Soccer-Scheduling issues irk Asian sides fighting on two fronts

SINGAPORE, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Jordan coach Adnan Hamad has

bemoaned scheduling conflicts as his attempts to steer the side

through to a first World Cup finals were complicated by having

to also negotiate an Asian Cup qualifying campaign.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) conducted the draw

for the 2015 Asian Cup qualifiers in Australia on Tuesday and

Jordan were one of seven teams involved that are also still in

contention for a place at the World Cup in Brazil in 2014.

Japan and South Korea avoided Asian Cup qualifying courtesy

of being in the top-three finishers at the last Asian Cup, along

with runners-up Australia, who will host the 2015 tournament.

But Jordan, Qatar, Oman, Iran, Lebanon, Uzbekistan and Iraq

will all be required to handle overlapping campaigns.

The Asian Cup matches will begin in February and run through

to March 2014 with the top two sides from each group advancing

to the finals. The World Cup qualifiers are ongoing with the

final match date scheduled for June 18 next year.

Jordan currently hold one of the top-two automatic

qualifying berths for Brazil after their shock 2-1 home win over

Australia in Group B last month and travel to face bottom-placed

Oman next week.

In the regional qualifiers, Jordan were drawn with Syria,

Singapore and Oman but Hamad was only concentrating on the

fourth round World Cup clash in Muscat.

"We have a very good to chance to reach the (Asian Cup)

finals, but there is a problem as some of the matches are going

to be played at the same period with the World Cup qualifiers,"

Hamad told the Asian Football Confederation.

"We must focus now on the upcoming two matches in the World

Cup qualifiers, then we will start thinking about the Asian Cup

qualifications. We must give it (the World Cup qualifications)

full attention as we want to reach the finals."

Qatar were drawn alongside Bahrain, Yemen and Malaysia in

Group D of Asian qualifying but their Brazilian coach Paulo

Autuori shared Hamad's view of only thinking about next

Tuesday's World Cup clash.

Qatar are currently third in their five-team World Cup group

behind South Korea (seven points) but level on four points with

Iran and Lebanon with the Uzbeks two points back in last.

"We only think about the match with Uzbekistan in World Cup

qualifying now," Autuori told the AFC. "We will start thinking

about the Asian Cup qualifiers after the Uzbekistan match."

Lebanon have enjoyed some rapid progress under German coach

Theo Buckner and are competing in the fourth round of World Cup

qualifiers for the first time.

Expected to be the whipping boys of Group A, Lebanon stunned

Iran 1-0 last month and Buckner talked up his side's chances of

reaching the Asian Cup finals after being drawn alongside

Thailand, Kuwait and Iran, again.

"We must work very hard to keep the same level we reached

with the national team," Buckner told the AFC.

"Our chances are there to reach the Asian Cup, but we must

prepare the team in a good way to make them capable of playing

the World Cup qualifications and Asian Cup qualifying matches at

the same time."

- - - -

2015 Asian Cup qualifying draw

Group A

Jordan

Syria

Oman

Singapore

Group B

Iran

Kuwait

Thailand

Lebanon

Group C

Iraq

China

Saudi Arabia

Indonesia

Group D

Qatar

Bahrain

Yemen

Malaysia

Group E

Uzbekistan

United Arab Emirates

Vietnam

Hong Kong

(Reporting by Patrick Johnston; Editing by John O'Brien)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/soccer-scheduling-issues-irk-asian-sides-fighting-two-083218752--sow.html

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