BANGKOK: Asian futsal kingpins Iran were drawn in an easy group for the 10th edition of the AFC Futsal Championship here in the Thai capital on Friday.

Iran, who will be gunning for their ninth title, were the last to be pulled out of the pot for the 16-team event and placed alongside Central Asian side Tajikistan, China and qualifiers Kuwait in Group D.

Unlike Iran, 2006 champions and last edition’s runners-up Japan will have to negotiate a tricky path to the quarter-finals after being pooled in Group B with Australia, who reached the last eight in Osaka last year, Turkmenistan and Chinese Taipei, who came through after a successful qualification campaign.

Hosts Thailand were slotted in Group A with 2007 semi-finalists Kyrgyzstan, Indonesia and, in a match-up reminiscent of the AFC Asian Cup last year, Iraq.

Uzbekistan, one of the strongest teams in Asia who have figured in the semi-finals of all the editions since 2005, will face vastly improved Lebanon, Korea Republic and qualifiers Malaysia in Group C.

The top-two teams in each group progress to the quarter-finals of the May 11-18 competition and the semi-finalists get an invite to the FIFA Futsal World Cup later in the year.

AFC FUTSAL CHAMPIONSHIP 2008
FULL GROUPINGS

GROUP A

1. Kyrgyzstan
2. Thailand
3. Iraq
4. Indonesia

GROUP B

1. Japan
2. Australia
3. Turkmenistan
4. Chinese Taipei

GROUP C

1. Uzbekistan
2. Lebanon
3. Korea Republic
4. Malaysia

GROUP D

1. Iran
2. Tajikistan
3. China
4. Kuwait

Click here for complete 2008 AFC Futsal Chacmpionship scheduled