The Asian Football Confederation has handed Indonesia the right to host the 2007 Asia Cup 'knock-out stage' including the grand final match. "In a bid to make it a success, all of us should work hard. This is to keep their confidence that it's not wrong to entrust Jakarta to host the prestigious football tournament in Asia on July 29, 2007," said Nugraha Besoes, secretary general of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI), as quoted by Antara newsagency. "We have a stadium with the biggest capacity for spectators and the strongest support from the government," he said, adding that the Jakarta "Bung Karno" stadium with a capacity for 88,000 spectators will be used for the finals. The tournament, from 7-29 July 2007, will be split into two stages with a round-robin group stage and a knockout stage.
GROUP STAGE
The 'round robin' stage will kick off in the Thai capital, Bangkok, with the Opening Ceremony and Opening Match on 7 July. The 16 finalists - Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam (hosts), Saudi Arabia, Japan, Korea Republic, Iran, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Australia, China PR, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait or Bahrain and Uzbekistan or Hong Kong - will be seeded and divided into four groups of four teams each during the final round draw. Each team plays each of the other teams in the same group according to a league system (three points for a win, one point for a draw, no points for a defeat). The winners and runners-up in each group will advance to the quarter-finals.
KNOCKOUT STAGE
Quarter-finals: The winners of each of the four groups will meet a runner-up from another group in the quarter-finals. All four quarter-finals will take place over one match with the winner progressing to the semi-finals. If the score is tied at the end of the regulation playing time, an extra two periods of 15 minutes each will be played. If the score is still level after extra time, the winners will be determined by kicks from the penalty mark.
Semi-finals: The four winners of the quarter-finals play the semi-finals over one match with the winners progressing to the final. As with the quarter-finals, extra-time and penalties will be utilised in the event of a draw between two sides.
Grand Final: The winners of the semi-finals play in the final in Jakarta, Indonesia, on 29 July to determine the AFC Asian Cup 2007 champions. As with the quarter-finals and semi-finals, extra-time and penalties will be utilised in the event of a draw between the two sides.
GROUP STAGE
The 'round robin' stage will kick off in the Thai capital, Bangkok, with the Opening Ceremony and Opening Match on 7 July. The 16 finalists - Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam (hosts), Saudi Arabia, Japan, Korea Republic, Iran, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Australia, China PR, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait or Bahrain and Uzbekistan or Hong Kong - will be seeded and divided into four groups of four teams each during the final round draw. Each team plays each of the other teams in the same group according to a league system (three points for a win, one point for a draw, no points for a defeat). The winners and runners-up in each group will advance to the quarter-finals.
KNOCKOUT STAGE
Quarter-finals: The winners of each of the four groups will meet a runner-up from another group in the quarter-finals. All four quarter-finals will take place over one match with the winner progressing to the semi-finals. If the score is tied at the end of the regulation playing time, an extra two periods of 15 minutes each will be played. If the score is still level after extra time, the winners will be determined by kicks from the penalty mark.
Semi-finals: The four winners of the quarter-finals play the semi-finals over one match with the winners progressing to the final. As with the quarter-finals, extra-time and penalties will be utilised in the event of a draw between two sides.
Grand Final: The winners of the semi-finals play in the final in Jakarta, Indonesia, on 29 July to determine the AFC Asian Cup 2007 champions. As with the quarter-finals and semi-finals, extra-time and penalties will be utilised in the event of a draw between the two sides.
See also: Stadium refit delays Indonesia's Anniversary Cup (3 July)