2010 AFC Challenge Cup qualification
The 2010 AFC Challenge Cup qualification phase saw five teams advance to the finals to join three automatic qualifiers in the final tournament in Sri Lanka.
Qualification consisted of two sections.
- A playoff between the 19th and 20th ranked entrants (Mongolia and Macau)
- Four qualification groups for four teams. Each group winner advanced to the finals, along with the best-ranked runner-up. Because of the withdrawal of Afghanistan, the ranking of second-placed teams excluded results of any matches against fourth-placed sides.
Seeding
Seeding was based partially on the FIFA World Ranks as at January 2009 (ranking shown in brackets).
Laos, 
Timor-Leste and 
Guam chose not to compete. Afghanistan withdrew prior to their first match.
Qualifying preliminary round
Moved from originally scheduled dates of 7 March and 14 March due to conflict with the qualification for the 2010 East Asian Football Championship.
Macau  | 2–0 |  Mongolia |
|---|---|---|
Chan Kin Seng 22'Leong Chong In 24' | Report |
| Mongolia | 3–1 | Macau |
|---|---|---|
| Altankhuyag55' Geofredo 77' (o.g.)Lkhümbengarav 89' | Report | Chan Kin Seng39' |
3–3 on aggregate. Macau advanced to the group phase on the away goals rule.
Qualifying group stage
Qualification was officially scheduled to take place from 2–13 April 2009, although the actual dates began before and extended beyond that. Each qualification group was held in a single location - Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka hosting their respective groups.
The teams were ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, 0 points for a loss) and tie breakers were in following order:
- Greater number of points obtained in the group matches between the teams concerned;
- Goal difference resulting from the group matches between the teams concerned;
- Greater number of goals scored in the group matches between the teams concerned;
- Goal difference in all the group matches;
- Greater number of goals scored in all the group matches;
- Kicks from the penalty mark if only two teams are involved and they are both on the field of play;
- Fewer score calculated according to the number of yellow and red cards received in the group matches; (1 point for each yellow card, 3 points for each red card as a consequence of two yellow cards, 3 points for each direct red card, 4 points for each yellow card followed by a direct red card)
- Drawing of lots.
Group A
- Matches played in Bangladesh.
- Times listed are UTC+6.
Myanmar  | 4–0 | Macau |
|---|---|---|
| Khin Maung Lwin3' Yazar Win Thein 15'Pyaye Phyo Oo 48'Myo Min Tun 59' | Report |
Cambodia  | 0–1 |  Bangladesh |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Enamul73' |
| Bangladesh | 1–2 | Myanmar |
|---|---|---|
| Enamul12' | Report | Pai Soe68', 77' |
| Myanmar | 1–0 | Cambodia |
|---|---|---|
| Yazar Win Thein90+4' | Report |
| Bangladesh | 3–0 | Macau |
|---|---|---|
| Mamunul38' Zahid 68', 71' | Report |
Group B
Philippines  | 1–0 |  Bhutan |
|---|---|---|
| Gould13' | Report |
Turkmenistan  | 5–0 | Philippines |
|---|---|---|
| Del Rosario26' (o.g.) Şamyradow 54', 63'Nasyrow 58'Urazow 65' | Report |
Group C
Tie-breaking situation:
- Kyrgyzstan ranked ahead of Nepal and Palestine on the basis of goals scored.
- Nepal ranked ahead of Palestine on the basis of a better disciplinary record (Nepal 1 yellow card - Palestine 3 yellow cards).
Kyrgyzstan  | 1–1 |  Palestine |
|---|---|---|
| Murzaev20' (pen.) | Report | Al-Sobakhi29' |
Group D
Sri Lanka  | 5–1 |  Brunei |
|---|---|---|
| Jayasuriya23', 53', 67', 73' A. Mohamed 32' | Report | Kamarul82' |
Chinese Taipei  | 1–2 | Sri Lanka |
|---|---|---|
| Huang Wei-yi80' | Report | Jayasuriya35' Ruwanthilake 39' |
| Chinese Taipei | 5–0 | Brunei |
|---|---|---|
| Chen Po-liang11', 13', 58' Huang Wei-yi 30'Kuo Chun-yi 80' | Report |
Ranking of second placed teams
The best-ranked second placed team also qualified for the finals tournament.
Due to Afghanistan's withdrawal from Group C, matches against fourth-placed sides in the other groups were excluded from the following comparison.
Notes on the tie-breaking situation:
- Bangladesh ranked ahead of the Maldives on the basis of goal difference.
- Pakistan ranked ahead of Nepal on the basis of goals scored.
Final tournament
The final tournament, consisting of 8 teams, was eventually held from 16–27 February in Sri Lanka.
Qualifiers
The eight teams that qualified for the final tournament are:
India U23 – automatic qualifier
North Korea – automatic qualifier
Tajikistan – automatic qualifier- Myanmar – winner Group A
- Turkmenistan – winner Group B
- Kyrgyzstan – winner Group C
- Sri Lanka – winner Group D
- Bangladesh – best runner-up
The draw for the final tournament was done on 30 November 2009 at the Galadri Hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Goalscorers
- 5 goals
- 4 goals
- 3 goals
- 2 goals
- 1 goal
- Mohd Mamunul Islam
- Kamarul Ariffin Ramlee
- Keo Sokngon
- Teab Vathanak
Chang Han- Kuo Chun-yi
- Che Chi Man
- Leong Chong In
Mukhthar Naseer- Mohamed Umair
- Murun Altankhuyag
- Donorovyn Lkhümbengarav
- Khin Maung Lwin
- Myo Min Tun
- Pyae Phyo Oo
Biraj Maharjan
Atif Bashir- Jadid Khan Pathan
- Said Al-Sobakhi
- Alexander Borromeo
- Asmeer Lathif Mohamed
- Shanmugarajah Sanjeev
- Gahrymanberdi Çoňkaýew
- Ruslan Mingazow
- Own goal
- Geofredo (playing against Mongolia)
- Anton del Rosario (playing against Turkmenistan)