 |
| Windsor John (C), executive director of AFC, flanked by Japan’s former football star Tsuneyasu Miyamoto (R) and Iran’s Mehdi Mahdavikia picks out Qatar during the draw ceremony at the AFC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday |
South Korea are regulars at the World Cup, while Asian powerhouses Iran, too, are a force to contend with in the five-team group from which two will make Brazil 2014 after a lengthy qualification process that will last 12 months.
Qatar will begin their campaign with a match against Lebanon on June 3, 2012 and will play their last match against Uzbekistan on June 18, 2013.
“I think Korea and Iran should be considered favourites but that doesn’t mean that Lebanon and Uzbekistan can be considered easy because they will be doing all that they can to win therefore we must be at our very best to qualify,” Qatar assistant coach Fahad al-Zaraa said.
“Even though we avoided Japan, we still have four strong opponents to face so we have to prepare well,” Chun Hanjin, head of administration for the South Korean team, said. South Korea, now coached by Choi Kang-hee, will be favourites to take one of the two World Cup places available from Group A with Carlos Queiroz’s Iran expected to join them as the second seeds in the pool.
“We have a very good team, we have good players but the most important thing now is the preparation plan to support our goals and dreams in this road to World Cup 2014,” former Portugal and Real Madrid coach Queiroz told reporters.
However, Uzbekistan, semi-finalists at the 2011 Asian Cup, should provide a stern test having qualified for the fourth round top of a pool involving Japan and boasting a squad full of technically sound players led by twice AFC player-of-the year Server Djeparov.
Qatar, 2022 World Cup hosts, could also challenge for a first finals appearance having held Iran to two draws in the previous round.
The two third place sides from each group will face off in a playoff, with the winner of that two-legged tie then playing the fifth-placed team from South American qualifying. The victory of the two-match inter-confederation playoff will also gain a place at the finals in Brazil.
In Group B, Japan will face Australia in a repeat of the 2011 Asian Cup final.
Japan defeated Australia 1-0 after extra time in the final in Qatar last year to become Asian champions for a record fourth time and the two sides have been the standout performers in the region for a number of years.
The pair will be favourites to finish first and second in Group B and reach the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil but they will face a difficult challenge and three long away trips to West Asian teams.
Also in Group B are Iraq, who beat Australia en route to winning the 2007 Asian Cup, fast-improving Jordan, who came within a minute of beating Japan at the Asian Cup last year and Oman, who advanced to the fourth round at the expense of regional heavyweights Saudi Arabia.
“It’s fate or surprise to have the Asia Cup winners playing with Australia again,” Socceroos team manager Gary Moretti told reporters at Asian Football Confederation house.
GROUP A FIXTURES
03 June 2012-LEBANON vs QATAR
08 June 2012-QATAR vs KOREA REPUBLIC
08 June 2012-LEBANON vs UZBEKISTAN
12 June 2012-KOREA REPUBLIC vs LEBANON
12 June 2012- IRAN vs QATAR
11 September 2012-LEBANON vs IRAN
11 September 2012-UZBEKISTAN vs KOREA REPUBLIC
16 October 2012-QATAR vs UZBEKISTAN
16 October 2012-I.R. IRAN vs KOREA REPUBLIC
14 November 2012-I.R. IRAN vs UZBEKISTAN
14 November 2012-QATAR vs LEBANON
26 March 2013-KOREA REPUBLIC vs QATAR
26 March 2013-UZBEKISTAN vs LEBANON
04 June 2013-LEBANON vs KOREA REPUBLIC
04 June 2013-QATAR vs IRAN
11 June 2013-I.R. IRAN vs LEBANON
11 June 2013-KOREA REPUBLIC vs UZBEKISTAN
18 June 2013-UZBEKISTAN vs QATAR
18 June 2013-KOREA REPUBLIC vs IRAN