The Socceroos will uncover their path to Asian Cup glory on tonight at 9pm AEST when the draw for subsequent 12 months’s event takes place.
The event had been set to run in China in June-July this 12 months, however Covid-19 compelled the Asian Football Confederation to maneuver the competitors to Qatar – and subsequently reschedule the competitors to January-February 2024 as a consequence of temperatures.
Follow the draw from 9pm AEST in our LIVE BLOG under!
The draw can be held in Katara Opera House in Doha, with Socceroos head coach Graham Arnold set to attend.
A number of legendary Asian footballers will conduct the draw, the place the 24 groups can be cut up into six teams of 4 groups.
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The draw takes place by a comparatively simple course of. The groups have been cut up into 4 Pots based mostly on their FIFA world rankings.
Australia is presently ranked twenty ninth on the planet, the fourth-highest rating amongst Asian groups, and subsequently has been positioned in Pot 1.
Each group will comprise of 1 workforce from every pot.
Australia will subsequently play one workforce from Pot 2 (world rankings from No. 67 Iran to No. 84 Jordan, one from Pot 3 (rankings from No. 85 Bahrain to No. 99 Lebanon), and one workforce from Pot 4 (rankings from No. 101 India to No. 149 Indonesia).
Qatar, as hosts, have been positioned in Pot 1 and can be routinely assigned to Group A – which means they may play the opening sport of the event on January 12.
Australia famously received the 2015 event on dwelling soil, however fell flat as defending champions in 2019 regardless of being second highest ranked among the many rivals.
The Socceroos struggled within the group phases that event, shedding to Jordan earlier than needing a stoppage-time objective from Tom Rogic to safe automated qualification to the knockout phases.
Australia solely progressed previous Uzbekistan within the Round of 16 on penalties after the sport was scoreless after each common and added time, earlier than shedding 1-0 to United Arab Emirates within the quarterfinals.
This time round, the Aussies are once more among the many favourites, significantly on the again of their spectacular success on the 2022 World Cup. Returning to the location of that best-ever World Cup displaying, newly re-signed coach Graham Arnold can be hopeful of following within the footsteps of Ange Postecoglou by guiding the Socceroos to continental silverware.
Follow the draw from 9pm AEST in our LIVE BLOG under!
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POT 1
Qatar (61) (hosts)
Japan (20)
Iran (24)
South Korea (27)
Australia (29)
Saudi Arabia (54)
POT 2
Iraq (67)
United Arab Emirates (72)
Oman (73)
Uzbekistan (74)
China (81)
Jordan (84)
POT 3
Bahrain (85)
Syria (90)
Palestine (93)
Vietnam (95)
Kyrgyzstan (96)
Lebanon (99)
POT 4
India (101)
Tajikistan (109)
Thailand (114)
Malaysia (138)
Hong Kong (147)
Indonesia (149)
THE TOURNAMENT
AFC president Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa mentioned the profitable internet hosting of the 2022 World Cup by Qatar proves this Asian Cup can be: “a real spectacle by no means earlier than skilled in Asian soccer historical past.”
“We have each religion that they may showcase their unrivalled internet hosting capabilities, state-of-the-art infrastructure and heat hospitality,” he added in a press release final week.
Six of the eight stadiums for the event hosted World Cup matches final 12 months – Only the 80,000-seat Lusail, which hosted the World Cup remaining, and the non permanent Stadium 974 comprised partially of delivery containers, won’t be in use. Two smaller stadiums in Doha change these two World Cup arenas.
The prime two groups from the six teams proceed to the knockout phases, whereas the 4 greatest third-placed groups additionally attain the knockouts. The remaining takes place on February 10.
LIVE BLOG
Follow the draw from 9pm AEST in our LIVE BLOG under!
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