March 31 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will fill a further two Asian Cup 2027 slots tonight in the last round of qualifiers for the Saudi Arabia 2027 finals.
The last group round of qualifiers has been played with six groups of four with only the winners going through to the finals. Singapore, Syria, and Vietnam have all qualified. They join the 18 teams already qualified
The next two qualifying places will be filled by either Tajikistan or the Philippines from Group A, and either Thailand or Turkmenistan from Group D.
The final qualification spot will be for the winners of Group B. The deciding match-up between Lebanon and Yemen has been postponed to June 4 due to the current Israeli bombing and invasion of Lebanon.
“This decision was made to ensure the safety and security of all stakeholders, taking into account the material constraints currently affecting the Lebanese Football Association in identifying a neutral venue and arranging necessary travel for the match,” said an AFC statement.
Lebanon have a two-point lead over Yemen going into the final game.
Final Round run-down:
Group A
Maldives v Timor-Leste
Venue: Maldives National Stadium (Male)
Tajikistan v Philippines
Venue: Hisor Central Stadium (Hisor)
Tied on 13 points, Tajikistan only need a draw to go through against the Philippines due to superior goal difference.vThe sides drew 2-2 when they met in the reverse fixture.
Maldives are looking for a win against Timor-Leste, with the South Asian side having lost all five previous matches.
Group B
Bhutan v Brunei Darussalam
Venue: Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium (Guwahati)
Lebanon v Yemen (Postponed to June, venue TBA)
Bhutan are seeking the first victory of their campaign but also revenge against Brunei Darussalam, who defeated the South Asian side 2-1 in the reverse fixture.
Group C
India v Hong Kong, China
Venue: Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium (Kochi)
Singapore v Bangladesh
Venue: National Stadium (Singapore)
Victory against Hong Kong, China meant Singapore qualified for first time on merit, with their only previous appearance being as hosts in 1984.
Group D
Chinese Taipei v Sri Lanka
Venue: Taipei Municipal Stadium (Taipei City)
Thailand v Turkmenistan
Venue: Rajamangala National Stadium (Bangkok)
Thailand play Turkmenistan at the iconic Rajamangala National Stadium with the hosts needing victory. Although tied on 13 points with the Central Asian side, Turkmenistan hold the head-to-head advantage after having won the reverse fixture 3-1.
Group E
Pakistan v Myanmar
Venue: Jinnah Stadium (Islamabad)
Syria v Afghanistan
Venue: Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium (Jeddah)
Syria, with five successive wins, will be aiming to end with a perfect campaign when they meet Afghanistan in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan will hope to make home ground advantage count in their bid to end their campaign with victory against Myanmar.
Group F
Nepal v Laos
Venue: Lao National Stadium KM16 (Vientiane)
Vietnam v Malaysia
Venue: Thien Truong Stadium (Nam Dinh)
Vietnam’s qualification was confirmed after Malaysia were deducted points for fielding ineligible players. Vietnam are looking to complete their Group F campaign with maximum points. Nepal and Laos will face off to decide who finishes third, with both sides on three points.
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