DUSHANBE, 11.02.2019. (NIAT Khovar) – The national team of Tajikistan will play in the qualifying tournament of the World Cup 2022 from the second round of the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) zone.

The updated FIFA ranking was published recently. Following its results, the participants of the first round became known. The World Cup 2022 qualifying tournament for the countries of the AFC zone will be held in four rounds. The first two rounds will be combined with the selection for the Asian Cup 2023.

The weakest teams according to FIFA’s February ranking will take part in the first selection round. Teams will be divided into pairs and will play two games at home and away for the right to reach the second selection round.

Forty teams, including a team from Tajikistan, will take part in the second selection round. The teams will be divided into 8 groups by 5 teams each.

The matches of the first selection round of the World Cup 2022 in the AFC zone will be held on July 6-11 this year. Malaysia, Cambodia, Macao, Laos, Bhutan, Mongolia, Guam, Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, East Timor, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will play in the first selection round of the World Cup 2022 in the AFC zone.

The second round will start on September 5. Iran, Japan, Korea, Australia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, China, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Uzbekistan, Oman, Kyrgyzstan, Jordan, Vietnam, Palestine, India, Bahrain, Thailand, Tajikistan, North Korea, the Philippines, Chinese Taipei, Turkmenistan, Myanmar, Hong Kong, Yemen, Afghanistan, Maldives, Kuwait, Indonesia, Nepal and Singapore will start in the second round.

Totally 5 teams will take part in the Qatar World Cup 2022 from the AFC zone.