Alkass Digital
The AFC Futsal Cup 2022 qualifiers will kick off in Kuwait Today with matches to be held in the pool system.
With host nation Kuwait already assured of a place in the tournament, the qualifiers will be divided into the West and East Zones while the Central and South Zones are combined, with a total of 15 spots on offer at the tournament in September.
The West Zone Qualifiers will take center stage in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, with seven teams divided into Groups A and B contending for five spots.
Lebanon will begin their Group A qualifying campaign against newcomers Oman on April 5 followed by Saudi Arabia against Palestine. Hosts UAE will then face Iraq, who finished fourth in 2018, in their Group B clash .
All qualifying matches for Groups A and B will be held at the Zayed Sports Complex with the winners and runners-up of both groups automatically qualifying for the main rounds.
Meanwhile, the final qualifier from the West Zone will be decided via a playoff between the second and third-placed teams.
The action will continue in the Kyrgyz Republic on April 10 when eight hopefuls from the combined Central and South Zones kickstart their campaign at the Gazprom Sports Complex in Bishkek.
There will be plenty to play for, with the winners and runners-up from Group A and B earning automatic qualification. Uzbekistan, who finished third in 2018, will battle Nepal in their Group B clash at 11 am followed by Tajikistan against Afghanistan.
The Islamic Republic of Iran, 12-time winners of the competition, are set to face the Maldives in their Group A clash while hosts Kyrgyz Republic take on Turkmenistan.
In the East Zone, six teams will contend for three tickets, with the host Member Association and dates to be announced soon.
The AFF Futsal Championship 2022, which began on April 2, will serve as ASEAN's qualifying tournament for the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Kuwait 2022, with three teams set to advance to the Finals.