AFC Releases Format for 2014 FIFA WC Asian Qualifiers

By BABUA BISWAS
In yet another development on Friday, AFC released the format for 2012 Olympic and 2014 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers. Thirty-five Asian Countries will fight for the three and half slots in the men’s Olympic Football tournament from February 2011. While for the 2014 FIFA WC Qualifiers, the format will be same as 2010 WC Qualifiers.
For the London Olympic to be held in July next year, Twenty two lowest rank teams will play a home and away match in Round One and the winners will join the thirteen higher rank teams for the Second Round matches. The second round match will also be home and away playoff. Twelve team emerging winners from the Second Round will be divided into three groups with four teams each, who will also play home and away format. All the group winners qualify for the Olympic. All the second placed team will play in a round robin format and the winner will take on CAF’s representative for a place in the Olympics.
First leg of the first round will be played on February 23, 2011, while the return leg will be played on March 9, 2011. The first leg of the Second round will be played on June 19, 2011, and return leg on June 23, 2011. The third round matches will be played on September 21, 2011, November 23, November 27, February 5, 2012, February 22 and March 14. The round robin matches between the second-placed teams will be played at a centralized venue from March 25 to 29, 2012.
For the FIFA 2014 qualifiers, at least 43 teams will vie for the four and a half slot. Two preliminary rounds will be played in home and away format which will narrow down the 43 or more teams to 20. In the Third Round, these 20 teams will be divided into Five Groups with Four teams each and will play home and away matches again. The winners and runners-up from each group will advance to the fourth round after playing in a home and away format.
Ten teams in this round will be divided into two groups of five to play home and away matches. Top two teams from each group confirms their ticket to Brazil while Third-best teams from Round 4 will play home and away in Round 5 and the winner will qualify for a Round 6 playoff against a team from another continent to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.

MATCH DAYS

Round 1
MD1: June 29, 2011
MD2: July 3, 2011

Round 2
MD1: July 23, 2011
MD2: July 28, 2011

Round 3
MD1: September 2, 2011
MD2: September 6, 2011
MD3: October 11, 2011
MD4: November 11, 2011
MD5: November 15, 2011
MD6: February 29, 2012

Round 4
MD1: June 3, 2012
MD2: June 8, 2012
MD3: June 12, 2012
MD4: September 11, 2012
MD5: October 16, 2012
MD6: November 14, 2012
MD7: March 26, 2013
MD8: June 4, 2013
MD9: June 11, 2013
MD10: June 18, 2013

Round 5
MD1: September 6, 2013
MD2: September 10, 2013

Round 6
MD1: October 15, 2013
MD2: November 19, 2013