Asian Football Confederation
October 15

Uzbekistan will be leading the way as hosts India, Malaysia and the Iranian Olympic team form the remaining quartet to challenging the African representatives in the inaugural Afro-Asian Games to be played in Hyderabad this month.

"Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso and Rwanda from Africa and Iran, Uzbekistan, Malaysia and hosts India from Asia will participate in the Games," confirmed All India Football Federation president Priyaranjan Dasmunsi on Times News Network.

"Except for Iran, who will send their Olympic team, the rest will be coming with their national teams."

According to the report, Cameroon, Nigeria, South Africa and Morocco were invited to the tournament while China, last year's World Cup Finalists, were earmarked to head the Asian challenge but were all forced to turn down the Indian invite due to various reasons.

Uzbekistan are the only team amongst the Asian quartet who have yet to commence their 2004 Asian Cup qualifying. While India were ousted in the opening round by DPR Korea, Malaysia and Iran have already notched important points in their respective groups.

Uzbekistan will kick off their Group A games against Thailand, Hong Kong and Tajikistan on November 6 while Iran, recently crowned AFC/OFC winners, are still leading Group D ahead of Lebanon, Jordan and DPR Korea despite having already lost one of their two opening games.

While the Olympic starlets will be on show in India, Iran’s senior side will travel to Pyongyang on November 18 to face bottom placed side DPR Korea.

If they can rediscover the same form that so convincingly destroyed New Zealand in last weekend's AFC/OFC Cup, there is little to dispute the notion that they will, eventually, be among the frontrunners for the title in China next year.

Malaysia in the meanwhile, have stole a vital point against Bahrain in a pulsating 2-2 draw that saw the South East Asians retain their second place before travelling to Manama to play out the remaining Group F games.

Second stage hosts Bahrain will be looking to overturn a series of bad results away at Malaysia and edge closer to leaders Iraq, the team that has been in scintillating form after scoring eight goals in three games and conceding just one.

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