Thailand get tough qualifying draw
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Thailand's soccer team were left cursing their luck after being drawn in a difficult 2015 Asian Cup qualifiers group along with a Middle East trio led by powerhouses Iran.
With only the top two teams in each of the five groups guaranteed a place in the finals, the Thai team have their work cut out in a section which also include Kuwait and fastimproving Lebanon, who reached the final World Cup qualifying round.
Meanwhile, threetime champions Saudi Arabia and 2007 winners Iraq will face off as the two former continental champions seek to book berths in the finals. Former finalists China as well as Indonesia make up an intriguing Group C alongside 1984, 1988 and 1996 champions Saudi Arabia and Iraq, who claimed a historic win in 2007 after beating the Saudis 10 in the final.
Jordan will meet neighbours Syria as well as Oman and Singapore in Group A, once the qualifying campaign begins in February 2013. Uzbekistan, who reached the semifinals in 2011, will face the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam and Hong Kong in Group E, while Group D contains 2011 hosts Qatar, Bahrain, Yemen and Malaysia.
Defending champions Japan, hosts Australia and South Korea have all qualified automatically for the finals.
North Korea, winners of the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup and champions in the 2014 edition, will also feature at the finals.
“The preliminary draw has thrown up some great contests, and we are sure to see some exciting matches over the next 18 months,” said AFC acting president Zhang Jilong.
“We’re thrilled that AFC’s newest member, Australia, will be hosting Asia’s flagship national team competition for the first time.”
The AFC Asian Cup will be held in January 2015 with matches played in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane while the qualifying tournament will begin in February 2013 and run through to March the following year.
“This will be the largest football competition ever staged in our country,” said Frank Lowy, Football Federation Australia chairman.
“It will be a feast of international football, and we’re confident that Australians will get behind all 16 teams, as we have shown for other major events.”
Preliminary draw
Group A – Jordan, Syria, Oman, Singapore
Group B – Iran, Kuwait, Thailand, Lebanon
Group C – Iraq, China, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia
Group D – Qatar, Bahrain, Yemen, Malaysia
Group E – Uzbekistan, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Hong Kong.
Qualifiers kick off in February 2013.
