The 27 teams playing in the AFC U-19 Women’s Championship 2019 Qualifiers identified their qualifying group rivals at the official draw ceremony at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, on Wednesday.
Japan, North Korea and China, which were the top three teams in the 2017 edition, received direct qualification to the 2019 finals, the AFC reported.
Iran is drawn in Group F with host Myanmar as well as Palestine and tournament debutant Laos.
Australia, which missed out on third place in 2017 after a 3-0 loss to China, will face Hong Kong, Afghanistan, Lebanon and newcomers Mongolia in Group A.
Thailand will welcome India, Pakistan, Nepal and Singapore in Group B, while Kyrgyzstan, which will host Group C, have Uzbekistan, the UAE, Guam and Maldives for company.
In Group D, Tajikistan will play hosts to two-time champion South Korea, Bangladesh and Taiwan, runner-up of the inaugural edition in 2002.
Malaysia returns to the championship since last participation in 2006, and is grouped alongside Vietnam, Jordan and Northern Mariana Islands in Group E.
The qualifying campaign will consist two rounds. In the Qualifiers Round 1, the group winners and two best second-placed teams will progress to Round 2, where the top four teams will then advance to the finals.
In the Qualifiers Round 1, the groups with five teams will kick-off their qualifying campaign on October 20-28, while the groups with four teams will play from October 24-28. Round 2 of the Qualifiers will be held next year on April 22-30.
The hosts and dates for the finals will be announced in due course.
Add new comment
Read our comment policy before posting your viewpoints