Kuwait in Pot 4 as AFC Asian Cup 2027 draw looms in Diriyah

07/05/2026

RIYADH, May 7: The draw for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup will take place tomorrow in the city of Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, which is hosting the tournament with the participation of 24 national teams representing the Asian continent.

23 teams have already secured qualification for the finals of “Saudi Arabia 2027,” while the final spot will be decided on June 4 between Lebanon and Yemen.

The teams have been divided into four pots, and they will be drawn into six groups, each consisting of four teams. The pots are as follows:

Pot 1: Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Australia

Pot 2: Iraq, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Jordan, Syria

Pot 3: Thailand, Bahrain, China, Palestine, Tajikistan, Vietnam

Pot 4: North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Indonesia, Kuwait, Singapore, plus Lebanon or Yemen

Meanwhile, the Kuwait national team head coach, Portuguese Helio Sousa, began training sessions with the team on the 9th of this month. The team will enter an overseas training camp in Thailand from June 1 to June 10, during which it will play two friendly matches against Thailand and Oman on June 5 and June 9.

Sousa is expected to expand the squad list in the upcoming call-up, especially after the suspension of local sports activity since February 28, which affected the physical readiness of several players.

The team has not gathered since participating in the Arab Cup held in Doha last November, where they exited from the group stage. Its planned participation in the Kazakhstan tournament in March was also cancelled due to regional circumstances.

This camp is part of preparations for the Gulf Cup 27, which will be hosted by Saudi Arabia from September 23 to October 6, as well as the West Asian Championship scheduled in Kuwait in November. If the tournament is not held, Kuwait will instead play matches during FIFA international windows.

By Khaled Al-Enezi and Hassan Mosa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff