Asian minnows make play for 2018 WCup
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Ultra-minnows Bhutan, Guam and East Timor will be among the 28 teams in action today as they pursue their unlikely quest to reach the 2018 World Cup finals.
While normally consigned to the lower reaches of the FIFA rankings, recent performances have earned these underdogs the right to join giants Japan, South Korea, Australia and Iran in the second round of qualifying.
Thirty-nine teams 鈥 after Indonesia was suspended by FIFA for political interference 鈥 will fight it out over nine months for 12 spots in the third round and a place at the 2019 Asian Cup.
Guam is in the second round for the first time after being given a bye because of its improved position in the world rankings, following a win against Chinese Taipei and a draw with China鈥檚 Hong Kong in last year鈥檚 East Asian Cup.
The tiny western Pacific island will host Turkmenistan in its Group D opener today before traversing the continent to face India, Oman and four-time World Cup contestant Iran.
Bhutan was bottom of the rankings in 209th place just three months ago, but back-to-back wins against Sri Lanka pushed it 50 places higher and gave it a spot in Group C alongside China, Qatar, Maldives and Hong Kong, which it will visit for its opening game.
Impoverished East Timor, one of the most recent FIFA members, also qualified for the first time after a convincing 5-1 aggregate triumph over Mongolia.
It has been drawn in Group A and visits Kuala Lumpur for its opening match against Malaysia at the Bukit Jalil Stadium.
Also in Group A, at the other end of the Asian footballing scale, is Saudi Arabia, which bidding to reach its fifth World Cup but its first since 2006.
With caretaker coach Faisal al-Baden at the helm following the January sacking of Cosmin Olaroiu after just two months in charge, the Green Falcons will host Palestine in Dammam.
The top seeds in each of the eight groups will begin their campaigns next Tuesday.
Asian champion Australia and perennial World Cup qualifiers Japan and South Korea will be heavily expected to take three of the continent鈥檚 four guaranteed places for Russia 2018, with a fifth also possible through an intercontinental playoff.
Iran joined the trio in making it to Brazil last year and will be confident of back-to-back World Cups for the first time having convinced Carlos Queiroz to stay on as head coach.
Australia will begin its campaign on Tuesday in the Kyrgyzstan capital of Bishkek, with Group B also offering trips to Tajikistan, Bangladesh and Jordan before concluding in March.
Japan also begins on Tuesday with a soft start at home to Singapore with further Group E matches against Cambodia, Syria and Afghanistan.
South Korea, fourth at its home World Cup in 2002, is in Southeast Asia for its opener against Myanmar in Bangkok on Tuesday. Myanmar is banned from hosting matches after crowd trouble at a 2014 qualifier.
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