The Subway Joeys have discovered who they will meet in the group stage of the AFC U-17 Asian Cup Thailand 2023™ following the draw ceremony on Thursday evening.
Having finished top of their qualifying group hosted in Shepparton (Victoria) during October 2022, the Australians have been drawn in Group C alongside Tajikistan, Saudi Arabia, and China PR for the tournament to be contested in Bangkok and Chonburi from June 15 – July 2, 2023.
Subway Joeys’ Head Coach Brad Maloney attended the draw in Bangkok and provided his thoughts on the outcome.
“We’ve been drawn in a challenging and diverse group, with each team presenting stern opposition,” said Maloney.
“We played China PR during last year’s qualifiers and know what a quality side they are, and both Saudi Arabia and Tajikistan are formidable teams, so three tough matches lie ahead.
“Knowing our group stage opponents and host venue will enable us to commence detailed preparation for the tournament, where we will need to be at our best from the opening match to ensure we progress out of the group, as we eye a semi-final place and automatic qualification for the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
“We have a talented age group, and the U-17 Asian Cup presents a wonderful opportunity for the final team to experience international football at a very high level, as they start out on what we hope are long careers in the green and gold jersey,” concluded Maloney.
The AFC U-17 Asian Cup™ is back after a hiatus of almost five years due to the COVID pandemic and features the 10 group winners and five best runners-up from the Qualifiers, along with hosts Thailand.
This edition will be the first since 2006 to be played as a U-17 tournament, after the AFC switched the tournament from U-16 to U-17 starting from 2023.
Besides continental glory, there will be four tickets at stake for the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2023™ to hosted by Peru from 10 November – 2 December 2023.
AFC U-17 Asian Cup Thailand 2023™ Draw Result
Group A: Thailand, Yemen, Malaysia, Laos
Group B: Korea Republic, IR Iran, Afghanistan, Qatar
Group C: Tajikistan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, China PR
Group D: Japan, India, Vietnam, Uzbekistan
