GOAL takes a look at the sides that have already made it to the Asian Cup 2023…
A total of 13 teams have already qualified for the AFC Asian Cup 2023. From the second round of joint qualifiers of World Cup 2022 and AFC Asian Cup 2023, the eight group leaders and the five-best runners-up teams have qualified for the continent’s marquee tournament that is slated to be hosted by China.
The finals will take place in June and July 2023, which is a shift from the usual January/February window.
Which teams have already qualified for the AFC Asian Cup 2023?
| Team | FIFA Rank | Coach |
| Japan | 28 | Hajime Moriyasu |
| Iran | 31 | Dragan Skocic |
| South Korea | 39 | Paulo Bento |
| Australia | 41 | Graham Arnold |
| Qatar | 58 | Felix Sanchez Bas |
| Saudi Arabia | 65 | Herve Renard |
| Iraq | 68 | Srecko Katanec |
| UAE | 73 | Bert van Marwijk |
| China | 77 | Li Tie |
| Syria | 79 | Nabil Maaloul |
| Oman | 80 | Branko Ivanovic |
| Vietnam | 92 | Park Hang-seo |
| Lebanon | 93 | Jamal Taha |
What did the AFC President say?
Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa congratulated the Asian teams on qualifying for the Asian Cup 2023 and also progressing to the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers third round.
“On behalf of the Asian football family, I would like to congratulate our teams for showcasing incredible quality and consistency to clinch their places in the final round of the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar as well as the AFC Asian Cup China 2023,” he stated.
With 57 matches staged over 19 days across the Continent, the AFC President also applauded the dedication of the Asian football family towards the safe delivery of the qualifying tournament amidst the challenges of the global pandemic.
“These were extremely exceptional and challenging circumstances. For the first time, we decided to stage the qualifying matches in centralised venues, as part of our unwavering commitment to ensure above all else, the continued safety and wellbeing of our players, teams, officials and all our stakeholders. It was a bold but necessary decision under the most difficult circumstances, but through great unity and impeccable coordination, I am pleased to note that our Member Associations delivered on our promise.
“I must thank all our centralised host Member Associations for their incredible commitment as well as all our participating teams for their determination towards completing the matches successfully and safely,” he commented.
These teams will now focus on the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar Final Round, which will be held on July 1, 2021, when Asia’s top 12 contenders will be drawn into two groups of six teams each. The seeding for the draw will be based on a special release of the FIFA Rankings for Asian teams on June 18, 2021.