2010 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC fourth round
The AFC fourth round of 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification was decided by a random draw conducted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 27 June 2008. The round commenced on 6 September 2008, and finished on 17 June 2009.
The top two countries in each group at the end of the stage qualified directly to the World Cup Finals in South Africa, with the two third-placed countries advancing to the AFC play-off.
Format
The 10 teams (2 teams from each group in the third round) were divided into four pots for the draw, three containing two teams and one containing four. 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. The pots were as follows:
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 | 
|---|---|---|---|
The 10 teams were split into two groups of five teams each – each containing one team from each of Pots 1, 2 and 3, as well as 2 teams from Pot 4.
The top two teams in each group qualified for the World Cup Finals, with the two third-placed sides advancing to a playoff. All teams played home and away against each of the other four teams in the group.
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | .svg.png)  |   |   |   |   | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | .svg.png) 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 | — | 
| Bahrain  | 2–3 |  Japan | 
|---|---|---|
| Isa  87' Tulio  89' (o.g.) | Report | S. Nakamura  18' Endō  44' (pen.) K. Nakamura  85' | 
| Qatar  | 3–0 |  Uzbekistan | 
|---|---|---|
| Siddiq  37' Magid Mohamed  73' Al-Bloushi  86' | Report | 
| Uzbekistan  | 0–1 | .svg.png) Australia | 
|---|---|---|
| Report | Chipperfield  26' | 
| Japan  | 1–1 |  Uzbekistan | 
|---|---|---|
| Tamada  40' | Report | Shatskikh  27' | 
| Uzbekistan  | 0–1 |  Bahrain | 
|---|---|---|
| Report | Abdulrahman  90+4' | 
| Japan  | 1–0 |  Bahrain | 
|---|---|---|
| S. Nakamura  47' | Report | 
| Uzbekistan  | 4–0 |  Qatar | 
|---|---|---|
| Tadjiyev  34', 45+2', 53' Soliev  62' | Report | 
| Uzbekistan  | 0–1 |  Japan | 
|---|---|---|
| Report | Okazaki  9' | 
| Australia .svg.png) | 2–0 |  Bahrain | 
|---|---|---|
| Sterjovski  55' Carney  88' | Report | 
| Japan  | 1–1 |  Qatar | 
|---|---|---|
| Al-Binali  3' (o.g.) | Report | Ali Afif  53' (pen.) | 
| Bahrain  | 1–0 |  Uzbekistan | 
|---|---|---|
| Abdulrahman  73' | Report | 
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | .svg.png)  |   |   |   |   | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | .svg.png) 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 | — | 
| United Arab Emirates  | 1–2 |  North Korea | 
|---|---|---|
| Saeed  86' | Report | Choe Kum-Chol  72' An Chol-Hyok  81' | 
| Saudi Arabia  | 1–1 |  Iran | 
|---|---|---|
| Al-Harthi  29' | Report | Nekounam  81' | 
| North Korea  | 1–1 | .svg.png) South Korea | 
|---|---|---|
| Hong Yong-Jo  64' (pen.) | Report | Ki Sung-yueng  69' | 
| United Arab Emirates  | 1–2 |  Saudi Arabia | 
|---|---|---|
| Khater  23' | Report | Otaif  69' Al-Fraidi  73' | 
| South Korea .svg.png) | 4–1 |  United Arab Emirates | 
|---|---|---|
| Lee Keun-ho  20', 80' Park Ji-sung  26' Kwak Tae-hwi  89' | Report | Al Hammadi  72' | 
| Iran  | 2–1 |  North Korea | 
|---|---|---|
| Mahdavikia  9' Nekounam  63' | Report | Jong Tae-Se  72' | 
| United Arab Emirates  | 1–1 |  Iran | 
|---|---|---|
| Juma'a  19' | Report | Bagheri  81' | 
| Saudi Arabia  | 0–2 | .svg.png) South Korea | 
|---|---|---|
| Report | Lee Keun-ho  76' Park Chu-young  90+2' | 
| North Korea  | 1–0 |  Saudi Arabia | 
|---|---|---|
| Mun In-Guk  28' | Report | 
| Iran  | 1–1 | .svg.png) South Korea | 
|---|---|---|
| Nekounam  58' | Report | Park Ji-sung  81' | 
| North Korea  | 2–0 |  United Arab Emirates | 
|---|---|---|
| Pak Nam-Chol  51' Mun In-Guk  90+3' | Report | 
| Iran  | 1–2 |  Saudi Arabia | 
|---|---|---|
| Shojaei  57' | Report | Hazazi  79' Al-Muwallad  87' | 
| South Korea .svg.png) | 1–0 |  North Korea | 
|---|---|---|
| Kim Chi-woo  86' | Report | 
| Saudi Arabia  | 3–2 |  United Arab Emirates | 
|---|---|---|
| Otaif  4' (pen.) Juma  70' (o.g.) Hazazi  85' | Report | Al Shehhi  38' Matar  45+1' | 
| North Korea  | 0–0 |  Iran | 
|---|---|---|
| Report | 
| Iran  | 1–0 |  United Arab Emirates | 
|---|---|---|
| Karimi  53' | Report | 
| South Korea .svg.png) | 1–1 |  Iran | 
|---|---|---|
| Park Ji-sung  82' | Report | Shojaei  52' | 
Goalscorers
There were 80 goals scored in 40 matches, for an average of 2 goals per match.
3 goals
2 goals
1 goal
.svg.png) Mark Bresciano Mark Bresciano
.svg.png) David Carney David Carney
.svg.png) Scott Chipperfield Scott Chipperfield
.svg.png) Harry Kewell Harry Kewell
.svg.png) Mile Sterjovski Mile Sterjovski
 Faouzi Mubarak Aaish Faouzi Mubarak Aaish
 Abdulla Baba Fatadi Abdulla Baba Fatadi
 Salman Isa Salman Isa
 Karim Bagheri Karim Bagheri
 Ali Karimi Ali Karimi
 Mehdi Mahdavikia Mehdi Mahdavikia
 Yasuhito Endō Yasuhito Endō
 Kengo Nakamura Kengo Nakamura
 Shinji Okazaki Shinji Okazaki
 Tatsuya Tanaka Tatsuya Tanaka
 An Chol-Hyok An Chol-Hyok
 Choe Kum-Chol Choe Kum-Chol
 Hong Yong-Jo Hong Yong-Jo
 Jong Tae-Se Jong Tae-Se
 Pak Nam-Chol Pak Nam-Chol
 Ali Afif Ali Afif
 Talal Al-Bloushi Talal Al-Bloushi
 Magid Mohamed Magid Mohamed
 Majdi Siddiq Majdi Siddiq
 Sebastián Soria Sebastián Soria
 Ahmed Al-Fraidi Ahmed Al-Fraidi
 Saad Al-Harthi Saad Al-Harthi
 Osama Al-Muwallad Osama Al-Muwallad
.svg.png) Kim Chi-woo Kim Chi-woo
.svg.png) Kwak Tae-hwi Kwak Tae-hwi
 Ismail Al Hammadi Ismail Al Hammadi
 Mohammed Al Shehhi Mohammed Al Shehhi
 Abdulrahim Jumaa Abdulrahim Jumaa
 Subait Khater Subait Khater
 Ismail Matar Ismail Matar
 Bashir Saeed Bashir Saeed
 Maksim Shatskikh Maksim Shatskikh
 Anvarjon Soliev Anvarjon Soliev
1 own goal
 Marcus Tulio Tanaka (against Bahrain) Marcus Tulio Tanaka (against Bahrain)
 Ahmed Faris Al-Binali (against Japan) Ahmed Faris Al-Binali (against Japan)
 Fares Juma (against  Saudi Arabia) Fares Juma (against  Saudi Arabia)
Notes
Several Iranian players started their away match against South Korea wearing green armbands or wristbands, a symbol of protest at the outcome of the Iranian presidential election.[3] Most removed them at half-time. The newspaper Iran reported that Ali Karimi, Mehdi Mahdavikia, Hosein Kaebi, and Vahid Hashemian had received life bans from the Iranian FA for the gesture.[4] However, the Iranian FA denied this claim in a response to FIFA's inquiry saying that "the comments in foreign media are nothing but lies and a mischievous act."[5] The Iran national team head coach Afshin Ghotbi also confirmed that it was a rumour and Iranian FA "has not taken any official stand on this issue."[6]
References
- ^ a b "FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) 2010, football - table and standings". soccer365.me. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ Match played in Shanghai, China, as was the corresponding fixture in the Third round, as North Korea refused to play the anthem and fly the flag of South Korea.
- ^ "Iranian football team shows support for Mousavi with green arm bands at Seoul World Cup qualifier". The Daily Telegraph. London. 17 June 2009. Retrieved 17 June 2009.
- ^ Tiat, Robert (25 June 2009). "Iranian players receive life bans for gestures". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 June 2009.
- ^ "Iran denies punishing players for wearing green wristbands". London: The Daily Telegraph. 25 June 2009. Retrieved 25 June 2009.
- ^ Bell, Jack (26 June 2009). "Iran Did Not Suspend Players, Coach Says". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 June 2009.