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Forty-three Asian hopefuls now know their qualifying opponents following Friday’s draw at AFC House in Kuala Lumpur.
2016 champions, Japan, having finally claimed the crown after six previous appearances in the final, will face Thailand, Singapore and Mongolia, who are scheduled to host the Group I qualifiers.
India face 2016 runners-up Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Turkmenistan in Group D, while 2016 semifinalists and Group E hosts, the Iran, will meet Palestine, Jordan and Syria.
Meanwhile, South Korea, who have won the competition twelve times, will play host to a five-team Group F which also features Malaysia, Timor-Leste, Brunei Darussalam and Indonesia.
Ten (10) group winners and five (5) best second-placed teams will advance to finals along with the host country. The AFC U-19 Championship qualifying stage is scheduled to take place from October 31 to November 8, 2017.
WEST Zone
Group A: Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Nepal, Kyrgyz Republic (Host for qualifiers)
Group B: Uzbekistan, Tajikistan (Host for qualifiers), Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives
Group C: Iraq, Qatar (Host for qualifiers), Lebanon, Afghanistan
Group D: Saudi Arabia (Host for qualifiers), Yemen, Turkmenistan, India
Group E: Iran (Host for qualifiers), Palestine, Jordan, Syria
EAST Zone
Group F: South Korea (Host for qualifiers), Malaysia, Timor-Leste, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia
Group G: China, Myanmar, Philippines, Cambodia (Host for qualifiers)
Group H: Vietnam, Laos, Chinese Taipei, Macau
Group I: Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Mongolia (Host for qualifiers)
Group J: Australia, North Korea, Hong Kong, Northern Mariana Islands
