May 5 – Asia’s leading sides learned their Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup UAE 2019 group stage opponents on Friday, when the competition’s official draw was held at the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
In total, 24 teams will compete at the expanded tournament, with host nation the United Arab Emirates set to kick things off in Group A against regional rivals Bahrain at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Sports City Stadium on January 5.
India and Thailand complete the cast in that group, while defending champions Australia find themselves in Group B alongside 2004 and 2011 quarter-finalists Jordan, Palestine, and Syria.
Elsewhere, 2015 finalists Korea Republic are up against two-time runners-up China PR, Kyrgyz Republic and the Philippines in Group C, with Iran drawn in Group D where they will begin their hunt for a fourth continental success against 2007 winners Iraq, Vietnam and Yemen.
In Group E, two-time champions Saudi Arabia were drawn with 2011 hosts Qatar, Lebanon, who will be returning to the competition for only the second time after a 19-year absence, as well as North Korea.
Japan, the competition’s most successful side with four titles to their name, are in Group F and will face Uzbekistan, Oman and Turkmenistan.
The Zayed Sports City Stadium is also scheduled to host the final on February 1, with the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium and Al Nahyan Stadium staging the remaining matches in Abu Dhabi.
Hazza bin Zayed Stadium and the Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium will host the matches in Al Ain and Sharjah Stadium in the Emirate of Sharjah. Al Maktoum Stadium and Al Rashid Stadium are the two venues in Dubai.
The AFC also revealed an increase in prize money to $14.8 million, a new trophy and Molten match ball, as well as the tournament’s official mascots – Mansour and Jarrah.
The UAE event will be the 17th edition of the tournament. Korea Republic claimed the first title in Hong Kong in 1956, while Australia sre the current champions winning on home soil in 2015.
Thw Islamic Republic of Iran and Korea Republic have played more AFC Asian Cup games than any other nation, having each also participated in a record 13 tournaments. Japan’s four continental titles is more than any other country
In terms of personality, Ali Daei holds the record for most goals scored in the AFC Asian Cup, with the Iranian striker’s 14 goals coming between 1996 and 2004, including a record eight in the 1996 edition.
He was top scorer the last time the tournament was held in the UAE in 1996, and was on-hand for the draw in Dubai, alongside former China PR and Manchester City star Sun Jihai, current stars India’s Sunil Chettri and Philip Younghusband from the Philippines, and AFC General Secretary, Dato’ Windsor John who conducted the draw.
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