Uzbekistan drawn against Syria, India and Bangladesh in U20 Asian Cup qualifiers

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan’s national U20 football team has learned its opponents for the qualification stage of the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027™, following the official draw held at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

Uzbekistan will host Group B matches and will face Syria, India, and Bangladesh.

The qualification stage of the tournament will take place from August 25 to September 6, 2026, under a centralized hosting system.

This edition will be the first to follow a new format approved by the AFC as part of reforms to youth competitions. The new system introduces a two-stage structure with promotion and relegation mechanisms.

A total of 32 teams are participating in the qualification stage, divided into eight groups of four teams each. Group winners, along with the seven best second-placed teams, will qualify for the final tournament.

Teams finishing in last place will be relegated to a development division for the next edition.

The final tournament of the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027™ will be held from March 24 to April 10, 2027.

Following the draw, the qualification groups are as follows:

Group A: South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Philippines, Lebanon.

Group B: Uzbekistan, Syria, India, Bangladesh.

Group C: Iran, Vietnam, DPR Korea, Palestine.

Group D: Jordan, Tajikistan, Bahrain, Afghanistan.

Group E: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Hong Kong.

Group F: Iraq, Thailand, UAE, Turkmenistan.

Group G: Japan, Yemen, Cambodia, Kuwait.

Group H: Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos.

A Development Division will also be held under the new format, with 12 teams divided into three groups.

Group winners and the three best second-placed teams will be promoted to the qualification stage of the next tournament.