SINGAPORE, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Jordan coach Adnan Hamad has
bemoaned scheduling conflicts as his attempts to steer the side
through to a first World Cup finals were complicated by having
to also negotiate an Asian Cup qualifying campaign.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) conducted the draw
for the 2015 Asian Cup qualifiers in Australia on Tuesday and
Jordan were one of seven teams involved that are also still in
contention for a place at the World Cup in Brazil in 2014.
Japan and South Korea avoided Asian Cup qualifying courtesy
of being in the top-three finishers at the last Asian Cup, along
with runners-up Australia, who will host the 2015 tournament.
But Jordan, Qatar, Oman, Iran, Lebanon, Uzbekistan and Iraq
will all be required to handle overlapping campaigns.
The Asian Cup matches will begin in February and run through
to March 2014 with the top two sides from each group advancing
to the finals. The World Cup qualifiers are ongoing with the
final match date scheduled for June 18 next year.
Jordan currently hold one of the top-two automatic
qualifying berths for Brazil after their shock 2-1 home win over
Australia in Group B last month and travel to face bottom-placed
Oman next week.
In the regional qualifiers, Jordan were drawn with Syria,
Singapore and Oman but Hamad was only concentrating on the
fourth round World Cup clash in Muscat.
"We have a very good to chance to reach the (Asian Cup)
finals, but there is a problem as some of the matches are going
to be played at the same period with the World Cup qualifiers,"
Hamad told the Asian Football Confederation.
"We must focus now on the upcoming two matches in the World
Cup qualifiers, then we will start thinking about the Asian Cup
qualifications. We must give it (the World Cup qualifications)
full attention as we want to reach the finals."
Qatar were drawn alongside Bahrain, Yemen and Malaysia in
Group D of Asian qualifying but their Brazilian coach Paulo
Autuori shared Hamad's view of only thinking about next
Tuesday's World Cup clash.
Qatar are currently third in their five-team World Cup group
behind South Korea (seven points) but level on four points with
Iran and Lebanon with the Uzbeks two points back in last.
"We only think about the match with Uzbekistan in World Cup
qualifying now," Autuori told the AFC. "We will start thinking
about the Asian Cup qualifiers after the Uzbekistan match."
Lebanon have enjoyed some rapid progress under German coach
Theo Buckner and are competing in the fourth round of World Cup
qualifiers for the first time.
Expected to be the whipping boys of Group A, Lebanon stunned
Iran 1-0 last month and Buckner talked up his side's chances of
reaching the Asian Cup finals after being drawn alongside
Thailand, Kuwait and Iran, again.
"We must work very hard to keep the same level we reached
with the national team," Buckner told the AFC.
"Our chances are there to reach the Asian Cup, but we must
prepare the team in a good way to make them capable of playing
the World Cup qualifications and Asian Cup qualifying matches at
the same time."
- - - -
2015 Asian Cup qualifying draw
Group A
Jordan
Syria
Oman
Singapore
Group B
Iran
Kuwait
Thailand
Lebanon
Group C
Iraq
China
Saudi Arabia
Indonesia
Group D
Qatar
Bahrain
Yemen
Malaysia
Group E
Uzbekistan
United Arab Emirates
Vietnam
Hong Kong
(Reporting by Patrick Johnston; Editing by John O'Brien)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/soccer-scheduling-issues-irk-asian-sides-fighting-two-083218752--sow.html
shannon de lima joe torre west virginia university michele bachmann jessica biel tim howard west virginia
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