This year’s AFC U-16 Championship qualifiers mark the 18th edition of the tournament, which also acts as the AFC qualifiers for the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
The four teams that emerge on top will qualify for the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup as AFC representatives.
The draw placed 2014 quarter-finalists Malaysia in Group J where they will face opponents like Singapore, Guam, and two-time champions (1994, 2006) Japan. Malaysia will act as the hosts for this group.
In Group F, Southeast Asian representative Brunei are in the mix with Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau and 2016 semi-finalists DPR Korea.
Four Southeast Asian teams, namely Thailand, Laos, Timor-Leste and Indonesia, are grouped together in Group G. All matches for Group G are played in Thailand.
2016 quarter-finalists Vietnam and Cambodia are pitted together with two-time semi-finalists Australia and Mongolia in Group I. Mongolia are also the hosts for this group.
The winner from each group, along with five best second-placed teams will advance to the next stage of the tournament.
The 2018 AFC U-16 Championship qualifiers will take place between 16 September and 24 September 2017.