Vietnam in Pot 1 for 2020 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers draw

ABO/NDO – The seeding for the upcoming draw of the 2020 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers have been confirmed by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), with Vietnam’s U23 team being placed in Pot 1 of the East Zone as the reigning Asian runners-up.
 

Vietnam U23s finish in second place at the recent 2018 AFC U23 Championship in China.

Park Hang-seo’s side is joined by other powers in the region, such as the Republic of Korea (ROK), Japan, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Malaysia has also been seeded in the same pot as Vietnam following their top-eight finish at the recent 2018 AFC U23 Championship, which was also their debut at the continental-level tournament.

As the defending Asian champions, Uzbekistan U23s have been named in Pot 1 of the West Zone, together with Qatar, Iraq, Palestine, and Jordan.

According to the AFC, the 2020 AFC U23 Championship qualification will take place between March 18 and 26 next year, while the final stage is scheduled for January 8-26, 2020.

A total of seven countries have announced their bid to host the 2020 AFC U23 Championship, namely Australia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Lebanon, Singapore, and Vietnam.

The qualification tournament will feature the participation of nearly 50 U23 teams from across Asia, who will battle it out for 16 tickets to play in the final round. Unlike the 2018 competition in China, the 2020 AFC U23 Championship will also serve as the qualifying round for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Accordingly, the top three finishers at the 2020 AFC U23 Championship (excluding Japan) will secure their places in the men’s football tournament at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

(Source: NDO)