HÀ NỘI — Coach Nguyễn Hữu Thắng will represent Việt Nam at Asian Cup 2019’s third qualification draw being held on the night of January 23 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The last qualifier has 24 teams, which will be divided into six groups of four, with matches played both home and away during the official FIFA days from March 28, 2017 to March 27, 2018.

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa sent his best wishes to the participating teams.

“I am confident that the UAE will look to build on the excitement and expectation surrounding the AFC Asian Cup to deliver a breathtaking competition, which will further strengthen our aspirations under the banner of One Asia, One Goal,” Al Khalifa said on the-afc.com.

“I wish all 24 teams the very best of luck in the draw and I have no doubt that the road to UAE will produce some memorable moments and captivating football which sets the benchmark for Confederation competitions.”

Two best teams from the qualification will join 12 other squads, which include defending champions Australia, China, Iraq and Iran, as well as Japan and South Korea, in the final round. These countries have already qualified for the final competition through the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia and the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2.

Based on their result, Việt Nam are in the second seed group, along with India, Palestine, Tajikistan, Hong Kong and Turkmenistan.

As the rule, Việt Nam will meet one of six teams from the first seed group, which comprises North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Bahrain and the Philippines, as well as Oman and Jordan.

The Asian Cup has increased the number of participating team from 16 to 24 for the first year following an AFC decision.

The draw will be aired live on the AFC’s website from 7pm Hà Nội time. The tournament’s official logo will also be launched during the ceremony. — VNS