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The 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification Round 2 draw was held for the AFC nations in Kuala Lumpur and India were drawn in Group D with Iran and Oman. 40 teams for the second round of Asian World Cup qualifiers were divided into eight groups with five teams per group. India were in Pot 3.
Pot 1: Australia, Japan, South Korea, China, Iraq, Uzbekistan, Iran and United Arab emirates
Pot 2: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Jordan, Syria, Vietnam and Kuwait.
Pot 3: Afghanistan, Palestine, Philippines, Maldives, Tajikistan, Thailand, Lebanon and India.
Pot 4: Timor-Leste, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Indonesia, Turkmenistan, Singapore and Bhutan.
Pot 5: Hong Kong, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Guam, Yemen, Cambodia, Laos and Chinese Taipei
The draw as it happened: AFC World Cup Qualifiers Draw
Groups for Asian World Cup qualifiers
Teams were picked pot-by-pot into each group. Here are the final eight groups.
| GROUP A | GROUP B | GROUP C | GROUP D |
|---|---|---|---|
| UAE | Australia | China | Iran |
| Saudi Arabia | Jordan | Qatar | Oman |
| Palestine | Tajikistan | Maldives | India |
| Timor-Leste | Kyrgyzstan | Bhutan | Turkmenistan |
| Malaysia | Bangladesh | Hong Kong | Guam |
| GROUP E | GROUP F | GROUP G | GROUP H |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | Iraq | S Korea | Uzbekistan |
| Syria | Vietnam | Kuwait | Bahrain |
| Afghanistan | Thailand | Lebanon | Philippines |
| Singapore | Indonesia | Myanmar | N Korea |
| Cambodia | Chinese Taipei | Laos | Yemen |
Asia Cup champions Australia were drawn in Group B while Japan were drawn in Group E. South Korea went into Group G while Iraq were drawn into Group F.
The eight group winners and the four best second-placed teams will advance to Asia’s final FIFA World Cup qualifying round. These teams will also qualify directly for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. The rounds will take place between June 2015 and March 2016.
AFC Executive Director of Competition Division Shin Mangil said: "This draw means a lot to not only AFC but also FIFA.
“The qualification this time serves as a double qualifier for both the World Cup and AFC Asian Cup. Under the new competition format, every side has an equal chance of meeting another team and playing a fair number of international matches within the frame of FIFA International match calendar.”
India’s fixtures in World Cup Qualifiers - Group D
India (ranked 147 in the FIFA rankings) will play two games each against Iran (40), Oman (97), Turkmenistan (159) and Guam (175) at home and away.
- 11 June - India vs Oman
- 16 June - Guam vs India
- 8 September - India vs Iran
- 8 October - Turkmenistan vs India
- 13 October - India vs Oman
- 12 November - India vs Guam
- 24 March - India vs Iran
- 29 March - India vs Turmenistan
