East Asia powerhouses China and South Korea have been drawn into Group C along with Kyrgyzstan and the Philippines in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, which will be held in the United Arab Emirates in January.
The draw, which was held on May 4 at the Armani Hotel in Dubai also saw four-time champions Japan leading group F that includes Uzbekistan, Oman, and Turkmenistan.
Defending champions Australia have been drawn into Group B, which include Syria, Palestine, and Jordan. The Socceroos have previously defeated Syria at the fourth round of the 2018 World Cup qualification.
Host UAE will kick-off the tournament against Bahrain on January 5 in group A, before going to battle with Thailand and India.
Iran heads group D cast of Iraq, Vietnam, and Yemen, while Saudi Arabia joins Qatar, Lebanon, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in group E.
After the group stage, the top two teams in each group and the four best third teams will advance to the round of 16.
The 2019 AFC Asian Cup will run from January 5 to February 1 with matches played in eight stadiums in four major cities, including Abu Dabhi and Dubai.
