The luck of draw has pitted several ASEAN teams in the same groups for the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup China next year. It was mixed fortunes for the ASEAN teams with Indonesia and Singapore drawn in the same group as were Cambodia and Laos meeting in the same group stage as well.
The 30 teams – two more than the previous record of 28 from the 2019 Qualifiers – were divided into eight groups – six of four and two of three – to contest a single round-robin centralised league from October 5 to 11.
Each group winner will advance to the Finals, joining the quartet of teams that have qualified directly as the top four finishers from the 2026 campaign: defending champions North Korea, runners-up Japan, and semi-finalists Australia and China PR.
Indonesia will have to contend with the challenge of hosts Singapore, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in Group B.
Group C hosts Laos have to contend with neighbours Cambodia with top seeds top seeds Chinese Taipei and Iran for company.
Vietnam (H), Kyrgyz Republic, Northern Mariana Islands and Palestine are the Group D cast.
Group A hosts Tajikistan will face 2009 champions Korea Republic, Jordan and United Arab Emirates.
ASEAN powerhouses Vietnam have been drawn in a fairly comfortable company with Kyrgyz Republic, Northern Mariana Islands and Palestine in Group D, they they will host.
India headline Group E, with Group F hosts Malaysia, Syria and Iraq as their challengers while Thailand, Lebanon, Macau and Bhutan will vie for the sole ticket available in Group F.
Group G will see Myanmar, Hong Kong, China and Guam battling it out while Group H will be contested by the Philippines, Bangladesh and Uzbekistan.
DRAW RESULT
Group A: Korea Republic, Jordan, Tajikistan (H), United Arab Emirates
Group B: Indonesia, Singapore (H), Saudi Arabia, Bahrain
Group C: Chinese Taipei, Islamic Republic of Iran, Laos (H), Cambodia
Group D: Vietnam (H), Kyrgyz Republic, Northern Mariana Islands, Palestine
Group E: India, Malaysia (H), Syria, Iraq
Group F: Thailand (H), Lebanon, Macau, Bhutan
Group G: Myanmar (H), Hong Kong, China, Guam
Group H: Philippines, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan (H)
