AFC Asian Cup 2019: Schedule, Time and Venue

The 2019 AFC Asian Cup, the 17th edition of the AFC Asian Cup, will be held in the United Arab Emirates from January 5 to February 1, 2019. 

The 16-team format, which was used from 2004 to 2015, has been expanded and now, for the first time, the Asian Cup tournament will be contested by 24 teams. 

The winner of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup will earn the right to participate in the 2021 FIFA Confederations Cup.

Australia are the defending champions going into the tournament, having won the previous competition in 2015. 

India are hoping to use their Asian Cup participation as a building block to realise their 2026 World Cup qualification dream but doubts linger over their preparation as they return to next month's continental showpiece in the UAE.

Cricket-loving India has a population of 1.3 billion but it is a massive underachiever as far as football is concerned.

India's fourth participation in the Asian Cup should be looked as a precursor to their goal of achieving a berth in the World Cup for the first time by 2026, according to All India Football Federation President Praful Patel.

Group A
United Arab Emirates
Thailand
India
Bahrain

Group B
Australia
Syria
Palestine
Jordan

Group C
South Korea
China PR
Kyrgyzstan
Philippines

Group D
Iran
Iraq
Vietnam
Yemen

Group E
Saudi Arabia
Qatar
Lebanon
North Korea

Group F
Japan
Uzbekistan
Oman
Turkmenistan 

Here is the complete schedule:

(All timings in IST)

January 5

Group A | United Arab Emirates vs Bahrain | 09:30 pm | Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi

January 6

Group B | Australia vs Jordan | 04:30 pm | Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
Group A | Thailand vs India | 07:00 pm | Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Group B | Syria vs Palestine | 09:30 pm | Sharjah Stadium, Sharjah

January 7

Group C | China vs Kyrgyzstan | 04:30 pm | Sheikh Khalifa International Stadium, Al Ain
Group C | South Korea vs Philippines | 07:00 pm | Al-Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
Group D | Iran vs Yemen | | 09:30 pm | Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

January 8

Group D | Iraq vs Vietnam | 07:00 pm | Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Group E | Saudi Arabia vs North Korea | 09:30 pm | Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai

January 9

Group F | Japan vs Turkmenistan | 04:30 pm | Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Group F | Uzbekistan vs Oman | 07:00 pm | Sharjah Stadium, Sharjah
Group E | Qatar vs Lebanon | 09:30 pm | Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain

January 10

Group A | Bahrain vs Thailand | 04:30 pm | Al-Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
Group B | Jordan vs Syria | 07:00 pm | Sheikh Khalifa International Stadium, Al Ain
Group A | India vs United Arab Emirates | 09:30 pm | Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi

January 11

Group B | Palestine vs Australia | 04:30 pm | Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
Group C | Philippines vs China | 07:00 pm | Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Group C | Kyrgyzstan vs South Korea | 09:30 pm | Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain

January 12

Group D | Vietnam vs Iran | 04:30 pm | Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Group D | Yemen vs Iraq | 07:00 pm | Sharjah Stadium, Sharjah
Group E | Lebanon vs Saudi Arabia | 09:30 pm | Al-Maktoum Stadium, Dubai

January 13

Group E | North Korea vs Qatar | 04:30 pm | Sheikh Khalifa International Stadium, Al Ain
Group F | Oman vs Japan | 07:00 pm | Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Group F | Turkmenistan vs Uzbekistan | 09:30 pm | Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai

January 14

Group A | United Arab Emirates vs Thailand | 09:30 pm | Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
Group A | India vs Bahrain | 09:30 pm | Sharjah Stadium, Sharjah

January 15

Group A | Australia vs Syria | 07:00 pm | Sheikh Khalifa International Stadium, Al Ain
Group B | Palestine vs Jordan | 07:00 pm | Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

January 16

Group C | South Korea vs China | 07:00 pm | Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Group C | Kyrgyzstan vs Philippines | 07:00 pm | Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
Group D | Vietnam vs Yemen | 09:30 pm | Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
Group D | Iran vs Iraq | 09:30 pm | Al-Maktoum Stadium, Dubai

January 17

Group F | Oman vs Turkmenistan | 07:00 pm | Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Group F | Japan vs Uzbekistan | 07:00 pm | Sheikh Khalifa International Stadium, Al Ain
Group E | Saudi Arabia vs Qatar | 09:30 pm | Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Group E | Lebanon vs North Korea | 09:30 pm | Sharjah Stadium, Sharjah

Round of 16

January 20

Winner Group B vs 3rd Group A/C/D | 04:30 pm | Al-Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
Runner-Up Group A vs Runner-Up Group C | 07:00 pm | Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
Winner Group D vs 3rd Group B/E/F | 10:30 pm | Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

January 21

Winner Group F vs Runner-Up Group E | 04:30 pm | Sharjah Stadium, Sharjah
Runner-Up Group B vs Runner-Up Group F | 07:00 pm |  Sheikh Khalifa International Stadium, Al Ain
Winner Group A vs 3rd Group C/D/E | 10:30 pm | Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi

January 22

Winner Group C vs 3rd Group A/B/F | 06:30 pm | Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
Winner Group E vs Runner-Up Group D | 09:30 pm | Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi

January 24

TBC vs TBC | 06:30 pm | Al-Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
TBC vs TBC | 09:30 pm | Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

January 25

TBC vs TBC | 06:30 pm | Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
TBC vs TBC | 09:30 pm | Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain

Semi-final

January 28

TBC vs TBC | 07:30 pm | Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain

January 29

TBC vs TBC | 07:30 pm | Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

February 1

TBC vs TBC | 07:30 pm | Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi