AFC Asian Cup 2027: Japan to face defending champions Qatar in tough draw

Four-time winners Japan have been grouped with defending champions Qatar at the Asian Cup 2027 football tournament.

Saudi Arabia will host the 24-team tournament for the first time from January 7 to February 5.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will be hoping the competition will be held without any further complications after the draw was delayed due to the US-Israel war on Iran.

The draw was originally set for April 11 but was postponed to May 9. The final field is still incomplete because the Lebanon-Yemen match was not played as scheduled on March 31 and has been postponed to June.

As well as Qatar, champions in 2019 and 2023, Japan will take on Indonesia and Thailand in Group F.

“Japan is one of the leaders in Asian football, always,” Qatar coach Julen Lopetegui said. “They have quality players, and we have to believe in ourselves.”

Saudi Arabia, which will also stage the FIFA World Cup 2034, will face Kuwait, Oman and Palestine in an all-West Asia group as they seek to win the title for the first time since 1996.

“When we reach the Asian Cup in our country, we will be ready to reach the final and to win the title,” said Giorgios Donis, who was appointed in April, replacing Herve Renard as Saudi Arabia coach.

Uzbekistan and Jordan are preparing for their first World Cup appearances in June, and were drawn in Asian Cup Group B along with North Korea and Bahrain.

Iran will face Syria and China.

In Group D, Australia were drawn with former champions Iraq, led by former Socceroos coach Graham Arnold, as well as Tajikistan and Singapore, who have qualified for the tournament for the first time since 1984.

South Korea have not won the tournament since 1960 and will meet the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam and the winners of the Lebanon-Yemen match.

The top two from each of the six groups of four will progress to the round of 16 along with the four best third-placed teams.