The just-announced draw has not only set the stage for the U23 Asian Cup qualifiers, but also unveiled the mystery of the grouping for the upcoming men's soccer Asian qualifiers for the Paris Olympics. Our national Olympic team was unfortunate to be placed in the same group with UAE, India and Maldives.
Soccer Daily has provided an in-depth analysis of the draw for this Olympics. According to the report, the Maldives is weak, while the UAE is not bad, is our main competitor in the Olympic Games. In recent years, Indian soccer has developed rapidly, had a warm-up match between the national soccer team and the Indian national team in 2018, our team is controversial, but this match also witnessed the rise of Indian soccer.
The draw for this Olympics can be considered just right, avoiding Asian soccer powerhouses such as Japan and South Korea. In the existing grouping, our Olympic team is expected to lock up the top two teams in the group, and more likely to directly advance to the first group.
In the upcoming Olympic qualifier to be held in Dalian in September this year, the national Olympic team will face the United Arab Emirates, India and Maldives. The tournament is not only about qualifying for the Olympics, but also about a place in the final round of the U23 Asian Cup. According to the rules, the first of the 11 groups will directly qualify for the U23 Asian Cup, while the second place finishers of four of the 11 groups will also qualify, with hosts Qatar advancing directly.
The U23 Asian Cup final round matches will be held in Qatar from April 15 to May 3 next year, with 16 teams competing. The top three teams will qualify directly for the Paris Olympics, while the fourth-placed team will have to fight for a place against the fourth-placed team from the African zone qualifiers.
