AFC Asian Cup | India placed in pot 4 along with Hong Kong, China
(AFP)
India has been assigned to Pot 4 for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 final draw, along with Tajikistan, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, and Indonesia. The top 24 teams in Asia will find out in just three days about the groups in AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023.
A final cast of 24 teams remains after a tight and captivating qualification round that lasted three years and ended in June 2022. In line with the most recent FIFA Ranking, the teams will be split into four Pots of six each. The teams will then be divided into six groups of four teams each, ranging from Groups A to F.
The hosts have been given the top spot in Pot 1 to guarantee that Qatar starts the tournament with the first game.
Japan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Korea Republic, Australia, and Saudi Arabia are the other teams in Pot 1. Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Uzbekistan, China People's Republic, and Jordan are included in Pot 2, whereas Bahrain, Syria, Palestine, Vietnam, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Lebanon are included in Pot 3.
Shervoni Mabatshoev's game-winning goal versus Singapore on June 11, 2022, in the third round of Qualifiers, guaranteed Tajikistan's landmark advancement to Asia's crown jewel. Tajikistan will make history by becoming the 36th nation to play in the AFC Asian Cup for the first time when they hit the field in Qatar.
The Dastai Muntakhabi are the only newcomer at the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, and thanks to their qualification, only two of the competition's editions since its inception in 1956 have not featured at least one debutant, the AFC announced in a release on Monday. The Dastai Muntakhabi previously failed at the same qualifying stage for the 2019 edition.
Indonesia, Hong Kong, China, and Malaysia were the only three of the surviving 23 teams that did not compete in the 2019 championship in the UAE. Since the fourth edition, which took place in 1968, when the Garuda and Harimau Malaya both last participated, Hong Kong, China's involvement is unprecedented.
(With IANS inputs)
