Asia takes 1st steps on road to 2022 World Cup in Qatar

[IRANMAN]

Asia takes first steps on road to 2022 World Cup in Qatar
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — The first steps on the road to the next World Cup were taken on Wednesday when the Asian Football Confederation held a draw for the first round of qualifying for Qatar 2022.
Twelve of Asia's lowest-ranked teams will face each other home and away on June 6 and 11.
The six winners will progress to the second round in September, grouped with powerhouses such as Japan, Australia, South Korea and Iran.
Malaysia, the highest-ranked team in the first round at 168th in the world according to FIFA, will face East Timor, while Cambodia, coached part-time by former Japan international Keisuke Honda, meets Pakistan.
In the other games, Laos hosts Bangladesh, Bhutan faces Guam while Mongolia takes on Brunei. Sri Lanka, Asia's lowest-ranked team at 202, meets Macau.
The second round of qualification starts in September with 40 teams divided into eight groups of five.
The winner and the four best second-place teams will progress to the next stage and will also qualify for the 2023 Asian Cup that will be held either in China or South Korea.

[BacheLot]

at the current trajectory, in short few years we gonna be forced to join these lot in Early Rounds for the WC and AC qualifications..!!

[Nokhodi]

I really hope it's not a 48 team world Cup. It only means 2 round robin games! All so they can force China and other minnows qualify.

[Karimi 8]

^ 48 team world cup would suck, it would take away the fun intensity of the qualifiers.

[Nokhodi]

^ 48 team world cup would suck, it would take away the fun intensity of the qualifiers.

It would be the beginning of the end of international football (which I believe is the intent). Milking a poor product for all its worth until people abandon it in huge numbers.

They're going to put more and more focus on their stupid club world cup tournament.

[perspolis#1]

I really hope it's not a 48 team world Cup. It only means 2 round robin games! All so they can force China and other minnows qualify.

Decision will be given on June 5th.

[Ali Doust]

Canada-US-Mexico would be ideal for 48 teams. Qatar is way too small to host that many teams.

[ehsan singapore]

48 team is a bad desicion, world cup must be the best teams. not any one who can qualify

[Galactika]

Cambodia, coached part-time by former Japan international Keisuke Honda

Hahaha "part time by keisuke honda..." 😂
Honda: "okay lads, today we're gonna focus on short-passing *phone ringing* oh shit, it's my girlfriend I gotta go.

[KC McElroy]

A World Cup should have 16 teams, 24 at the most.

[Galactika]

A World Cup should have 16 teams, 24 at the most.

then Iran should say bye bye to the world cup

[KC McElroy]

then Iran should say bye bye to the world cup

1978.

[ehsan singapore]

16 is too little but 32 is just nice. 48 is pushing it

[Kavian]

And world cup groups should be 5 teams and not 4.

4 is just too quick and unfair. You lose one game, almost impossible to recover.

[KC McElroy]

And world cup groups should be 5 teams and not 4.

4 is just too quick and unfair. You lose one game, almost impossible to recover.

It can't be an odd number because the last games of the group won't be at the same time as one team would have already played all of its games. I don't know how they are gonna get around this for a 48 team World Cup.