AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027:
Iran drawn against Syria, Kyrgyzstan, China in group stage
Iran has been drawn against Syria, Kyrgyzstan, and China in Group C of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, which will be hosted by Saudi Arabia from January 7 next year.
The draw for the 19th edition of the flagship continental tournament was held at the historic Salwa Palace in Riyadh on Saturday, where 24 teams were split into six groups.
Three-time champion Iran – a semifinalist in the previous two editions – will kick off its bid for a first Asian title since 1976 against China at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena on January 7, before facing Kyrgyzstan at Al Shabab Stadium four days later.
The final round of group fixtures will see Iran take on Syria at King Fahd Sports City Stadium on January 18.
Iran and China last met in the group stage of the 2019 event in the United Arab Emirates, with Iran claiming an emphatic 3-0 victory.
Iran has emerged victorious in all seven of its previous meetings with Kyrgyzstan, though the Central Asian team provided tricky tests for Iran in the World Cup qualifiers two years ago. Amir Qalenoei’s side labored to a 1-0 home win in Isfahan and then had to hold off a second-half comeback to win 3-2 in the reverse fixture in Bishkek.
Iran’s game against Syria will be a repeat of the last-16 clash in the 2023 edition, which Qalenoei’s men won in a penalty shootout.
When asked after the draw whether the Asian powerhouse would end its decades-long wait for the elusive crown in Saudi Arabia, Qalenoei said: “It’s unfortunate that we haven’t been champions for a long time. It’s hard to make predictions in football. I think we truly deserved to win the title in the previous tournament, but bad luck went against us.
“Our team is in good condition; we are one of the teams that qualified earliest for the World Cup, and we hope to perform well there and then get ready for the Asian Cup.
“After the World Cup, we are going to have a generational change, and I hope we can be a worthy representative of the people of Iran.
“Football has improved across Asia, and the teams have become much closer in level. Even though we have four seedings, the competition in Asian football has become very tight,” the Iranian head coach added.
In other groups, host nation Saudi Arabia, seeking to lift the coveted trophy for the fourth time, will face 1980 winner Kuwait, Oman, and Palestine in Group A. Saudi Arabia will kick off against Palestine at the 72,000-seater King Fahd Sports City Stadium in Riyadh.
Group B will see Uzbekistan, Bahrain, North Korea, and Jordan vying for a place in the round of 16.
Australia – champion in 2015 – leads Group D, which also features Tajikistan, 2007 winner Iraq, and Singapore.
Aiming to deny two-time winner South Korea progression from Group E are the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, and either Lebanon or Yemen, who will meet in June to decide the final qualifier for the continental showpiece.
Record four-time winner Japan leads Group F, with two-time defending champion Qatar, Thailand, and Indonesia also seeking to advance to the knockout stage.
The top two sides from each group and the four best third-placed teams will advance to the round of 16, which will be played between January 22 and 25. The quarterfinals are scheduled for January 28 and 29, with the semifinals on February 1 and 2.
The final will be played on February 5 at King Fahd Sports City Stadium.