2023 Asian Cup: Hong Kong get kind draw for final qualifying, with India, Afghanistan, and Cambodia in their group
- Jorn Andersen’s side will play three matches in Kolkata in June for a place in the finals in China next year
- Suspension of domestic football because of pandemic remains biggest problem for team
Hong Kong have been given a kind draw for the final qualifying stage of the 2023 Asian Cup, but when manager Jorn Andersen will actually be able to prepare his side for the tournament in June remains uncertain.
Thursday’s draw, which took place at the Asian Football Confederation headquarters in Malaysia, placed Hong Kong against India, Afghanistan and Cambodia in group D.
“Given the current epidemic situation in Hong Kong, it is difficult to be as competitive as we would wish to be when facing our opponents in Asia,” Andersen said. “The draw has placed us in a tight group, which is interesting because there could be many different possibilities.”
The top team from each of the six groups will advance to the finals in China next year, along with the five best runners up. The region’s top 13 teams have already booked their spots at the tournament through 2022 World Cup qualification.