The Indian men’s football team has been drawn in Group D alongside Hong Kong, Afghanistan and Cambodia for the third round of the AFC Asian Cup 2023 Qualifiers, which start from June 8.
India are the highest-ranked team in the group, placed 104th in the latest FIFA Rankings. Hong Kong are 148th, Afghanistan 150th and Cambodia 171st.
The draw was conducted virtually at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Thursday.
The 24 teams have been divided across six groups and will vie for 11 remaining spots at the AFC Asian Cup 2023, which will be held in China next year.
Thirteen countries, including hosts China, have already cemented their slots in next year’s 24-team showpiece.
Each of the groups at the AFC Asian Cup 2023 Qualifiers will be hosted at a centralised venue due to COVID-19. India will host Group D at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK), also known as the Salt Lake Stadium, in Kolkata.
The teams in each group will play each other in a single-legged round-robin format. The top teams from each group and the five best second-placed teams will qualify for the AFC Asian Cup 2023.
The AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers matches will be held across three days on June 8, 11 and 14. India will take on Cambodia on June 8, Afghanistan on June 11 and Hong Kong on June 14.
India had failed to secure an Asian Cup place in the second round of qualifiers after finishing behind reigning Asian champions Qatar and Oman in Group E. The third round will be the final round of the qualifiers.
Groups for AFC Asian Cup 2023 Qualifiers third round
Group A: Jordan, Kuwait, Indonesia, Nepal
Group B: Palestine, Philippines, Yemen, Mongolia
Group C: Uzbekistan, Thailand, Maldives, Sri Lanka
Group D: India, Hong Kong, Afghanistan, Cambodia
Group E: Bahrain, Turkmenistan, Malaysia, Bangladesh
Group F: Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Myanmar, Singapore
