2022 AFC U23 Asian Cup: Host nation, qualifiers, date, teams and everything you need to know

The 2022 AFC U23 Asian Cup will be the fifth edition of the competition since its inception in 2013. It is a biennial international youth football championship that is usually held in a single venue.

Iraq had won the inaugural 2013 AFC U23 Asian Cup which was held in Oman. The other teams to win the competition are Japan, Uzbekistan and South Korea who are also the reigning champions of the competition.

When will the 2022 AFC U23 Asian Cup take place?

The 2022 AFC U23 Asian Cup will start on June 1 and the final will take place on June 19, 2022.

Where will the 2022 AFC U23 Asian Cup take place?

The U23 competition was initially supposed to be held in China which would have served as a preparatory competition ahead of the 2023 Asian Cup which will be hosted by China. But on October 15, 2020, it was decided that China would withdraw from hosting the tournament due to scheduling conflicts, stadium completion timelines ahead of other international events and challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic. AFC reopened the invitations for the selection of a new host nation and on March 18 2021, the AFC announced that Uzbekistan will host the tournament.

What is the format of the 2022 AFC U23 Asian Cup?

15 teams make it to the final tournament from the qualification rounds and join the host nation. The 16 teams are then divided into four groups and two group toppers progress to the knock-out stage.

When are the 2022 AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers and what is the format?

The AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers are scheduled to start from October 23 and will go on till October 28. 42 teams are divided into 11 groups. In each group, teams play each other once at a centralized venue. The eleven group winners and the four best runner-up teams qualify for the final tournament. In case, tournament hosts Uzbekistan compete and win their group or are among the four best runners-up, the fifth-best runner-up also qualifies for the final tournament.

Which group is India placed in at the 2022 AFC U23 Asian Cup and when and where are they playing?

The Blue colts are placed in Group E at the qualifiers alongside UAE, Oman and Kyrgyz Republic and the matches of Group E will be held in UAE. India begin their campaign on October 27 against Oman followed by facing the hosts UAE on October 29. They play their final group game against Kyrgyz Republic on October 31.

What are the Covid-19 protocols in UAE?

All personnel entering UAE must present a negative result of the RT-PCR test. All travellers will be tested again on arrival at the country. If the test result is positive, the traveller must stay in isolation for as many days as prescribed by the emirate of their residence. If they violate home quarantine rules, they would be liable to a fine of AED 50,000.

India's record at AFC U23 Championship