AFC Asian Cup 2023 Qualifiers Final Round: One Talking Point from Each Group
With the final 11 places up for grabs at the AFC Asian Cup 2023 Qualifiers Final Round, the cast for China 2023 will be finalised on Tuesday. While some teams' hopes have already been dashed, most remain in contention heading into the decisive matches.
Group A
Group A has thrown up some surprises, with Uzbekistan topping the standings ahead of Thailand and India. Uzbekistan's 2-0 win over Thailand in March was a significant result, and they will be confident of securing their place in China 2023 with a win over Maldives on Tuesday. Thailand, meanwhile, will need to beat Bahrain and hope that Uzbekistan slip up in order to qualify.
Group B
Group B is also finely poised, with Jordan and Kuwait sharing the lead on 10 points. Jordan have a slightly better head-to-head record, but Kuwait will be confident of overturning that deficit when the two teams meet on Tuesday. Australia, who are third in the group, will also be hoping for a slip-up from the top two in order to qualify.
Group C
Group C is the most open of all the groups, with four teams still in contention for the two qualification places. Palestine currently lead the way on 10 points, but Uzbekistan, Yemen and Singapore are all within two points of the leaders. Palestine will be confident of qualifying if they can beat Singapore on Tuesday, but Uzbekistan will be hoping to take advantage of any slip-ups from the leaders and qualify for their first AFC Asian Cup since 2011.
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