Oman in Pot 1 for AFC U17 Qualifiers

MUSCAT: Oman have been placed in Pot 1 for the AFC U17 Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2027 Qualifiers draw, strengthening their position ahead of the continental qualification campaign which will see the Sultanate of Oman host one of the seven groups in Salalah in November.

The official draw will take place at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on August 27, with 35 participating teams to be divided into seven groups of five.

Oman are among the seven top-seeded teams in Pot 1 alongside the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Iran, Thailand, Indonesia and India.

Pot 2 comprises Kuwait, Iraq, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Turkmenistan, Myanmar and Laos, while Bahrain, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Hong Kong, China make up Pot 3.

Young Red Warriors go through their training drills during the national team’s camp in Muscat.

Lebanon, Pakistan, Mongolia, Singapore, the Philippines, Chinese Taipei and Bhutan have been placed in Pot 4, with Cambodia, Macau, Brunei Darussalam, Northern Mariana Islands, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Guam completing the draw in Pot 5.

Oman will be among seven nations hosting the centralised qualifying groups, alongside Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos and Kyrgyzstan.

The Oman-hosted group will be played in Salalah from November 8 to 20, giving the national U17 side home advantage as they target a place in the continental finals.

Oman’s U17 national team are currently undergoing an internal training camp in Muscat from August 6 to 17 as part of their preparations for upcoming regional and continental competitions, including the AFC U17 Asian Cup Qualifiers in November.

Oman’s U17 national team continue preparations during their internal training camp ahead of upcoming regional and continental competitions.

Under the qualification format, only the winners of the seven groups will advance to the AFC U17 Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2027 finals.

Oman’s position in Pot 1 means they will avoid the other six top-seeded sides during the draw, while their remaining four opponents will come from Pots 2 to 5.

The draw will therefore provide a clearer picture of Oman’s path to the continental finals as the national side looks to make the most of playing the qualifying campaign on home soil.

The AFC U17 Asian Cup remains one of the continent’s key youth competitions, providing emerging players with an important platform at international level and a pathway towards future age-group and senior national team representation.