U-23s land in tricky group in Asian Cup Qualifiers

Bangladesh have been drawn in a strong Group C of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers, alongside strong Vietnam, Yemen and Singapore, as the draw for the tournament was held at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia yesterday.

As many as 44 teams, split into 11 groups, will compete in the Qualifiers from September 1–9, with the 11 group champions and four best runners-up joining hosts Saudi Arabia in the 12-team final round in January next year.

Bangladesh have never qualified for the finals of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup, finishing bottom of their four-team group with no points in the last edition of the qualifying round. They have so far played 18 matches in six editions of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers since 2013, managing only one win -- against Sri Lanka -- and one draw, against India.