▁rights ▁of ▁the ▁tournament , ▁the ▁M ald ives ' ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Youth ▁and ▁Sports ▁stated ▁that ▁the ▁listed ▁ven ues ▁below ▁would ▁be ▁used ▁but ▁renov ations ▁would ▁be ▁required . ▁Ren ov ations ▁then ▁started ▁in ▁mid - J anu ary ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁and ▁was ▁expected ▁to ▁be ▁completed ▁within ▁ 9 0 ▁days . ▁In ▁a ▁function ▁on ▁ 1 2 ▁May , ▁the ▁National ▁Stadium ▁was ▁handed ▁over ▁to ▁the ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Youth ▁and ▁Sports ▁and ▁opened ▁by ▁President ▁Abd ulla ▁Y ame en . ▁The ▁stad ium ▁was ▁also ▁re - brand ed ▁as ▁the ▁' National ▁Football ▁Stadium '. ▁Another ▁function ▁six ▁days ▁later ▁at ▁the ▁second ▁ven ue , ▁originally ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁H ith ad ho o ▁Zone ▁Stadium , ▁was ▁handed ▁over ▁and ▁inaugur ated ▁by ▁former ▁President ▁Ma um oon ▁Abd ul ▁Gay oom . ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁re - brand ed ▁as ▁the ▁' Ad du ▁Foot bal ▁Stadium '. ▁ ▁Qual ification ▁ ▁The ▁qual ification ▁draw ▁was ▁held ▁on ▁ 1 1 ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁in ▁A FC ▁House ▁in ▁K ual a ▁L ump ur , ▁Malays ia . ▁The ▁twenty ▁teams ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁qual ification ▁draw ▁were ▁drawn ▁into ▁five ▁groups ▁of ▁four ▁teams . ▁The ▁five ▁group ▁w inners ▁plus ▁the ▁two ▁best ▁second - pla ced ▁teams ▁qualified ▁for ▁the ▁final s . ▁ ▁North ▁Korea , ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁and ▁ 2 0 1 2