Monday, July 27, 2009

2014 FIFA World Cup seeding for AFC

Check the updated performance based seeding.

2014 FIFA World Cup performance based seeding for AFC

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AFC have announced last week the format for the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign. They will keep the same format and seeding system.

2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying format approved

Because AFC will use 2010 World Cup qualifying performance, this is the final seeding table. Even if a team wins all its matches before the November 2011 draw, it won't matter.

These are the seedings based on 2010 World Cup qualifying performance:
 1 Australia
2 Korea Republic
3 Japan
4 Korea DPR
5 Bahrain
5 Saudi Arabia
7 Iran
8 Qatar
9 Uzbekistan
10 United Arab Emirates
11 Syria
12 Oman
13 Jordan
14 Iraq
15 China PR
16 Singapore
17 Kuwait
18 Thailand
19 Turkmenistan
20 Lebanon
21 Yemen
22 Tajikistan
23 Hong Kong
24 Indonesia
25 Kyrgyzstan
26 Maldives
27 India
28 Malaysia
29 Bangladesh
30 Pakistan
31 Afghanistan
31 Cambodia
33 Nepal
34 Sri Lanka
34 Vietnam
36 Mongolia
37 Palestine
38 Timor-Leste
39 Macau
40 Chinese Taipei
40 Myanmar
42 Bhutan
42 Brunei Darussalam
42 Guam
42 Laos
42 Philippines
The AFC article assumes only 43 members will enter the 2014 World Cup qualifying. However, let's look at the scenario with all 46 members involved.

Bye to group stage (1st to 6th):

Australia
Korea Republic
Japan
Korea DPR
Bahrain
Saudi Arabia

Pot A (7th to 26th):

Iran
Qatar
Uzbekistan
United Arab Emirates
Syria
Oman
Jordan
Iraq
China PR
Singapore
Kuwait
Thailand
Turkmenistan
Lebanon
Yemen
Tajikistan
Hong Kong
Indonesia
Kyrgyzstan
Maldives

Pot B (27th to 46th):

India
Malaysia
Bangladesh
Pakistan
Afghanistan
Cambodia
Nepal
Sri Lanka
Vietnam
Mongolia
Palestine
Timor-Leste
Macau
Chinese Taipei
Myanmar
Bhutan
Brunei Darussalam
Guam
Laos
Philippines

Assuming teams from Pot A advance, these are the second round seedings:

Pot A:

China PR
Singapore
Kuwait
Thailand
Turkmenistan
Lebanon

Pot B:

Yemen
Tajikistan
Hong Kong
Indonesia
Kyrgyzstan
Maldives

AFC were the only confederation that managed to get by article 17, paragraph 1 of the 2010 FIFA World Cup regulations:

"Any seeding based on team performance for each continental preliminary competition will be based on the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking."

Will they be able to do it again?

These are the seedings using the August 2009 FIFA ranking:
 1 Australia
2 Japan
3 Korea Republic
4 Iran
5 Saudi Arabia
6 Bahrain
7 Uzbekistan
8 Oman
9 Qatar
10 Korea DPR
11 Syria
12 Iraq
13 China PR
14 Kuwait
15 Thailand
16 Jordan
17 United Arab Emirates
18 Singapore
19 Hong Kong
20 Indonesia
21 Yemen
22 Vietnam
23 Turkmenistan
24 Myanmar
25 Lebanon
26 Malaysia
27 Maldives
28 Tajikistan
29 India
29 Sri Lanka
31 Philippines
32 Kyrgyzstan
33 Pakistan
34 Bangladesh
35 Laos
36 Chinese Taipei
37 Cambodia
38 Mongolia
39 Nepal
40 Palestine
41 Brunei Darussalam
42 Guam
43 Afghanistan
44 Macau
45 Bhutan
46 Timor-Leste
Bye to group stage (1st to 6th):

Australia
Japan
Korea Republic
Iran
Saudi Arabia
Bahrain

Pot A (7th to 26th):

Uzbekistan
Oman
Qatar
Korea DPR
Syria
Iraq
China PR
Kuwait
Thailand
Jordan
United Arab Emirates
Singapore
Hong Kong
Indonesia
Yemen
Vietnam
Turkmenistan
Myanmar
Lebanon
Malaysia

Pot B (27th to 46th):

Maldives
Tajikistan
India
Sri Lanka
Philippines
Kyrgyzstan
Pakistan
Bangladesh
Laos
Chinese Taipei
Cambodia
Mongolia
Nepal
Palestine
Brunei Darussalam
Guam
Afghanistan
Macau
Bhutan
Timor-Leste

Assuming teams from Pot A advance, these are the second round seedings:

Pot A:

Thailand
Jordan
United Arab Emirates
Singapore
Hong Kong
Indonesia

Pot B:

Yemen
Vietnam
Turkmenistan
Myanmar
Lebanon
Malaysia


Which countries would gain from a 2010 FIFA World Cup performance based seeding?

Korea DPR would be among the top seeds, receiving a bye to the first group stage.
United Arab Emirates and Jordan would avoid playing in the last knock-out round before the first group stage.
Turkmenistan and Lebanon would be seeded in the last knock-out round before the first group stage.
Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Maldives would be in the first pot for the first knock-out round.

Which countries would gain from a FIFA Ranking based seeding?

Iran would be among the top seeds, receiving a bye to the first group stage.
China PR and Kuwait would avoid playing in the last knock-out round before the first group stage.
Hong Kong and Indonesia would be seeded in the last knock-out round before the first group stage.
Malaysia, Vietnam and Myanmar would be in the first pot for the first knock-out round.

About me:

Christian, husband, father x 3, programmer, Romanian. Started the blog in March 2007. Quit in April 2018. You can find me on LinkedIn.

10 comments:

  1. it's true that was clearly stated this art.17, in the wc2010 rules, but in the past FIFA has left each confederation free to determine seedings and formats of each continental qualifying competition.
    Uefa in the past used its coefficients, but before the wc2010campaign, due to the fact that the old coefficient method gave a ranking that did not reflect the real values, it used FIFA ranking and meanwhile produced a new coefficient ranking method.
    We don't know the wc2014 rules yet, but I think there is the possibility that UEFA (as AFC) can return to use his own ranking method..

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am pretty sure the new UEFA coefficient is only used for seeding during the EURO qualification and final tournament.

    ReplyDelete
  3. what about 2014 fifa world cup seeding for caf ???

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi hussein!

    I will try to post it today.

    ReplyDelete
  5. A bit premature maybe as FIFA might want to include a team from OFC in an earlier stage of the AFC qualification, that was a discussion point before 2010.

    I would prefer a first group stage with 24 teams, 17 of them directly qualified. Seven remaining places would be decided in a two leg pre qualification with up to 28 teams. That would give six groups with four teams. Top two teams to the next round. These 12 teams can be divided in three groups with four teams, all group winners qualify. The three runner-ups will go a new group stage with the winner from OFC, the two top teams in this group qualify.

    ReplyDelete
  6. What about India, will it be easy for india to get to knock out stages or even to make it to world cup, im bit confused.

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  7. @Danny

    It will be very hard for India to get to the World Cup. As you can see they will be unseeded in the first round and I'm not too optimistic about their chances should they meet Iran, Uzbekistan, China or Iraq. Even if they do get to the group stage, they will be in the last pot.

    Who knows, maybe AFC will use the FIFA rankings after all...

    ReplyDelete
  8. AFC, please used the Fifa ranking! I beg U...haha..
    It's enough for Malaysia to face Bahrain or Saudi In the 1st round. We want to meet countries like Laos, Mongolia or GUAM in the 1st round.

    ReplyDelete
  9. @Ikhwan Gold Trading

    It seems AFC won't use the FIFA Ranking, but Malaysia will avoid the big guns in the first round.

    2014 FIFA World Cup: Asian draw in April?

    ReplyDelete