Vietnam are in Pot 1 as the reigning Asian runners-up alongside hosts Thailand, defending champions Uzbekistan and Asia’s third-placed team Qatar.

Vietnam booked a ticket to compete in the final as they topped Group K qualifying round after three wins and 11 goals with nine points. Thailand finished second with six points in the group but will still compete as the hosts of the finals.

Forty-four teams took part in the qualification’s 11 groups which ended on Tuesday. The group-winning teams and four best second-placed ones qualified for the finals.

According to the AFC, Pot 2 includes South Korea, Japan, Iraq and North Korea. Pot 3 consists of China, Australia, Jordan and Saudi Arabi, while Syria, Iran, UAE and Bahrain are in Pot 4.

The draw is scheduled to take place in October.

The best three teams of the 2020 AFC U23 Championship will earn tickets to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

In other news, following beating Thailand and booking a ticket to compete in the 2020 AFC U23 Championship final, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism awarded the Vietnamese team VNĐ500million (US$21,700) and Vietnam Football Federation also awarded VNĐ1 billion ($43,500) to the team. — VNS