Asian Communities tournament draw held

Doha: A total of 10 teams will feature in the 2018 Asian Communities tournament. The hugely popular tournament – organised by Qatar Football Association (QFA) – is now into its seventh year.

The details of the 28-match tournament were revealed at a draw ceremony conducted at Al Bidda Tower. The teams were divided into two groups of five.

The first group includes Japan, the Philippines, defending champions Lebanon, Palestine and Bangladesh. The second group includes teams from Jordan, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Malaysia.

Each side will play four matches before the top four sides from each group qualify to the quarter-finals.

The tournament will begin on Thursday, November

29, and the group stage matches will continue until January 18, 2019, which will be held in five stages.

The quarter-finals will be played on 24-25 January. There will be a match for the third place between the two losing teams in the semifinals on Friday, with the winners of the same round of the championship in the final on Friday, February 8.

The matches will be played held at the Doha Stadium and Al Markhiya Club. The tournament remains hugely popular among the football loving communities living in Qatar, thanks to QFA’s outreach programmes. The event set to draw huge crowds like it did in previous years.

The tournament has been a major success in all its previous versions – the first, second, third, fourth and fifth – where the number of participating teams doubled after the first edition that saw the participation of 6 teams. Indonesia won the inaugural edition in 2013.

The second team saw the participation of 12 teams as Jordan emerged champions. The following years Indonesia, Lebanon and Indian communities won the event.