Hello and welcome to Sportstar's live blog of the draw for the second round of qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar and the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.
And that brings us to the end of the draw ceremony. Here's the complete group-wise split up -
Group A : China, Syria, Philippines, Maldives, Guam.
Group B : Australia, Jordan, Chinese Tapei, Kuati and Nepal.
Group C : Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, Hong Kong, Cambodia
Group D : Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Palestine, Yemen, Singapore
Group E : Bangladesh, Oman, India, Afghanistan, Qatar
Group F : Japan, Kyrgyz Republic , Tajikistan, Myanmar, Mongolia
Group E : UAE, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia
Group F : South Korea, Lebanon, DPR Korea, Turkmenistan, Sri Lanka
- Here's how teams from Pot 1 have been split - China to Group A, Australia to Group B, Iran to Group C, Saudi Arabia to Group D, Qatar Group E, Japan to Group F, UAE to Group G and South Korea to Group H.
- Here's how teams from Pot 2 have been split - Syria goes to Group A (2), Jordan to Group B (2), Iraq to Group C (2), Uzbekistan to Group D (2), Oman to Group E (2), Kyrgyz Republic to Group F (2), Vietnam to Group G (2), Lebanon to Group F (2).
- Here's how teams from Pot 3 have been split - Philippines goes to Group A (3), Chinese Taipei heads to Group B (3), Bahrain to Group C (3), Palestine to Group D (4), India to Group E (3), Tajikistan to Group F (3), Thailand to Group G (3), DPR Korea to Group F (3).
- Teams from Pot 4 are up next and here's how they've been split - Maldives to Group A (4), Kuwait to Group B (4), Hong Kong to Group C (4), Yemen to Group D (4), Afghanistan to Group E (4), Myanmar to Group F (4), Malaysia to Group G (4), Turkmenistan Group F (5).
- Teams from Pot 5 are up first and this is how they've been split - Guam goes to Group A (5), Nepal to Group B (5), Cambodia to Group C (5), Singapore to Group D (5), Bangladesh to Group E (5), Mongolia to Group F (5), Indonesia to Group G (5) and Sri Lanka to Group H (5).
2:45pm: The 40 teams will be placed in eight groups of five teams each. The teams will play each other in a double round-robin format between September 5 and June 9, 2020.
2:42pm: Legend in the house! Iconic Australian footballer Tim Cahill will help with the draw ceremony. Cahill is a particularly familiar face in India. Why? The Socceroos star was in fact part of Jamshedpur FC in the Indian Super League last season and even went on to score one of his trademark headers!
2:40pm: So where are the teams placed, you ask? The 40 teams have been divided into five pots of eight teams each.
Pot 1: IR Iran, Japan, Korea Republic, Australia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, China PR
Pot 2: Iraq, Uzbekistan, Syria, Oman, Lebanon, Kyrgyz Republic, Vietnam, Jordan
Pot 3: Palestine, India, Bahrain, Thailand, Tajikistan, Korea DPR, 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
2:37pm: FIFA's director of competition, Christian Unger, will be the moderator for today's draw ceremony.
2:35pm: Did you know? Mongolia has qualified for the second round for the first time in its history! Similarly, Sri Lanka, which last competed in the second round in 2004 as well as Indonesia and Nepal, are making a return after nearly eight years.
2:33pm: AFC General Secretary Dato’ Windsor John is now addressing the media. "Today's second round qualifying draw marks an exciting journey for the Asian teams," he says. He goes on to congratulate Indonesia, Mongolia, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
2:30pm: Right then, we're just about to get things underway. First up, we have a highlight package of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. What a win that was for France, eh?
The draw, which is being held at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, begins at 2:30pm IST .
The 40 Asian countries have been split into five pots and will subsequently be drawn into eight groups of five teams each. The games will be held in a double round-robin format between September 5 and June 9, 2020. India is placed in Pot 3 alongside Palestine, Bahrain, Thailand, Tajikistan, Korea DPR, Chinese Taipei and Philippines.
A total of 12 teams, the eight group winners and the four best runners-up, will then advance to the final round of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup and the 2023 Asian Cup to be held in China PR.
The four best teams in the final qualifying round will secure a spot at the World Cup and a fifth team will go to the intercontinental play‑offs.
In the last edition of the Asian Qualifiers, India and Yemen progressed from the first round to the Asian Cup held in UAE earlier this year. Hoping to emulate their success in this edition is Mongolia, which qualified for the second round for the first time in its history. Likewise, Sri Lanka, which last competed in the second round in 2004 as well as Indonesia and Nepal, who return after nearly eight years, will also be eyeing a similar inspiring run against some of Asia’s powerhouses.
AFC General Secretary Dato’ Windsor John said: “The last edition of the qualifying tournament was a resounding success in closing the gap between our Inspiring, Developing and Aspiring nations and also in raising the standards of Asian football.
“The Asian Qualifiers are more inclusive and present our teams with even more opportunities to experience top-level competition than ever before.
“Not only did Asia’s top five teams create history at the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 with our best-ever performance in the group stage but the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 also showcased the incredible progress of our emerging nations as fan engagement on digital media and on television surpassed all expectations.
“The focus of world football for the next few years is clearly on Asia and I am confident that our teams will again produce a thrilling and memorable campaign,” he said.
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