Soccer Asian Cup 2023 / Qualification

The qualification for the AFC Asian Cup 2023 will take place since June 6 of 2019. 46 of the 47 member associations of the AFC take part. Only the Northern Mariana Islands (only an associate member of the AFC and not a FIFA member) do not participate. As usual since 2019 , the final round will be held with 24 teams.

The first two qualifying rounds also serve as the first two rounds of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup . Due to this merger, both the host of the 2022 World Cup, Qatar , and the host of the 2023 Asian Cup, China , will take part in the second round.

mode

As in the last tournament, apart from the host, no other teams are directly qualified. The qualification is expected to take place in four rounds, of which the first two also represent the first two rounds of the qualification for the 2022 World Cup . Due to this merger, both the host of the 2022 World Cup, Qatar , and the host of the 2023 Asian Cup, China , will take part in the qualification.

In the first round in June 2019, the twelve teams with the lowest rankings in the FIFA world rankings from April 4, 2019 competed against each other in a knockout system with a return leg. In the second round, the six winners and the remaining 34 higher ranked teams meet in eight groups of five in a double round robin format . The second round games should be played from September 2019 to June 2020. At the beginning of March 2020, however, the four remaining game days were postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and initially scheduled for October and November 2020 in June 2020. On August 12, 2020, the games were postponed to an unspecified date in 2021 due to the persistence of the pandemic. The eight group winners and the four best runners-up in the group will qualify directly for the finals of the 2023 Asian Cup.

The remaining teams will continue to play for the remaining twelve places in the finals. The rest of the game plan provided for two play-off rounds with two legs in autumn 2020 and another group stage in double round robin format from March 2021 to March 2022. Due to the interruption in the second round, the play-off round is now planned for March and June 2021. The third round is to be played from September 2021 to March 2022.

First round

→ Main article : First round of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup

The draw took place on April 17, 2019 in Kuala Lumpur ( Malaysia ). The first round of the first round took place on June 6th and the second leg on June 11th, 2019.

	total		First leg	Return leg
Mongolia	3: 2	Brunei	2: 0 (1: 0)	1: 2 (0: 2)
Macau	1: 3	Sri Lanka	1: 0 (0: 0)	0: 3
Laos	0: 1	Bangladesh	0: 1 (0: 0)	0-0
Malaysia	12: 20	East Timor	7: 1 (4: 0)	5: 1 (3: 0)
Cambodia	4: 1	Pakistan	2: 0 (0: 0)	2: 1 (0: 1)
Bhutan	1: 5	Guam	1: 0 (1: 0)	0: 5 (0: 2)

Second round

→ Main article : Second round of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup

The group draw took place on July 17, 2019 in Kuala Lumpur ( Malaysia ).

Grouping

Group A	Group B	Group C	Group D
China	Australia	Iran	Saudi Arabia
Syria	Jordan	Iraq	Uzbekistan
Philippines	Chinese Taipei	Bahrain	Palestine
Maldives	Kuwait	Hong Kong	Yemen
Guam	Nepal	Cambodia	Singapore
Group E	Group F.	Group G	Group H.
Bangladesh	Japan	Ver. Arab. Emirates	South Korea
Oman	Kyrgyzstan	Vietnam	Lebanon
India	Tajikistan	Thailand	North Korea
Afghanistan	Myanmar	Malaysia	Turkmenistan
Qatar	Mongolia	Indonesia	Sri Lanka

Group A Pl. country Sp. S. U N Gates Diff. Points  1.  Syria  5  5  0  0 014: 400 +10 15th  2.  China  4th  2  1  1 013: 200 +11 07th  3.  Philippines  5  2  1  2 008: 800  ± 0 07th  4th  Maldives  5  2  0  3 006:100  −4 06th  5.  Guam  5  0  0  5 002:190 −17 00 As of November 19, 2019

Group B Pl. country Sp. S. U N Gates Diff. Points  1.  Australia  4th  4th  0  0 016: 100 +15 12  2.  Kuwait  5  3  1  1 017: 300 +14 10  3.  Jordan  5  3  1  1 010: 200  +8 10  4th  Nepal  5  1  0  4th 002:160 −14 03  5.  Chinese Taipei  5  0  0  5 002:250 −23 00 As of November 19, 2019

Group C Pl. country Sp. S. U N Gates Diff. Points  1.  Iraq  5  3  2  0 009: 200  +7 11  2.  Bahrain  5  2  3  0 003: 100  +2 09  3.  Iran  4th  2  0  2 017: 300 +14 06th  4th  Hong Kong  5  1  2  2 003: 500  −2 05  5.  Cambodia  5  0  1  4th 001:220 −21 01 As of November 19, 2019

Group D Pl. country Sp. S. U N Gates Diff. Points  1.  Uzbekistan  5  3  0  2 012: 600  +6 09  2.  Saudi Arabia  4th  2  2  0 008: 400  +4 08th  3.  Singapore  5  2  1  2 007:100  −3 07th  4th  Yemen  5  1  2  2 006:110  −5 05  5.  Palestine  5  1  1  3 003: 500  −2 04th As of November 19, 2019

Group E Pl. country Sp. S. U N Gates Diff. Points  1.  Qatar  5  4th  1  0 011: 100 +10 13  2.  Oman  5  4th  0  1 011: 400  +7 12  3.  Afghanistan  5  1  1  3 002:110  −9 04th  4th  India  5  0  3  2 003: 500  −2 03  5.  Bangladesh  4th  0  1  3 002: 800  −6 01 As of November 19, 2019

Group F. Pl. country Sp. S. U N Gates Diff. Points  1.  Japan  4th  4th  0  0 013: 000 +13 12  2.  Kyrgyzstan  5  2  1  2 010: 500  +5 07th  3.  Tajikistan  5  2  1  2 006: 800  −2 07th  4th  Myanmar  5  2  0  3 005:130  −8 06th  5.  Mongolia  5  1  0  4th 002:100  −8 03 As of November 19, 2019

Group G Pl. country Sp. S. U N Gates Diff. Points  1.  Vietnam  5  3  2  0 005: 100  +4 11  2.  Malaysia  5  3  0  2 008: 600  +2 09  3.  Thailand  5  2  2  1 006: 300  +3 08th  4th  Ver. Arab. Emirates  4th  2  0  2 008: 400  +4 06th  5.  Indonesia  5  0  0  5 003:160 −13 00 As of November 19, 2019

Group H. Pl. country Sp. S. U N Gates Diff. Points  1.  Turkmenistan  5  3  0  2 008: 500  +3 09  2.  South Korea  4th  2  2  0 010-000 +10 08th  3.  Lebanon  5  2  2  1 005: 300  +2 08th  4th  North Korea  5  2  2  1 004: 300  +1 08th  5.  Sri Lanka  5  0  0  5 000:160 −16 00 As of November 19, 2019

Table of runners-up

Pl.	country	Sp.	S.	U	N	Gates	Diff.	Points	group
1.	Oman	5	4th	0	1	011: 400	+7	12	E.
2.	Kuwait	5	3	1	1	017: 300	+14	10	B.
3.	Malaysia	5	3	0	2	008: 600	+2	09	G
4th	Bahrain	5	2	3	0	003: 100	+2	09	C.
5.	South Korea	4th	2	2	0	010-000	+10	08th	H
6th	Saudi Arabia	4th	2	2	0	008: 400	+4	08th	D.
7th	China	4th	2	1	1	013: 200	+11	07th	A.
8th.	Kyrgyzstan	5	2	1	2	010: 500	+5	07th	F.
As of November 19, 2019

Table of fourth group

Pl.	country	Sp.	S.	U	N	Gates	Diff.	Points	group
1.	North Korea	5	2	2	1	004: 300	+1	08th	H
2.	Ver. Arab. Emirates	4th	2	0	2	008: 400	+4	06th	G
3.	Maldives	5	2	0	3	006:100	−4	06th	A.
4th	Myanmar	5	2	0	3	005:130	−8	06th	F.
5.	Hong Kong	5	1	2	2	003: 500	−2	05	C.
6th	Yemen	5	1	2	2	006:110	−5	05	D.
7th	India	5	0	3	2	003: 500	−2	03	E.
8th.	Nepal	5	1	0	4th	002:160	−14	03	B.
As of November 19, 2019

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Road to Qatar 2022: Asian teams set to discover opponents . In: The-AFC.com . April 16, 2019. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
2. ↑ ^{a b c d} Groups finalized for Qatar 2022 & China 2023 race . In: The-AFC.com . July 17, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
3. ↑ Update on upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers . In: The-AFC.com . March 9, 2020. Accessed June 6, 2020.
4. ↑ ^{a b} AFC announces proposed dates for upcoming Asian Qualifiers . In: The-AFC.com . June 5, 2020. Accessed June 6, 2020.
5. ↑ Because of Corona: No World Cup qualifiers in Asia this year. In: kurier.at. August 12, 2020, accessed August 12, 2020 . 
6. ↑ See the dates in the AFC calendars for 2020 , 2021 and 2022
7. ↑ Road to Qatar 2022: Asian teams discover Round 1 opponents . In: The-AFC.com . April 17, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2019.