Draw favours BD U-20, U-17 sides

Following a break of more than two years due to the coronavirus pandemic, Bangladesh and other Asian countries are all set to get back to the action of Asian Football Confederation-sanctioned AFC U-20 Asian Cup Qualifiers as well as AFC U-17 Asian Cup Qualifiers in September and October with both draws having taken place at Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Bangladesh have been placed in Group B, a comparatively easy group, along with hosts Bahrain, Qatar, Nepal and Bhutan as 44 nations, split into 10 groups, will play the inaugural U-20 Qualifiers between September 10 to 18. Afterwards, 10 group winners and best five runners-up will advance to the final round to be hosted by Uzbekistan in 2023.

And much like the U-20 Qualifiers, the U-17 Asian Cup Qualifiers sees the hosts Bangladesh placed in a comparatively easy group. Alongside Bangladesh, Group E features Yemen, Singapore and Bhutan as 44 national teams will vie for the 16-team final round with 10 group winners and best five runners-up set to join hosts Bahrain in the final round, to be held in 2023.