AFC Asian Cup 2027: Japan land defending champions Qatar in tough draw

Saudi Arabia volition big the 2027 tourney from January 7 to February 5 and volition look Palestine, Kuwait and Oman.

Four-time winners Japan person been grouped with defending champions Qatar astatine the Asian Cup 2027 shot tournament.

Saudi Arabia volition big the 24-team tourney for the archetypal clip from January 7 to February 5.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) volition beryllium hoping the contention volition beryllium held without immoderate further complications aft the gully was delayed owed to the US-Israel warfare connected Iran.

The gully was primitively acceptable for April 11 but was postponed to May 9. The last tract is inactive incomplete due to the fact that the Lebanon-Yemen lucifer was not played arsenic scheduled connected March 31 and has been postponed to June.

As good arsenic Qatar, champions successful 2019 and 2023, Japan volition instrumentality connected Indonesia and Thailand successful Group F.

“Japan is 1 of the leaders successful Asian football, always,” Qatar manager Julen Lopetegui said. “They person prime players, and we person to judge successful ourselves.”

Saudi Arabia, which volition besides signifier the FIFA World Cup 2034, volition look Kuwait, Oman and Palestine successful an all-West Asia radical arsenic they question to triumph the rubric for the archetypal clip since 1996.

“When we scope the Asian Cup successful our country, we volition beryllium acceptable to scope the last and to triumph the title,” said Giorgios Donis, who was appointed successful April, replacing Herve Renard arsenic Saudi Arabia coach.

Uzbekistan and Jordan are preparing for their archetypal World Cup appearances successful June, and were drawn successful Asian Cup Group B on with North Korea and Bahrain.

Iran volition look Syria and China.

In Group D, Australia were drawn with erstwhile champions Iraq, led by erstwhile Socceroos manager Graham Arnold, arsenic good arsenic Tajikistan and Singapore, who person qualified for the tourney for the archetypal clip since 1984.

South Korea person not won the tourney since 1960 and volition conscionable the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam and the winners of the Lebanon-Yemen match.

The apical 2 from each of the six groups of 4 volition advancement to the circular of 16 on with the 4 champion third-placed teams.