Pakistan, India in separate groups for the final round of AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers
Pakistan's football team, which is ranked 198th on the FIFA Rankings, is clubbed with Myanmar (167), Afghanistan (155) and Syria (95).
India's Naorem Mahesh Singh and Pakistan's Ali Khan Niazi (R) fight for the ball during the Group A South Asian Football Federation Championship match between India and Pakistan at the Shree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on June 21, 2023.
AFP
Pakistan’s have been placed in Group E after the draw for the final round of AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers on Monday at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Pakistan, who are ranked 198th on the FIFA Rankings, are clubbed with Myanmar (167), Afghanistan (155) and Syria (95).
Pakistan and Afghanistan are among the nine teams who will be dreaming of a historic maiden AFC Asian Cup qualification along with Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Laos, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste.
Pakistan had finished last in Group G, which included Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Jordan, of the previous round after losing all six of their matches.
World number 127 India are in Group C with Hong Kong (156), Singapore (161) and Bangladesh (185).
India and Afghanistan had finished third and fourth, respectively, in Group A of the second round.
The 24 teams have been divided into six groups with only the group winners set to advance to the finals.
Brunei Darussalam, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste made it to the third round after playoff win over Macau, Cambodia and Mongolia respectively.
Meanwhile, Bhutan, Maldives and Laos sealed their place as the three best-ranked losing teams in the Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1. The remaining 18 sides finished third and fourth in the second round of qualifying.
Complete draw result
Group A: Tajikistan, Philippines, Maldives, Timor-Leste
Group B: Lebanon, Yemen, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam
Group C: India, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangladesh
Group D: Thailand, Turkmenistan, Chinese Taipei, Sri Lanka
Group E: Syria, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Pakistan
Group F: Vietnam, Malaysia, Nepal, Laos
The qualifiers will start on March 25, 2025, with the teams to lock horns on a home and away basis.
The six group winners will join the 18 teams who qualified for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 after the second round of qualifying.
Pakistan’s schedule
25 Mar 2025: Syria vs Pakistan (A)
10 Jun 2025: Pakistan vs Myanmar (H)
09 Oct 2025: Pakistan vs Afghanistan (H)
14 Oct 2025: Afghanistan vs Pakistan (A)
18 Nov 2025: Pakistan vs Syria (H)
31 Mar 2026: Myanmar vs Pakistan (A)
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