Malaysia In Tough Group For 2019 Asian Cup Qualifiers Final Round

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 24 (Bernama) -- A gruelling task awaits Malaysia after it was grouped with higher ranked teams in the 2019 Asian Cup Qualifiers Final Round draw which took place in United Arab Emirates, yesterday. Malaysia, which is ranked 161st by FIFA, has been drawn with Lebanon (148), Hong Kong (140) and North Korea (125). In the round robin matches from March 28, 2017 to March 27, 2018, the top two teams from each four group will advance to the final round. They will join 12 teams who have qualified for the final round via the 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifying Round and the second round of the 2019 Asian Cup Preliminary Joint Qualification. The teams are defending champion Australia, China, Iraq, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Thailand, Uzbekistan and final round hosts, United Arab Emirates (UAE). During the draw ceremony, the official logo of the 2019 Asian Cup Final Round was unveiled where ribbons consisting of black, green, red and white which reflects the UAE flag are bound together to create seven hexagons. Each hexagon symbolising one of the seven states in United Arab Emirates that came together in harmony to form the spirit of the union 45 years ago. Malaysia advanced to the Asian Cup Final Round thrice (1976, 19802007), as co-host with Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam, but bowed at the group stage. The draw moderated by Asian Football Confederation (AFC) executive director (Competitions Division) Shin Man Gil was telecast live on AFC's Youtube channel. Draw Results: -------------- Group A: Kyrgyzstan, India, Myanmar, Macau Group B: North Korea, Hong Kong, Lebanon, MALAYSIA Group C: Jordan, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Cambodia Group D: Oman, Palestine, Maldives, Bhutan Group E: Bahrain, Turkmenistan, Taiwan, Singapore Group F: Philippines, Tajikistan, Yemen, Nepal. --BERNAMA