AFC Asian Cup draw to be held on May 11

The draw for the AFC Asian Cup 2023 will be held on May 11 in Doha for the 18th edition of the continental competition set to run from January 12 to February 10 next year in Qatar after China relinquished their hosting rights.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirmed the dates and venues for the competition on Wednesday. 

The AFC Asian Cup 2023 was supposed to be held in China. However, due to COVID-19, China relinquished their hosting rights, and Qatar was selected to host the tournament.

The 30-day event will see 24 teams divided into six groups. The top two teams from each group and the four best third-placed teams from across the six groups will progress to the round of 16. The final will be held on February 10.

The AFC Asian Cup 2023 will be held across eight stadiums - Al Janoub Stadium, Al Bayt Stadium, Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium, Al Thumama Stadium, Education City Stadium, Khalifa International Stadium, Jassim bin Hamad Stadium and Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium. Six of these venues were used during the FIFA World Cup 2022.

The 24 competing teams have been divided into six pots of four teams each for the draw. India is placed in Pot 4 alongside Tajikistan, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Indonesia.