AFC.com
The AFC U20 Asian Cup™ Uzbekistan 2023 Qualifiers will mark the full-scale return of elite men’s youth football in Asia since 2018 when the Continent’s future stars take to the pitch on Saturday, September 10, 2022.
The Qualifiers usher in a new era for the AFC’s age-group tournament, with the U20 replacing the U19 competition and organised without the zoning principles, as the top two teams advance to the Finals next year.
Palestine and Yemen will kickstart the Qualifiers on Saturday at 4 pm when they face off in Group C at the National Stadium KM16 in Laos while the host nation takes on Guam three hours later. The five-team group also includes heavyweights Japan, who are in action two days later against Laos.
In Group D, Chinese Taipei will commence their campaign against Syria at the Applied Science University Stadium at 4.30 pm followed by the Northern Mariana Islands versus Turkmenistan encounter at 9 pm. Host nation Jordan is in action on September 12 against Turkmenistan.
Bhutan and Nepal begin their qualifying journey in Group B at the Sheikh Ali Bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Stadium at 6 pm in Bahrain before the hosts face Bangladesh three hours later. Meanwhile, Qatar will kickstart its qualification march on September 12 against Nepal.
Uzbekistan, who has already qualified for the AFC U20 Asian Cup™ 2023 as the host nation, have been drawn into Group A but all their matches will be considered friendlies and will not be taken into account when calculating the group ranking. Maldives will present the Central Asians with their first stern test at the Prince Saud Bin Jalawi Stadium at 6.15 pm before Myanmar take on China PR at 9.30 pm while 2018 champions Saudi Arabia open their Qualifiers campaign against the Maldives two days later.
The remaining groups will contend for a place in the Finals from September 14 with Korea Republic taking on Sri Lanka at the MFF Stadium at 12.30 pm while hosts Mongolia face Malaysia at 5 pm in Group E.
Group F will see Vietnam going up against Hong Kong at the Gelora Bung Tomo Stadium at 4 pm while hosts Indonesia have Timor-Leste for company at 8 pm.
Further, Thailand squares off with Afghanistan at 5 pm in Group G followed by hosts Oman against the Philippines at 8.45 pm at the Al Saadah Sports Complex.
Meanwhile, the matches in Group H, comprising India, Iraq, and Kuwait, which were originally scheduled to take place in Basra, Iraq, will now be moved to an alternative venue and date with further details to be finalised and communicated in due course.
The Republican Central Stadium in Dushanbe will be the host venue for Group I when Cambodia tussle against Lebanon at 5 pm with hosts Tajikistan in action against Singapore at 8 pm.
Staying in Central Asia, 2008 champions United Arab Emirates will battle Brunei Darussalam at 4 pm before the Kyrgyz Republic faces IR Iran at 8.30 pm with both matches scheduled to be played at the Dolen Omurzakov Stadium in Bishkek.