UAE draw South Korea in World Cup qualifiers

Reigning Asian champions Japan and North Korea came out together in qualifying for the 2014 World Cup after the draw was made on Saturday.

Japan, who reached the last 16 at South Africa 2010 before losing on penalties to Paraguay, will be the team to beat in Group C.

Now under Italian coach Alberto Zaccheroni, Japan won the Asian Cup earlier this year, and boast a squad full of young European-based talent, including Yuto Nagatomo, Shinji Kagawa and Keisuke Honda.

The Samurai Blue will however be wary of North Korea, who also went to last year’s finals, running Brazil close before being thumped 7-0 by Portugal as they exited the competition in the first round.

The duo will be strongly fancied to advance from Group C, which also contains Asian Cup semifinalists Uzbekistan, and Syria.

South Korea, who also reached the last 16 in South Africa, and who were semifinalists on home soil in 2002, are in Group B alongside the Middle Eastern trio of Kuwait, Lebanon and the UAE, who eliminated India in the earlier qualifying rounds.

Australia’s bid to qualify for a third successive finals begins in Group D, where they will take on Saudi Arabia, Oman and Thailand.

“I’m massive fan of all three countries and I respect them a lot,” said Australian star Tim Cahill. “It’s going to be tough. Football in Asia is growing rapidly.”

The group looks winnable for the Socceroos, especially with traditional continental powerhouses Saudi Arabia struggling of late.

The Saudis will however be hoping for an upturn in fortunes under recently-appointed coach Frank Rijkaard.

China are in Group A with Jordan, Iraq and Singapore, while much of the attention will be focused on Group E.

Bidding to qualify for a fourth finals, Iran may be the favourites, but Bahrain, who lost out to New Zealand in a playoff for the 2010 competition, and 2022 hosts Qatar, will be keen to make an impression.

Indonesia complete the section.

The top two nations from each of the five groups go through to the next round.

The ten surviving teams are then split into two groups of five, with the leading two nations in each progressing to the finals in Brazil.

The two third-placed teams will playoff for the right to contest the intercontinental playoff against the fifth-placed nation in South American qualifying.

World Cup draw - Asian zone

Group A: China, Jordan, Iraq, Singapore
Group B: South Korea, Kuwait, UAE, Lebanon
Group C: Japan, Uzbekistan, Syria, North Korea
Group D: Australia, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Thailand
Group E: Iran, Qatar, Bahrain, Indonesia

- Matches to be played between September 2, 2011 and February 29, 2012.
- Top two from each will go forward to two groups of five. The top two of each of those groups will advance to the World Cup finals. The two third placed sides will face off with the winner taking on fifth placed team from South America.
 

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