9 | 1 | 0–3 | 2–3 | 0–1 | — |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |  | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Korea | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 3 | +7 | 12 | Fourth round | — | 0–0 | 2–2 | 4–0 | |
| 2 | North Korea | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 12 | 0–0 | — | 2–0 | 1–0 | ||
| 3 | Jordan | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0–1 | 0–1 | — | 2–0 | ||
| 4 | Turkmenistan | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 12 | −11 | 1 | 1–3 | 0–0 | 0–2 | — |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | |  | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uzbekistan | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 7 | +10 | 15[a] | Fourth round | — | 3–0 | 3–0[b] | 3–0 | |
| 2 | Saudi Arabia | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 5 | +10 | 15[a] | 4–0 | — | 2–0 | 4–1 | ||
| 3 | Singapore | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 16 | −9 | 6 | 3–7 | 0–3[b] | — | 2–0 | ||
| 4 | Lebanon | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 14 | −11 | 0 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | — |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |  | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iran | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 12 | Fourth round | — | 0–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | |
| 2 | United Arab Emirates | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 0–1 | — | 1–3 | 2–0 | ||
| 3 | Syria | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 8 | −1 | 8 | 0–2 | 1–1 | — | 1–0 | ||
| 4 | Kuwait | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 12 | −4 | 4 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 4–2 | — |
In the fourth round, the 10 remaining teams were drawn into 2 groups of 5 teams.
| Round 3 | Group winners | Group runners-up |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | Australia | Qatar |
| Group 2 | Japan | Bahrain |
| Group 3 | South Korea | North Korea |
| Group 4 | Saudi Arabia* | Uzbekistan* |
| Group 5 | Iran | United Arab Emirates |
* Positions based on original final standings
The 10 qualifiers were drawn into two groups of five teams at the draw inKuala Lumpur,Malaysia on 27 June 2008. The seeding for the fourth round was based on that used in the third round draw, but Saudi Arabia and Japan (seeded equal 4th in that draw) were separated by a random selection held at the start of the fourth round draw.[15]
The top 6 ranked qualifiers were split into 3 pots of 2 teams, with the bottom 4 ranked nations grouped together in a separate pot. Each group was allocated 1 team from each of Pots 1, 2 and 3, and 2 teams from Pot 4.
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
The teams in each group played each other twice, once home and once away. The top 2 teams in each group qualified for the2010 FIFA World Cup Finals in South Africa. The third-placed teams met in aplay-off to determine who would play the OFC winner,New Zealand, in a separate playoff for a spot in the Finals.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 1 | +11 | 20 | 2010 FIFA World Cup | — | 2–1 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 2–0 | |
| 2 | Japan | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 6 | +5 | 15 | 0–0 | — | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | ||
| 3 | Bahrain | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 8 | −2 | 10 | Fifth round | 0–1 | 2–3 | — | 1–0 | 1–0 | |
| 4 | Qatar | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 14 | −9 | 6 | 0–0 | 0–3 | 1–1 | — | 3–0 | ||
| 5 | Uzbekistan | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 10 | −5 | 4 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 4–0 | — |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Korea | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 4 | +8 | 16 | 2010 FIFA World Cup | — | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | |
| 2 | North Korea | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 12 | 1–1 | — | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | ||
| 3 | Saudi Arabia | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 12 | Fifth round | 0–2 | 0–0 | — | 1–1 | 3–2 | |
| 4 | Iran | 8 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 7 | +1 | 11 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | — | 1–0 | ||
| 5 | United Arab Emirates | 8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 17 | −11 | 1 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | — |
Teams finishing 3rd in the fourth round groups played each other to determine a possible 5th qualifier from Asia. The draw for the order in which the two matches would be played was held on 2 June 2009 during the FIFA Congress inNassau,the Bahamas.[16]
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bahrain | 2–2 (a) | Saudi Arabia | 0–0 | 2–2 |
Bahrain advanced to theAsia-Oceania play-off on theaway goals rule.
The Fifth Round winner then played the winner of theOFC qualifying group,New Zealand, in a home-and-away play-off. The winner of this play-off qualified for the2010 FIFA World Cup finals.
The draw for the order in which the two matches would be played was held on 2 June 2009 during the FIFA Congress inNassau,the Bahamas.[16]
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bahrain | 0–1 |  New Zealand | 0–0 | 0–1 |
The following four teams from AFC qualified for the final tournament.
| Team | Qualified as | Qualified on | Previousappearances inFIFA World Cup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Fourth round group A winners | 6 June 2009 | 2 (1974,2006) |
| South Korea | Fourth round group B winners | 6 June 2009 | 7 (1954,1986,1990,1994,1998,2002,2006) |
| Japan | Fourth round group A runners-up | 6 June 2009 | 3 (1998,2002,2006) |
| North Korea | Fourth round group B runners-up | 17 June 2009 | 1 (1966) |
There were 374 goals scored in 143 matches, for an average of 2.62 goals per match.
8 goals
6 goals
5 goals
4 goals
Below are full goalscorer lists for each round: