U-19, U-16 football squads prepare for Asian qualifiers

AMMAN — The Kingdom’s U-19, and U-16 national teams are gearing up for their respective competitions after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) sets the dates.

U-19 team squad will play in Group E alongside hosts Iran, Kuwait and Nepal in qualifiers starting September 28. The qualifiers involve team from across the continent with group winners as well as best second-placed teams booking a slot to the AFC U-19 Championship in 2016. The top-four sides of the U-19 Championship advance to the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

South Korea, which beat Iraq in the 2012 final, has won the competition a record 12 times since it started in 1959. Qatar won the last edition.

Bahrain has been announced as the hosts for the 2016 AFC U-19 Championship and the seeding for the draw was based on the rankings from the 2014 AFC U-19 Championship.

A total of 43 member associations including Bahrain will compete in the qualifiers divided into two zones — the West Zone which has 25 teams and the East Zone with 18 teams. Ten group winners and five best second-placed teams will qualify for the finals while hosts Bahrain received an automatic qualification (total 16 teams). The qualifications will be held from September 28 to October 6.

If Bahrain finishes top of its qualifying group or one of the five second best-placed teams, the next (6th) second placed team will qualify for the final competition.

Jordan’s squad regrouped earlier in the year but has been hampered by students examinations but head coach Islam Diyabat said training will continue before the final line-up is announced. Team coach Anas Sabra described the draw as “tough” but said “the team will spare no effort to be ready for the qualifiers.”

The Kingdom has previously reached the AFC U-19 Championship four times. In 2006, the team made Asian and world headlines and achieved the country’s biggest sporting success when they qualified to the 2007 FIFA Youth World Cup in Canada after reaching the semis and finishing fourth at the Asian U-19 Championship. They exited the group stages in 2008 and 2010, and reached the quarters in 2012. Jordan failed to qualify in 2014 when they exited Group B qualifiers in Amman.

Meanwhile, India will host the 2016 AFC U-16 Championship and the draw put Jordan in Group B alongside Nepal, Oman and Kyrgyzstan for qualifiers which will be played from September 12 to 20.

A total of 45 nations including India will participate in the qualifiers, and the draw seeding was based on the rankings from the last edition in 2014 which was won by North Korea. The 45 nations were divided into two qualifying zones — West Zone which has 24 teams and East Zone with 21 teams.

Eleven group winners and four best second-placed teams will qualify for the finals, with hosts India receiving an automatic qualification (total 16 teams). The qualifying matches in case India finish top of their qualifying group or among the four best second-placed teams, the next (5th) second best placed nation will qualify for the final competition.