China

China scores lucky draw for 2014 World Cup qualifiers

(chinadaily.com.cn/Agencies)
Updated: 2011-03-31 12:41

An AFC official shows China's draw for the second round of the 2014 World Cup's Asian qualifying games at the AFC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, March 30, 2011. [Photo/titan24.com]

KUALA LUMPUR - The Chinese men's national team has scored a good draw for the first and second rounds of the 2014 World Cup's Asian qualifying games, facing the winner of Cambodia or Laos in the second round.

The draw for Asia's first and second round qualifiers for the 2014 Brazil tournament was made at Asian Football Confederation (AFC) headquarters in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.

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In the first round, the 16 lowest-ranked teams will compete in home-and-away ties on June 29 and July 3, 2011.

The eight winners will then progress to join another 22 teams in the second round, where 15 two-legged ties will be held on July 23 and 28.

The winners of the 15 second round ties will join last year's four World Cup finalists Japan, Australia, South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Bahrain, who missed out to New Zealand in a final playoff, in the third round where they will be drawn into five groups of four teams on July 30, 2011 in the 2014 Brazil World Cup host city of Rio de Janeiro.

The group winners and runners-up will then be drawn into two pools of five teams with the top two of each claiming a place at the World Cup finals in Brazil.

The two third placed-sides then face off over two legs to decide who plays in a final tie against another continent for the final place in Brazil.

Team China's draw for the second round of the 2014 World Cup's Asian qualifying games is shown at the AFC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, March 30, 2011. [Photo/titan24.com]