AFC U-23 Championship Qualifications - Group D Preview

Teams from the length and breadth of Asia are set to begin their quest to reach the AFC U-23 Championship China 2018 when the first round of qualifiers kick-off on Saturday, July 15.

With a thrilling few days of continental action set to unfold, join the-AFC.com as we run the rule over the opening fixtures.

Group winners will automatically qualify for next year’s AFC U-23 Championship in China. The five best runners-up across all groups will also qualify for the finals. However, if China win their group or are among the best five runners-up, the sixth best runner-up will also qualify.

Group D
The United Arab Emirates and Nepal will have the honour of getting the qualifiers underway when they meet at the Tahnon Bin Mohamed Stadium in Al Ain on Saturday, July 15. With a talented squad at their disposal, the UAE harbour high hopes of booking their ticket to China and improving on the nation’s two previous quarter-final exits. In the group’s other opening fixture, Lebanon are set to face Uzbekistan who – like the UAE - appeared at the tournament’s 2014 and 2016 editions.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES v NEPAL
Venue: Tahnon Bin Mohamed Stadium, Al Ain City
Kick-off: July 15, 18:25 UTC+4

UZBEKISTAN v LEBANON
Venue: Tahnon Bin Mohamed Stadium, Al Ain City
Kick-off: July 15, 21:15 UTC+4