Asian Games Football Re-draw Scrapped as Omitted UAE and Palestine Are Added to Groups

Jakarta, MINA — Football teams from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Palestine, mistakenly omitted from the men’s draw for next month’s Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, have Wednesday been added to groups already established following a decision by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) not to go ahead with a proposed re-draw.

The UAE have been added to Group E, which contains defending champions South Korea, while Palestine have joined the four teams already in Group A following a draw at the headquarters of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in Kuala Lumpur.

The 2018 Asian Games Opening Ceremony is scheduled for August 18 in Jakarta, but the men’s group stage is due to begin on August 14 with the gold medal match set for September 1.

There will now be four groups of four, and two groups of five.

As well as South Korea, the UAE will also face Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia and Bahrain.

Palestine will now play with Hong Kong, hosts Indonesia, Laos and Chinese Taipei.

An entire new re-draw had been due to take place in Jakarta on Monday (July 23) before it was postponed.

Hong Kong has already expressed concerns

Hong Hong’s coach has already expressed concerns that this has made his team’s chances of qualifying more difficult.

“Palestine is a strong side, reaching the last 16 of the Asian Under-23 tournament last year before losing to Qatar,” Kenneth Kwok Ka-Lok told the South China Morning Post.

“They have six to seven players who are playing in Europe and we are trying to gather more information on them as I don’t think we have met them in any youth tournament before.

“With five teams in the group, our score against the bottom team will not be counted if we have to qualify as one of the best third placed teams, making it more difficult for us.”

A statement today from the UAE National Olympic Committee said: “The revision of the football draw of the 18th Asian Games in Indonesia has placed our national football team in the fifth group comprising South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, ootball rerawMalaysia and Bahrain.

“The revision follows the gaffe in the draw conducted on July 5, which overlooked the UAE and Palestine teams in the list of participants.

“The revision was made at the premises of the AFC at Kuala Lumpur in the presence of Obaid Mubarak Al Shamsi, director of teams and technical affairs, UAE Football Federation.”

A new draw had been scrapped following a meeting between the Asian Football Confederation, Games organisers and the Olympic Council of Asia.

Kwok fears the delay in deciding the groups may prove to be a disruption.

“We are supposed to play the first match on August 14 or 15 and now the schedule will likely put forward to August 10 with one more team in the group, which means we have less lead time to the tournament and that will certainly affect our preparation,” he added.

It was confirmed after the original draw that the UAE and Palestine had both submitted their entries correctly and according to the rules.

Men’s football at the Asian Games is open to players under the age of 23 and teams are each permitted up to three players over the limit as “wildcards”. (T/RS5/SR1)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MNA)