The draw puts the "white" in the group of Iran, Hong Kong and Palestine

«Strong chances» for the team in the first round of the «Asian Cup»

  • The national team is required to participate honorably in the Asian Cup "Qatar 2023". From the source

  • The results of the draw for the Asian Cup «Qatar 2023». From the source

  • Abdul Majeed Al-Nimr: «Everything is available to the team, but it needs the right planning, and not to underestimate any team».

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Yesterday, at Katara Opera House in Doha, the draw for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, which Qatar will host from January 12 to February 10, with the participation of 24 teams, was drawn, as the national team was drawn in Group C, which includes Iran, Hong Kong and Palestine.

The draw divided the teams into four levels, according to the latest FIFA classification, the first included Qatar, Japan, Iran, South Korea, Australia and Saudi Arabia, while the second level brought together: UAE, Iraq, Oman, Uzbekistan, China, and Jordan, and the third included: Bahrain, Syria, Palestine, Vietnam, Kyrgyzstan and Lebanon, and the fourth level: India, Tajikistan, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China and Indonesia.

The draw resulted in six groups, each containing four teams, with the first and second place winners qualifying for the round of 16, along with the four best third-placed teams.

For his part, the national coach Abdul Majeed Al-Nimr, told «Emirates Today»: «Compared to the teams of this group, it is assumed that the team's chances are strong in the competition, but it needs to be well prepared from all aspects, especially since the team is not currently going through a good period in its career, which is witnessing a frightening decline».

Al-Nimr stressed the importance of «reconsidering many things related to the team, so that it can restore its previous image, especially since the potential exists and everything is available, but it needs the right planning and good handling of things and not to underestimate any of the teams of this group».

According to the draw, the first group included Qatar, China, Tajikistan and Lebanon, while the second group included Australia, Uzbekistan, India and Syria, while the fourth group included Japan, Iraq, Indonesia and Vietnam, while the fifth group included South Korea, Jordan, Malaysia and Bahrain, and the sixth group included: Saudi Arabia, Oman, Thailand and Kyrgyzstan.

Al-Nimr continued: «The previous period did not witness stability in the team, whether at the level of the technical staff or players, and the process of calling up the team must include influential players with their teams».

Al-Nimr stressed the importance of the next stage witnessing the call-up of players ready for the national team without looking at the names, but only for the player who deserves to be with the team.

It is noteworthy that the national team qualified for the finals after topping Group G with 18 points, after winning six games against two losses, scoring 23 goals, and conceding seven goals, in Group G, which included Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.

It is expected that the next phase will witness the Football Association and the National Teams Committee to announce a complete roadmap for the team's preparation program for the upcoming Asian eligibility, based on the Federation's keenness to provide all the requirements that enable the team to prepare well for the Asian Cup finals from all technical, administrative and logistical aspects, in addition to that it is expected that the Football Association will make new changes in the team system, especially in terms of contracting with a new technical staff to succeed the current technical staff, led by Argentine coach Rodolfo Arruabarrena, whose contract with the Football Association expires next July, meets the hopes and aspirations of the UAE sports street to see the team in a new way that enables it to appear honorably, and strong competition in all expected external events, foremost of which is the 2023 Asian Cup.