Brunei out of AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers - report

A group of four might be down to three.

The Philippines might face just two opponents instead of three in the upcoming AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers, following a report in the Brunei Times that stated, "Due to unavoidable circumstances, Brunei Darussalam is unable to participate [in the tournament]."

[Related: What Brunei's pull-out from the Challenge Cup means for the Philippines]

The Brunei Times article, dated March 20, 2013, said that the country's Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports permanent secretary Dato Paduka Hj Mohd Hamid Hj Mohd Jaafar  confirmed the news to the English-language daily.

Brunei was in fact scheduled to be the Philippines' first opponent on Friday at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

The winners of each group get an automatic ticket to the next round, followed by the top two runners-up of the five groups.

However, because goal difference is one of the criteria used to rank the second-placers, the Philippines and other members of Group E, Turkmenistan and Cambodia, could be at a disadvantage, compared to members of other groups who have three opponents, and thus, more opportunities to run up their differential.

Brunei is currently ranked 186, one below Cambodia. The Philippines figures in at 145, while Turkmenistan, who eliminated the Azkals in the 2012 semifinals of the same tourney, is 140 in FIFA Rankings. - AMD, GMA News