Asian Games draw held in Busan

AFC - Defending champions Iran will kick off their 14th Asian Games football campaign on September 28 by playing Mongolia in their opening match at the Busan Asiad Main Stadium, which hosted three matches at the recently concluded FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan 2002.

At the draw ceremony on Tuesday which was conducted by AFC General Secretary Dato' Peter Velappan at the Lotte Hotel in Busan, Iran were put together in Groupe E with Qatar, Lebanon and Mongolia.

World Cup semi-finalists and hosts Korea Republic will play Maldives in their opening Group A match in Busan on September 27.

Based on current performance and home ground advantage, the Koreans will start off as one of the favourites to win the gold medal. Besides Maldives, Oman and Malaysia complete Group A.

Japan, Asia's other World Cup representatives to make it past the group stages, will meet Jordan, in their first match in Group D. Uzbekistan and Bahrain round off the group.

China, who made a winless World Cup debut, is grouped with Turkmenistan, India and Bangladesh in Group C.

Kuwait, who clinched the silver medal at the last Asian Games in Bangkok in 1998, will be up against Tajikstan, Hong Kong and Pakistan in their preliminary Group F matches.

United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Yemen and Vietnam make up Group B in the six-group 24-team football tournament.

The respective group winners and the two best runners-up will clash in the quarter-finals of the Under-23 event where each team is allowed to register three over-aged players.

In the women's tournament, defending champions China face Taiwan in their opening match in Busan on October 2, while hosts Korea Republic clash with Vietnam in Changwon.

With only five teams participating in the women's event, the mode of competition is a one round league format where the top three teams will claim the gold, silver and bronze medals.

Men's draw
Group A: South Korea, Malaysia, Maldives, Oman
Group B: United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Yemen, Thailand
Group C: China, India, Bangladesh, Turkmenistan
Group D: Japan, Uzbekistan, Bahrain, Jordan
Group E: Iran, Qatar, Lebanon, Mongolia
Group F: Kuwait, Tajikistan, Hong Kong, Pakistan