Inaugural AFC U-16 champions Saudi Arabia were the first team to be picked out of the hat and the 1985 winners were pooled in Group A along with 2008 tournament hosts Uzbekistan, Kuwait and the South Asian trio of Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Defending champions Iran have been drawn in Group B with Bahrain, Lebanon, Nepal, Tajikistan and the Maldives while Korea Republic, who were denied a third title after going down 2-1 to the Iranians in Tashkent last October, will once again come face-to-face with their northern neighbours in international competition.

The two Koreas find themselves in Group G which brings them up against the ASEAN quartet of Thailand, the only South East Asian nation to have won the AFC U-16s, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar.

Qatar, who have also won the tournament once despite reaching the final for a record six times, were drawn in Group C along with Syria, Yemen, Palestine Iraq and Bhutan while Qatar’s GCC neighbours the UAE and Oman, champions in 1996 and 2000, are in Group D with India, Turkmenistan, Jordan and Kyrgyzstan.

Two-time winners China are also taking on their neighbours after Friday’s draw placed them alongside Hong Kong and Macau with Singapore, Guam and Timor Leste completing the Group F line up.

Japan’s quest to become the first nation to claim the AFC U16 Championship for a third time begins again when the 1994 and 2006 winners come up against Indonesia, Mongolia, Chinese Taipei, Bangladesh and the Philippines in qualification Group E.

The winner and runner-up of each of the seven six-team groups as well as the best third-place side overall will advance to the 2010 AFC U16 Championship finals along with the country that emerges victorious from the trio contesting Group H, namely Australia, Laos and Malaysia.

Australia will be keen on some payback against Laos when the two renew acquaintances after the Joeys failed to qualify to the 2006 competition following their goalless draw with the Laotians.

The qualification campaign is scheduled to run from October 3 to 18, with the group venues to be confirmed at a later date.

AFC U16 Championship 2010 - Qualifying stage draw:

Group A: Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Kuwait, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan.
Group B: Iran, Bahrain, Lebanon, Nepal, Tajikistan, Maldives.
Group C: Syria, Yemen, Qatar, Palestine, Iraq, Bhutan.
Group D: UAE, India, Turkmenistan, Oman, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan.
Group E: Japan, Indonesia, Mongolia, Chinese Taipei, Bangladesh, Philippines.
Group F: China, Singapore, Guam, Hong Kong, Macau, Timor Leste.
Group G: Korea Republic, Thailand, Vietnam, DPR Korea, Cambodia, Myanmar.
Group H: Australia, Malaysia, Laos.