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Jonathan White

The AFC teams found out their opponents in the draw for qualifiers for the Fifa World Cup in Qatar in 2022. The draw came live from Kuala Lumpur with former Socceroo Tim Cahill drawing the teams. 


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Asian Football Confederation (AFC)

World Cup 2022 Asian Qualifying Draw: as it happened

Sport

Football

North and South Korea meet in group H, while Iran and Iraq await Hong Kong in group C


Live

Tim Cahill is the special guest for the AFC draw today with the Socceroos legend not going to feature in qualifying for the first time in a long time. 


The draw is about to commence

The seedings for the draw will be based on the latest FIFA Rankings issued on June 14, 2019 and following the conclusion of the Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1 where Bangladesh, Cambodia, Guam, Malaysia and Mongolia - advanced to Round 2.
 


Asia's top 40 nations await their fate

Pot 1: Iran, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, China
Pot 2: Iraq, Uzbekistan, Syria, Oman, Lebanon, Kyrgyz Republic, Vietnam, Jordan
Pot 3: Palestine, India, Bahrain, Thailand, Tajikistan, North Korea, Chinese Taipei, Philippines
Pot 4: Turkmenistan, Myanmar, Hong Kong, Yemen, Afghanistan, Maldives, Kuwait, Malaysia
Pot 5: Indonesia, Singapore, Nepal, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Guam, Sri Lanka


Pots explained

We start with pot 5 and it is Guam into group A!


We're off

Group A: Guam, Maldives
Group B: Nepal, Kuwait
Group C: Cambodia, Hong Kong
Group D: Singapore
Group E: Bangladesh
Group F: Mongolia
Group G: Indonesia. 
Group H: Sri Lanka


Groups so far

Hong Kong off to Cambodia

Group A: Guam, Maldives
Group B: Nepal, Kuwait
Group C: Cambodia, Hong Kong
Group D: Singapore, Yemen
Group E: Bangladesh, Afghanistan
Group F: Mongolia, Myanmar
Group G: Indonesia, Malaysia 
Group H: Sri Lanka, Turkmenistan


Groups after two pots

Group A: Guam, Maldives, Philippines
Group B: Nepal, Kuwait, Taiwan
Group C: Cambodia, Hong Kong, Bahrain
Group D: Singapore, Yemen, Palestine
Group E: Bangladesh, Afghanistan, India
Group F: Mongolia, Myanmar, Tajikistan
Group G: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand 
Group H: Sri Lanka, Turkmenistan, North Korea


Pot three coming out

After playing North Korea in what seems like every competition in living memory, the pair have avoided one another. 


Hong Kong have avoided North Korea

Group A: Guam, Maldives, Philippines, Syria
Group B: Nepal, Kuwait, Taiwan, Jordan
Group C: Cambodia, Hong Kong, Bahrain, Iraq
Group D: Singapore, Yemen, Palestine, Uzbekistan
Group E: Bangladesh, Afghanistan, India, Oman
Group F: Mongolia, Myanmar, Tajikistan, Kyrgyz Republic
Group G: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam 
Group H: Sri Lanka, Turkmenistan, North Korea, Libya


Pot 2 being drawn

The folks at AFC House are happy with the former Everton man. No comment from the 40,000 watching on YouTube.


Tim Cahill is going down a storm

China come out of the bag first and are in Group A. Bad news for Hong Kong is the best team in Asia, Iran, have been drawn in Group C. 


Hong Kong and China kept apart

Group A: Guam, Maldives, Philippines, Syria, China
Group B: Nepal, Kuwait, Taiwan, Jordan, Australia
Group C: Cambodia, Hong Kong, Bahrain, Iraq, Iran
Group D: Singapore, Yemen, Palestine, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia
Group E: Bangladesh, Afghanistan, India, Oman, Qatar
Group F: Mongolia, Myanmar, Tajikistan, Kyrgyz Republic, Japan
Group G: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, UAE 
Group H: Sri Lanka, Turkmenistan, North Korea, Lebanon, South Korea


Final groups

"Difficult group. Jordan very tough opponents. Kuwait, Nepal are unknown. It's not going to be easy but these things never are," Cahill says of Australia's group where they also face Taiwan. 


Tim Cahill speaks on the Socceroos

And just like that it is over until the games begin on September 5. 


That concludes the draw

Stick with us for the reaction to follow from Kuala Lumpur and some of the teams involved. 


Rection to follow

Group G is a feast for fans of Southeast Asian football with Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand in there. Group C sees Iran and Iraq together while there is another derby between the Korean sides in group H. Exciting stuff ahead. 


Hot take

World Cup 2022 Asian Qualifying Draw: as it happened

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}North and South Korea meet in group H, while Iran and Iraq await Hong Kong in group C

North and South Korea meet in group H, while Iran and Iraq await Hong Kong in group C