Vietnam were placed in the same group as Asia’s top-ranked Japan as the draw for the final round of the Asian Qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World cup was held virtually in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on July 1 afternoon.
Based on the special FIFA Ranking released for Asian teams on June 18, top seeds Japan and the Islamic Republic of Iran took their places in Pot 1, with Pot 2 comprising Australia and Korea Republic, while Pot 3 included Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
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The draw results for the final round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers. |
Pot 4 contained Iraq and China, followed by Oman and Syria in Pot 5 and debutants Vietnam and Lebanon completing the line-up in Pot 6.
According to the draw results, coach Park Hang-seo’s Vietnamese side will be joined by powerhouse Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, China and Oman in Group B.
Group A features the remaining six teams, including the continent’s second-ranked IR Iran, Korea Republic, the UAE, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.
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Vietnam will be joined by powerhouse Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, China and Oman in Group B. |
The final round of the Asian Qualifiers will begin in September and end in March 2022, with the 12 teams playing home-and-away round-robin matches in their groups.
The top two teams of each group will directly qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and the two third-placed teams will advance to the Asian playoff to determine the side that will advance to the international playoff.
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.
Source: NDO
