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Published : Nov 29, 2024 11:57 IST , Chennai – 2 MINS READ
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After ending 2024 without a win, however, India’s rankings have fallen drastically over the last 18 months, from 99 to 127 now. | Photo Credit: PTI
The draw for the third round of qualifiers for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup will take place at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on December 9, 2024.
This round will finalise the 24-team roster for the tournament, set to be played in Saudi Arabia three years later.
Starting in 1956, the quadrennial contest expanded from four teams in its first edition to a 24-team challenge in 2019. In its 19th edition in Saudi Arabia, the number of teams will remain the same (24).
So far, 18 teams have qualified for the tournament, and the remaining six will be determined through the third round of qualifiers, which will begin in March next year.
The third round of qualifiers will have six groups of four teams each. They will play each other in a round-robin format over two legs, home and away. The winners of each group will qualify for the AFC Asian Cup 2027.
RELATED: Manolo Marquez disappointed with draw but certain that India will qualify for AFC Asian Cup 2027
The groups will be decided through a draw, which will have four pots of six teams each. The seedings for this round will be according to FIFA rankings, released on November 28.
India is drawn in Pot 1 as one of the top-seeded teams, being the sixth-highest-ranked team in Asia. However, after ending 2024 without a win, its rankings have fallen drastically over the last 18 months, from 99 to 127.
“For me, the ranking (system) is a lie. The worst team in Africa is better than most of the teams in another continent. We are not better than Cyprus (127), and we are above them (125),” India’s head coach Manolo Marquez had said before India’s final match of the year, against Malaysia.
The Harimau Malaya, on the other hand, have climbed one spot in the rankings but remains far below India, keeping it in Pot 2 for the draw.
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