Bangladesh handed tough AFC U-20 challenge with India, Syria and Uzbekistan

Bangladesh national under-20 football team have been placed in a challenging Group ‘B’ alongside Uzbekistan, Syria and India in the qualification round of the AFC U-20 Asian Cup 2027.

The groupings were finalised during the official draw ceremony held at AFC House in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday (May 28).

Group B matches will be played in a centralised single round-robin format in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, between August 25 and September 6, 2026.

Under the newly introduced AFC youth competition format announced earlier this year, the tournament now features a two-tier structure incorporating promotion and relegation. A total of 32 teams have been divided into eight groups of four in the qualification phase.

The eight group champions along with the seven best runners-up will qualify for the 43rd edition of the tournament’s final round. Meanwhile, the bottom-placed team from each group will be relegated to the Development Phase for the next edition.

Bangladesh will face tough competition in the group, particularly from regional powerhouse Uzbekistan and traditionally strong Syria, while the South Asian rivalry with India is expected to add further excitement to the qualifiers.

India national under-20 football team were placed in Pot 3 based on AFC rankings derived from performances in the 2018, 2023 and 2025 editions. India are aiming to qualify for the AFC U-20 Asian Cup final round for the first time since hosting the tournament in 2006. Their best achievement came in 1974, when they were declared joint champions with Iran.

In other groups, 12-time champions South Korea national under-20 football team were drawn with Kyrgyz Republic, the Philippines and Lebanon in Group A. Group C features Iran, Vietnam, North Korea and Palestine, while Group D includes Jordan, Tajikistan, Bahrain and Afghanistan.

Group E consists of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and China. Iraq, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and Turkmenistan will compete in Group F. Japan, Yemen, Cambodia and Kuwait were placed in Group G, while defending champions Australia headline Group H alongside Indonesia, Malaysia and Laos.

The Development Phase groups include emerging football nations such as Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka as part of AFC’s revised youth development structure.