The battle for Brazil World Cup berth begins

The 16 lowest ranked teams – based on their record at the qualification campaign for the 2010 FIFA World Cup – were paired off to play home and away matches with the winners advancing to Round 2

The eight winners from Round 1 will join 22 higher ranked teams where the teams were paired off for home-and-away matches on July 23 and 28.

Four-time qualifiers Saudi Arabia were spared having to wait for the outcome of a first round match to know their opening opponents in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign with Wednesday’s draw pitting them against Hong Kong.

The Saudis missed out on a fifth consecutive finals appearance at the 2010 World Cup after losing the AFC play-off to neighbours Bahrain and consequently missed out on direct entry to the third round.

Iran, who have competed on World football’s biggest stage on three previous occasions, also avoided having to play the waiting game and the second round draw will have raised a few smiles in the Team Melli camp with the three-time Asian champions renewing acquaintances with the Maldives, the nation they hammered 26-0 over two legs in the 1998 World Cup qualifiers.

The draw also set up a number of intriguing ties particularly in the second round which pits 2011 AFC Asian Cup semi-finalists Uzbekistan in a Central Asian derby against neighbours Kyrgyzstan while Malaysia could square off with archrivals Singapore if the reigning ASEAN champions can overcome first round opponents Chinese Taipei.

The first round also features two intriguing regional matchups with Bangladesh squaring off against Pakistan, with Lebanon awaiting the winners of the South Asian derby and Cambodia and Laos battling it for the right to meet China in the second round.

Meanwhile, 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar look set for a very tricky second round hurdle with Vietnam their potential opponents, assuming that the skilful South East Asians don’t slip up in their first round clash with Macau.

The 15 winners from the second round will join the top five direct entrants (Japan, Korea Republic, DPR Korea, Australia and Bahrain) in the third round where they will be divided into five groups of four teams each.

2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil – Asian Qualifiers

Round 1
Malaysia v Chinese Taipei
Bangladesh v Pakistan
Cambodia v Laos
Sri Lanka v Philippines
Afghanistan v Palestine
Vietnam v Macau
Nepal v Timor Leste
Mongolia v Myanmar

First leg, June 29
Second leg, July 3

Round 2
Thailand v Afghanistan or Palestine
Lebanon v Bangladesh or Pakistan
China v Cambodia or Laos
Turkmenistan v Indonesia
Kuwait v Sri Lanka or Philippines
Oman v Mongolia or Myanmar
Saudi Arabia v Hong Kong
Iran v Maldives
Syria v Tajikistan
Qatar v Vietnam or Macau
Iraq v Yemen
Singapore v Malaysia or Chinese Taipei
Uzbekistan v Kyrgyzstan
UAE v India
Jordan v Nepal or Timor Leste

First leg, July 23
Second leg, July 28

Round 3
September 2, September 6, October 11, November 11, November 15, 2011 and February 29, 2012

Round 4
June 3, June 8, June 12, September 11, October 16, November 14, 2012, March 26, June 4, June 11, June 18, 2013

Round 5 (AFC playoff)
September 6 and September 10, 2013

Round 6 (Inter-continental playoff)
October 15 and November 19, 2013