Asian qualifiers final round draw for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 on Thursday

KUALA LUMPUR: The draw for the final round of the AFC Asian Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will be held on Thursday at the headquarters of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in Kuala Lumpur, with the participation of 12 teams.

The teams participating in the final round will be divided into two groups of six each, Qatar news agency (QNA) reported.

The two teams that ranked first and second in each group will qualify for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, while the third-placed teams will advance to the Asian playoff to determine the side that will advance to the intercontinental playoff.

Based on the special FIFA Ranking released for Asian teams on June 18, Japan and the Iran will take their places in Pot 1, with Pot 2 comprising Australia and Korea Republic while Pot 3 will include Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Pot 4 will contain Iraq and China PR, followed by Oman and Syria in Pot 5 and debutants Vietnam and Lebanon.

QNA also reported that the draw will begin with Pot 6, with the first and second balls drawn from each pot placed in Groups A and B respectively until the sequence is completed all the way through to Pot 1.

The AFC Asian Qualifiers Road to Qatar is scheduled to be played on the following 10 match days: September 2 and 7, October 7 and 12, and November 11 and 16, 2021, as well as January 27 and February 1, 2022, before reaching its climax on March 24 and 29, 2022.

-- BERNAMA