Thai, Indonesian and Malaysian media all believe that the home team will fall into a difficult group at the 2024 AFC U23 Championship.
| Table A | Table B | Table C | Table D |
| Qatar | Japan | Saudi Arabia | Uzbekistan |
| Australia | Korea | Iraq | Vietnam |
| Jordan | UAE | Thailand | Kuwait |
| Indonesia | China | Tajikistan | Malaysia |
Indonesian media were more disappointed with the draw, with CNN saying Shin Tae-yong's team "will face tough tests". "However, Thailand also face equally formidable opponents in Group C", the newspaper added.
Bolasport commented that Indonesia has fallen into a "hellish" group, along with host Qatar, Australia and Jordan. They advised coach Shin to be highly vigilant because these three opponents all achieved good results in the qualifying round. Qatar and Australia have the top football teams in the continent, while the Jordan team is also ranked 82nd in FIFA.
Coach Shin Tae-yong reminds Indonesian players during the match against Turkmenistan in the third round of the AFC U23 Championship Group K qualifiers at Manahan Stadium, Solo, Indonesia on September 12, 2023. Photo: Bola
This is the first time Indonesia has participated in the AFC U23 Championship, and they are also the only newcomer among the 16 teams participating in next year's tournament. Bola even headlined: "Condolences to Indonesia. Condolences to the Southeast Asian teams".
Thailand is also in a difficult group with Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Tajikistan. The first two opponents are both former champions, while Tajikistan is expected to be an opponent of equal strength for Issara Sritaro and his team. Thairath newspaper commented that Thailand's group is "too heavy", Sanook said that Group C is "too hot", and Khaosod predicted that Thailand will have a "difficult" task.
Group D is the only group with two Southeast Asian representatives, Vietnam and Malaysia, alongside Uzbekistan and Kuwait. Uzbekistan is considered the strongest group having won the championship in 2018, and the remaining spot is likely to be competed for by the remaining three teams. According to FIFA rankings, Vietnam is ranked 94th, Kuwait 136th and Malaysia 137th. Therefore, Malaysian newspaper Bernama said that the home team was in a "difficult" group. Meanwhile, Sinar Harian newspaper commented that Juan Torres Garrido and his team had fallen into a "minefield".
The AFC U23 Championship is held every two years, and is considered the final qualifying round for the Olympics in the years that coincide with the Olympics. The 2024 AFC U23 Championship will take place from April 15 to May 3 in Qatar, with 16 teams divided into four groups of four teams each playing a round-robin format. The top two teams will advance to the quarter-finals. The top three teams will qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics, while the fourth-placed team will play a play-off match against African representative Guinea for a place in the Olympics.
Hoang An
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