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At the official draw held at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, the India men's team were placed alongside United Arab Emirates, Maldives and China PR in Group G of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024 Qualifiers on Thursday, May 25.
The draw saw 43 teams divided into 10 groups of four and one group of three. Each group will be played at a centralised venue in a single round-robin format, with the 11 group winners and four best second-placed teams qualifying for the AFC U-23 Asian Cup. The Group G of the qualifiers will be hosted by China between September 6 to 12.
The qualified sides will join Qatar, who have received automatic qualification as hosts, to form the final lineup of 16 at the tournament, to be played between April 15 to May 3 next year.
Furthermore, the competition holds an even greater significance as it serves as a qualifier for the Men's Olympic Football Tournament Paris 2024. As the AFC representatives, the top three teams from the Asian Cup will secure direct qualification for the Olympic Games. Additionally, the fourth-best team will have a chance to prove their mettle in the AFC-CAF Play-off.
This edition of the AFC U23 Asian Cup marks India's maiden attempt to secure a spot in the highly-anticipated continental tournament.
AFC U23 Asian Cup 2024 Qualifiers Draw Full Result
Group A: Jordan (H), Syria, Oman, Brunei Darussalam
Group B: Korea Republic (H), Myanmar, Krygyz Republic, Qatar
Group C: Vietnam (H), Singapore, Yemen, Guam
Group D: Japan, Bahrain (H), Palestine, Pakistan
Group E: Uzbekistan (H), IR Iran, Hong Kong, Afghanistan
Group F: Iraq, Kuwait (H), Timor Leste, Macau
Group G: UAE, India, Maldives, China PR (H)
Group H: Thailand (H), Malaysia, Bangladesh, Philippines
Group I: Australia, Tajikistan (H), Laos, DPR Korea
Group J: Saudi Arabia (H), Cambodia, Lebanon, Mongolia
Group K: Turkmenistan, Indonesia (H), Chinese Taipei
India's fixtures in AFC U23 Asian Cup 2024 Qualifiers
September 6: India vs Maldives
September 9: China PR vs India
September 12: United Arab Emirates vs India
