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Afghanistan drawn in challenging group for AFC U-20 Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers
The Afghanistan U-20 national football team has been drawn alongside Jordan, Tajikistan and hosts Bahrain in Group D of the AFC U-20 Asian Cup China 2027 qualifiers.
The official draw was held Thursday at AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with qualification matches scheduled to take place from August 25 to September 6, 2026 in a centralized league format hosted by Bahrain.
Afghanistan faces a difficult path to qualification, with Jordan and Tajikistan both regarded as strong competitors in Asian youth football, while Bahrain will enjoy home advantage during the tournament.
The qualifiers are part of a newly restructured AFC youth competition system approved earlier this year. Under the new format, 32 teams in the Qualification Phase have been divided into eight groups of four teams each.
Group winners, along with the seven best second-placed teams, will advance to the AFC U-20 Asian Cup China 2027 finals.
The AFC said the revised format is aimed at creating more competitive and meaningful matches while giving teams the opportunity to face opponents of similar technical standards.
Under the new system, the bottom team in each qualification group will be relegated to the Development Phase for the following edition of the competition.
For Afghanistan, the tournament represents an important opportunity to continue developing young football talent and gain valuable international experience against some of the region’s stronger youth sides.
Football remains one of Afghanistan’s most popular sports, and youth national teams have increasingly participated in regional and continental competitions despite ongoing challenges facing the country’s sporting sector.
The AFC U-20 Asian Cup China 2027 finals are scheduled to be held from March 24 to April 10, 2027.
Draw Result
Qualification Phase
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Group A: Korea Republic, Kyrgyz Republic (H), Philippines, Lebanon
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Group B: Uzbekistan (H), Syria, India, Bangladesh
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Group C: Iran, Vietnam (H), DPR Korea, Palestine
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Group D: Jordan, Tajikistan, Bahrain (H), Afghanistan
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Group E: Saudi Arabia, Qatar (H), Oman, Hong Kong, China
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Group F: Iraq, Thailand (H), UAE, Turkmenistan
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Group G: Japan, Yemen, Cambodia (H), Kuwait
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Group H: Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos (H)
Group winners and seven best second-placed teams advance to Finals.
The bottom team of each group relegated to the Development Phase of next edition.
Development Phase
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Group I: Mongolia (H), Guam, Nepal, Northern Mariana Islands
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Group J: Chinese Taipei, Singapore, Bhutan (H), Macau
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Group K: Myanmar (H), Maldives, Brunei Darussalam, Sri Lanka
Group winners and second-placed teams promoted to the Qualification Phase of next edition.
Sources told Ariana News that a cabinet meeting of Afghanistan’s Islamic Emirate was held last Wednesday in Kandahar under the leadership of Sheikh Hibatullah Akhundzada, the leader of the Islamic Emirate.
According to the sources, Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate, along with a large number of cabinet members, also attended the meeting.
Sources added that key issues related to the country were discussed and reviewed during the meeting.
Abdul Baqi Haqqani, head of the National Examinations Authority, announced on Friday that the fourth and final round of the university entrance examination (Kankor), in which 120,000 candidates participated, has concluded in a transparent manner.
He added that this was an important and valuable step for the country’s academic process, which was successfully implemented by the National Examinations Authority through precise planning, organized management, and joint efforts.
This year’s Kankor examination organized in four stages. In the first stage, graduates from 15 provinces participated; in the second stage, graduates from 18 provinces were included; and in the third stage, 12th-grade graduates from Kabul province took part.
In the final stage, absentees from previous stages, graduates from abroad, graduates of ethnic and tribal studies, graduates of religious schools in Kabul province, 14th-grade graduates, and night faculty applicants were included. This examination was held today (Friday).
The Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed receipt of a list of members of an Islamic Emirate delegation scheduled to travel to Brussels, with security screening for visa issuance now underway.
The delegation is expected to hold talks with the European Union focused on the return of Afghan migrants.
EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Magnus Brunner has described the visa process for Islamic Emirate officials as “somewhat complicated,” while stressing the need for constructive dialogue with the authorities in Kabul to address migration-related challenges.
Political analyst Ghous Janbaz said European countries are interested in engaging directly with Islamic Emirate representatives, including on the return of Afghan migrants who have allegedly committed crimes in Europe.
The development comes amid growing pressure on Afghan migrants across Europe in recent years, with countries such as Germany and Austria reportedly taking steps toward deporting some Afghan asylum seekers.
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