Defending champions from the 2010 edition DPR Korea have been pooled together with three two-time champions – 1994 and 2006 champions Japan, 1985’s inaugural edition and 1988 winners Saudi Arabia and Korea Republic who lifted the silverware in 1986 and 2002.

Apart from the ‘Group of Champions’, Group B is another that sees two former winners -- Oman (1996) and Thailand (1998) -- placed together along with two third-place teams in the previous championships, Iraq in 1985 and Australia in 2010.

Hosts and 2008 winners IR Iran will face eighth-ranked Kuwait, 2002 runners-up Yemen, and Laos in Group A, while Group D is the battle front for last edition’s runners-up Uzbekistan, Syria who won the fourth place in 2006, bottom-ranked India, and China PR, the 1992 and 2004 champions.

AFC National Team Competitions Director Shin Man-gil (pic) conducted the official draw.

The 16 finalists have been classified on the basis of the final rankings of the AFC U-16 Championship 2010.

After the group stage on September 22-27, the top two teams from each group (eight teams in total) will qualify for the knockout stage or quarterfinals (September 30) and the four winners of the quarterfinals will play in the semi-finals (October 3) and the winners advance to the final (October 6).

Group A
Iran (hosts)
Kuwait
Yemen
Laos

Group B
Australia
Iraq
Oman
Thailand

Group C
DPR Korea
Japan
Saudi Arabia
Korea Republic

Group D
Uzbekistan
Syria
China PR
India