2019 AFC Asian Cup draw at Dubai, highlights: India in Group A with hosts UAE, Thailand and Bahrain

This is what the @afcasiancup groups look like! India have been grouped with UAE, Thailand and Bahrain.

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India in Group A with UAE, Thailand and Bahrain

India have been placed in a tricky group with hosts UAE who are ranked 74th in the world. Thailand made it to the second round of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers but have since dropped to 108 in the rankings. Bahrain round up the group.

India drawn in Group A!

Skipper Sunil Chhetri, helping with the draw, picks up India’s ball first to draw the Blue Tigers in Group A. The group also includes hosts UAE, who are ranked 74th in the latest FIFA rankings. Also in the group are 116th ranked Bahrain.

Yemen, DPR Korea and Turkmenistan are drawn in groups D, E and F in the fourth place.

Bahrain, Jordan and the Philippines are drawn in Groups A, B and C in the fourth place.

Indian skipper Sunil Chhetri: The @afcasiancup presents an enormous opportunity for us and we as well as Indian football fans are looking forward to it

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Assisting AFC General Secretary John Windsor for the draw are the Philippines’ Phillip Younghusband, Indian skipper Sunil Chhetri, China’s Sun Jihai and Iranian legend Ali Daei.

🆕🏆 for a 🆕-look tournament!

The prize 2⃣4⃣ nations will battle to take home in #AsianCup2019! pic.twitter.com/aWvtU6LLEQ

— #AsianCup2023 (@afcasiancup) May 4, 2018

The 24 teams will be divided into six groups of four teams each with the first and second placed teams moving on to the round of 16. Four best third-placed teams from the groups will also progress to the next round. India are seeded 17th in the draw.

Mansoor and Jara are the mascots for the @afcasiancup!

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This is what the teams are fighting for!

A brand new redesigned art-deco inspired trophy and a prize money worth 15 Million USD to be won this time around! #Indianfootball #AsianCup2019 pic.twitter.com/qYQJ8NLjR3

— football news india (@fni) May 4, 2018

AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa has announced an increase in prize money to $15 million with each participating nation getting $200,000. The winner will take a cheque of $5 million with the runners-up taking $3 million and the losing semi-finalists taking home $1 million. That’s impressive given the fact that the nation has been expanded to 24 teams.

Here are the four pots for the draw. India are in pot three with the top two pots being occupied by teams who made it to the second round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. 

John Dykes, a familiar face to Premier League fans across the world is the host for the draw and he takes to the stage after a catchy musical dance number.

India have made it to the AFC Asian Cup after failing to qualify for the 2015 edition. The Blue Tigers topped their third round qualifying group beating the likes of the Kyrgyz Republic, Myanmar and Macau.

Hello and welcome to Firstpost’s coverage of the AFC Asian Cup 2019 draw happening at the Burj Khalifa, Dubai.