AIPS ASIA News:

Everything will be on the line for the cast of the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ Qualifiers Final Round when they assemble for kick-off on Tuesday, March 25.

Only the group winners will advance to fill the six remaining berths and join the other 18 teams that have already secured their places at the 19th edition of Asia’s crown jewel, to be hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the first time.
The stakes could not be higher for the 24 teams, which comprise the three best-ranked losing teams from Round 1, three winning teams from the Qualifiers Playoff and the 18 third and fourth-placed teams from Round 2.
 
Nine will target a historic first ever appearance at the showpiece – Afghanistan, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Laos, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste – while eight featured at the previous iteration in Qatar, namely Hong Kong, China, India, Lebanon, Malaysia, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand and Vietnam.
 
The Qualifiers Final Round, which runs through to March 31, 2026, will get underway with the opening matches of Groups D and E.
 
Embarking on their 13th qualification campaign, Chinese Taipei (FIFA Rank: 165) start their quest for a third appearance – and first since 1968 – at home in Group D at 6.30pm. Their visitors at the National Stadium in Kaohsiung City are Turkmenistan (143), who are also seeking a third qualification in their eighth Qualifiers; the Karakum Warriors have won all three previous encounters against the Blue Wings.
 
Having agonisingly missed out on direct qualification from Round 2 due to an inferior head-to-head record, Thailand (97) have to regroup to secure a third consecutive appearance and ninth overall. The War Elephants’ 17th qualification campaign begins in Group D at 7.30pm with the visit of Sri Lanka (200) – contesting their 11th Qualifiers – to the Rajamanagala Stadium in Bangkok.
 
Group E also kickstarts in Southeast Asia between two sides that are both participating in their ninth Qualifiers, with the Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon setting the stage for Myanmar’s (169) clash with Afghanistan (156) at 5pm. The home side have one appearance to their name, dating back to 1968 where they finished as runners-up.
 
The second match of the group will be held in a neutral venue – 9pm at the Prince Abdullah Bin Jalawi Stadium in Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia – where Syria (95) are hunting a third consecutive qualification and eighth overall in their 15th Qualifiers. The Qasioun Eagles, who reached the Knockout Stage for the first time ever in the 2023 edition, face a Pakistan (198) team who are contesting their 14th campaign and have reached this stage for the first time.
 
After a fairytale run to the last eight on their debut in the last edition, Tajikistan (104) will be hungry for an immediate return and the Central Asians start their eighth Qualifiers in Group A at home to Timor-Leste (197), who are taking part for the third time; kick-off is at 4pm at the Republican Central Stadium in Dushanbe.
 
The Philippines’ (150) 12th qualifying campaign has them seeking a return to the big stage after their 2019 debut and they are eyeing a fourth win in six encounters against their first Group A opponents, the Maldives (162), who are in their eighth Qualifiers and will travel to the New Clark City Athletics Stadium in Capas for the 7pm kick-off.
 
Vietnam (114) will undertake their 15th Qualifiers with the mission of securing a third consecutive success and sixth appearance overall as they welcome neighbours Laos (186) at the Binh Duong Stadium in Group F. The visitors, competing in their sixth qualification campaign, face a daunting task in the 7.30pm kick-off – the Golden Star Warriors have never lost any of their 14 previous meetings, winning the last 13 in a row.
 
Similarly, Malaysia (132) can draw confidence from their strong record – six wins from seven encounters – against Nepal (175) ahead of their Group F opener, as they target a sixth appearance. The Harimau Malaya, who are involved in their 19th Qualifiers, have never conceded a goal to their South Asian opponents, themselves taking part in qualification for a 10th occasion, which gets underway at 10pm at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Johor.
 
Bhutan (182) will commence their seventh qualification journey at home as they entertain Yemen (158), who have won all three of their prior meetings. The latter’s sole appearance came in 2019 and an opening victory in their 11th Qualifiers will boost their chances for a second qualification, with this Group B fixture scheduled for 6pm at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu.
 
The second Group B match features Lebanon (112), playing in their 10th Qualifiers and aiming for a fourth appearance, going up against Brunei Darussalam (184) – in their eighth qualifying campaign – at the Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Stadium in Al Wakrah, Qatar, which will serve as the neutral venue for the 9.30pm kick-off.
 
Hosts in 1984, Singapore (160) are bidding for a second appearance and have been placed in Group C. Their 15th qualification campaign ignites with an 8.30pm clash against Hong Kong, China (155) at the National Stadium. The East Asians ended a 55-year absence when they made it to the 2023 edition, which marked their fourth appearance overall; the visitors – involved in a 19th qualification campaign – are unbeaten against the hosts in their last six encounters.

India (126) have never lost at home to regional rivals Bangladesh (185), winning six of their eight meetings and will aim to maintain that streak in their Group B showdown at the JLN Stadium in Shillong at 7pm. The Blue Tigers have previously appeared five times at the Continental showcase, while the Bengal Tigers’ sole participation was in 1980, with this being their 15th and 12th qualification campaigns respectively.

Courtesy AFC