Iran to face Lebanon in AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015 qualifiers

TEHRAN,Oct.10(MNA)--Iran has been grouped with Lebanon in the AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015 qualifiers. The preliminary draw for Asia's flagship national team tournament was held here on Tuesday. Iran has been drawn in Group B along with Lebanon, Kuwait and Thailand. The Iranian team lost to Lebanon last month in the 2014 World Cup qualifier in Beirut. A total of twenty teams were divided into five groups of four teams each. The top two teams from each group and the best third-placed team among all the groups will qualify for the tournament proper to be held in Australia in 2015. AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2011 champion Japan, host and runner-up Australia, third-placed Korea Republic, AFC Challenge Cup 2012 winners DPR Korea and the champions of the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup have automatically qualified for the competition. Sydney will host the final, expected to be played on January 31, the same weekend as the Australian Open tennis finals in Melbourne, with Sydney to also host the two semi-finals. Melbourne will host the Asian Cup's opening match, on the weekend of January 8, but missed out on the games at the business end of the tournament, partly to avoid clashing with the tennis grand slam event. The Groupings Group A: Jordan, Syria, Oman, Singapore Group B: Iran, Kuwait, Thailand, Lebanon Group C: Iraq, China, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia Group D: Qatar, Bahrain, Yemen, Malaysia Group E: Uzbekistan, UAE, Vietnam, Hong Kong