Source:
https://scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2156640/asian-games-2018-redraw-mens-soccer-tournament-after-initial-blunder
Sport/ Football

Asian Games 2018: redraw in men’s soccer tournament after initial blunder

The new draw will take place at the organisation’s headquarters in Malaysia at 3pm local time

Erick Thohir, head of the Indonesian Asian Games 2018 Organising Committee (INASGOC), is overseeing the build-up to the games. Photo: AFP

A fresh draw for the men’s football tournament at this year’s Asian Games will be held on Wednesday after two countries were left out of the first one earlier this month, an Asian Football Confederation (AFC) spokeswoman said.

The new draw will take place at the organisation’s headquarters in Malaysia at 3pm.

The United Arab Emirates and Palestine were left out of the first draw on July 5, despite there being no discrepancies in the entries submitted by the two countries.
A flame received from India is merged with the sacred Javanese Mrapen eternal flame during a ceremony at Prambanan, a ninth-century Hindu temple complex in Central Java to begin the relay of the Asian Games torch. Photo: Kyodo
A flame received from India is merged with the sacred Javanese Mrapen eternal flame during a ceremony at Prambanan, a ninth-century Hindu temple complex in Central Java to begin the relay of the Asian Games torch. Photo: Kyodo

Their inclusion in Wednesday’s draw will raise the number of participating countries to 26. Four groups will have four teams each while two groups will have five teams each.

The participating nations can each field only three players above the age of 23. Group matches in football are scheduled to begin a few days ahead of the official start of the Games, which will run from August 18 to September 2.