AFC U-16 Championship 2016 hosts India will take on Iran, Bahrain and Lebanon in Group E of the qualifiers, which will be used by the Indian team as a preparation for the finals. The Draw Ceremony was conducted at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Friday.
A total of 45 nations will participate in the qualifiers. The eleven group winners and four best second-placed teams will qualify for the finals, with hosts India receiving an automatic qualification (total 16 teams). In case India finish top of their qualifying group or among the four best second-placed teams, the next (5th) second best placed nation will qualify for the final competition.
AFC U-16 CHAMPIONSHIP 2016 | THE DRAW
West Zone
Group A: Uzbekistan, Yemen, Palestine (hosts), Maldives
Group B: Nepal, Oman, Kyrgyzstan (hosts), Jordan
Group C: Qatar (hosts), Tajikistan, Iraq, Turkmenistan
Group D: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Pakistan, Bangladesh (hosts)
Group E: Iran (hosts), Bahrain, India, Lebanon
Group F: Syria, Kuwait (hosts), Afghanistan, Sri Lanka
East Zone
Group G: Malaysia, Laos, Philippines, Northern Mariana Islands, Timor-Leste
Group H: DPR Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia
Group I: Korea Republic, China, Chinese Taipei, Macau
Group J: Australia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Guam
Group K: Japan, Hong Kong, Brunei, Mongolia