# 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualification – third round

The third round of 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualification was played from 8 to 14 June 2022 in six centralised venues. It was originally scheduled for 30 March 2021 to 29 March 2022, but the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) changed the dates on multiple occasions due to postponements of matches in the second round, impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia.

## Format

A total of 24 teams (22 teams which advanced from the second round and two teams which advanced from the play-off round) participated in the third round to compete for the final eleven slots in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. Since the 2023 former hosts China advanced to the third round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, the automatic slot for the hosts was no longer necessary.
The 24 teams were divided into six groups of four teams to play single round-robin matches in six centralised venues. The group winners and the best five runners-up across all groups qualified for the Asian Cup, where they were joined by China and the twelve teams which qualified directly from the second round.
On 17 February 2022, the AFC announced the six countries that would be hosting the third round: India, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Mongolia and Uzbekistan.

## Qualified teams

Teams qualified :
| Group | Runners-up (bottom 3) | Third place | Fourth place | Fifth place (best 3) | Play-off round |
| A | — | Philippines | Maldives | — | — |
| B | Kuwait | Jordan | Nepal | — | — |
| C | — | Bahrain | Hong Kong | — | Cambodia |
| D | Uzbekistan | Palestine | Singapore | Yemen | — |
| E | — | India | Afghanistan | Bangladesh | — |
| F | Tajikistan | Kyrgyzstan | Mongolia | Myanmar | — |
| G | — | Malaysia | Thailand | — | Indonesia |
| H | — | Turkmenistan | Sri Lanka | — | — |

### Notes

* ↑ Since Qatar qualified for the Asian Cup as second round group winner, the fifth runner-up also qualified for the third round of AFC qualification for the World Cup, while the three bottom-ranked runners-up competed in the third round of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualification.

## Seeding

The seeding was based on the FIFA World Rankings at the time of the draw on 24 February 2022. Teams from the host countries were placed in a separate pot allotted for hosts member associations (MAs), although their final group positions reflected their original draw seeding.
* Host Pot contained the teams from the host countries (group positions reflected their original draw seeding positions).
* Pot 1 contained the teams ranked 1–6 (except Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and India).
* Pot 2 contained the teams ranked 7–12 (except Kuwait).
* Pot 3 contained the teams ranked 13–18 (except Malaysia).
* Pot 4 contained the teams ranked 19–24 (except Mongolia).
The 24 teams were drawn into six groups of four. Each group contained one team from the host pot and the remaining seeding pots, except for the original seeding pot of the host country.
The national teams which qualified are presented in bold.
| | Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 |
| Hosts pot | Uzbekistan (85) (H) Kyrgyzstan (96) (H) India (104) (H) | Kuwait (143) (H) | Malaysia (154) (H) | Mongolia (184) (H) |
| Remaining teams | Bahrain (89) Jordan (90) Palestine (100) | Thailand (112) Tajikistan (115) Philippines (129) Turkmenistan (134) Hong Kong (148) | Afghanistan (150) Yemen (151) Myanmar (152) Maldives (157) Indonesia (160) | Singapore (161) Nepal (167) Cambodia (171) Bangladesh (186) Sri Lanka (204) |

## Schedule

| Matchday | Date | Original date | Matches |
| Matchday 1 | 8 June 2022 | 24 March 2021 | 2 vs 3, 1 vs 4 |
| Matchday 2 | 11 June 2022 | 8 June 2021 | 3 vs 1, 4 vs 2 |
| Matchday 3 | 14 June 2022 | 7 September 2021 | 3 vs 4, 1 vs 2 |

## Groups
### Tiebreakers

The teams were ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, tiebreakers were applied in the following order (Regulations Article 7.3):
* Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
* Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
* Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
* Away goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams; (was not applied as the qualifiers were played in centralized venues)
* If more than two teams were tied, and after applying criteria 1 to 3, a subset of teams was still tied, criteria 1 to 3 were reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams;
* Goal difference in all group matches;
* Goals scored in all group matches;
* Penalty shoot-out if only two teams were tied and they met in the last round of the group;
* Disciplinary points (yellow card = 1 point, red card as a result of two yellow cards = 3 points, direct red card = 3 points, yellow card followed by direct red card = 4 points);
* Drawing of lots.

### Group A

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | | | | |
| 1 | Jordan | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | +6 | 9 | 2023 AFC Asian Cup | — | — | 3–0 | 2–0 |
| 2 | Indonesia | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 2 | +7 | 6 | 2023 AFC Asian Cup | 0–1 | — | — | 7–0 |
| 3 | Kuwait (H) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 3 | | — | 1–2 | — | — |
| 4 | Nepal | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 13 | −12 | 0 | | — | — | 1–4 | — |

### Group B

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | | | | |
| 1 | Palestine | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | +10 | 9 | 2023 AFC Asian Cup | — | 4–0 | 1–0 | — |
| 2 | Philippines | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 4 | | — | — | — | 0–0 |
| 3 | Mongolia (H) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | | — | 0–1 | — | — |
| 4 | Yemen | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | −7 | 1 | | 0–5 | — | 0–2 | — |

### Group C

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | | | | |
| 1 | Uzbekistan (H) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | +9 | 9 | 2023 AFC Asian Cup | — | 2–0 | — | 3–0 |
| 2 | Thailand | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 6 | 2023 AFC Asian Cup | — | — | 3–0 | — |
| 3 | Maldives | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | −6 | 3 | | 0–4 | — | — | 1–0 |
| 4 | Sri Lanka | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | −6 | 0 | | — | 0–2 | — | — |

### Group D

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | | | | |
| 1 | India (H) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | +7 | 9 | 2023 AFC Asian Cup | — | 4–0 | — | 2–0 |
| 2 | Hong Kong | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 2023 AFC Asian Cup | — | — | 2–1 | — |
| 3 | Afghanistan | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 1 | | 1–2 | — | — | 2–2 |
| 4 | Cambodia | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | −5 | 1 | | — | 0–3 | — | — |

### Group E

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | | | | |
| 1 | Bahrain | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 9 | 2023 AFC Asian Cup | — | — | 1–0 | 2–0 |
| 2 | Malaysia (H) | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 6 | 2023 AFC Asian Cup | 1–2 | — | — | 4–1 |
| 3 | Turkmenistan | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 3 | | — | 1–3 | — | — |
| 4 | Bangladesh | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 8 | −6 | 0 | | — | — | 1–2 | — |

### Group F

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | | | | |
| 1 | Tajikistan | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | +5 | 7 | 2023 AFC Asian Cup | — | — | — | 4–0 |
| 2 | Kyrgyzstan (H) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 7 | 2023 AFC Asian Cup | 0–0 | — | 2–1 | — |
| 3 | Singapore | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 3 | | 0–1 | — | — | — |
| 4 | Myanmar | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 12 | −10 | 0 | | — | 0–2 | 2–6 | — |

### Ranking of runner-up teams

| Pos | Grp | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | F | Kyrgyzstan | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 7 | 2023 AFC Asian Cup |
| 2 | A | Indonesia | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 2 | +7 | 6 | 2023 AFC Asian Cup |
| 3 | E | Malaysia | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 6 | 2023 AFC Asian Cup |
| 4 | C | Thailand | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 6 | 2023 AFC Asian Cup |
| 5 | D | Hong Kong | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 2023 AFC Asian Cup |
| 6 | B | Philippines | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 4 | |

## Goalscorers

There were 104 goals scored in 36 matches, for an average of 2.89 goals per match.
4 goals
* Sunil Chhetri
3 goals
* Yousef Nasser
* Viktor Maier
* Ikhsan Fandi
* Shervoni Mabatshoev
* Eldor Shomurodov
2 goals
* Ali Haram
* Abdulla Yusuf Helal
* Mohammad Ibrahim
* Matt Orr
* Witan Sulaeman
* Ali Olwan
* Safawi Rasid
* Ganbayar Ganbold
* Saleh Chihadeh
* Oday Dabbagh
* Mohammed Yameen
* Song Ui-young
* Altymyrat Annadurdyýew
* Jaloliddin Masharipov
1 goal
* Zubayr Amiri
* Farshad Noor
* Faysal Shayesteh
* Mustafa Zazai
* Kamil Al-Aswad
* Brak Thiva
* Keo Sokpheng
* Chan Siu Kwan
* Sun Ming Him
* Wong Wai
* Anwar Ali
* Ishan Pandita
* Sahal Abdul Samad
* Manvir Singh
* Elkan Baggott
* Dimas Drajad
* Fachruddin Aryanto
* Marselino Ferdinan
* Marc Klok
* Rachmat Irianto
* Saddil Ramdani
* Hamza Al-Dardour
* Mahmoud Al-Mardi
* Yazan Al-Naimat
* Noor Al-Rawabdeh
* Mobarak Al-Faneeni
* Fahad Al-Rashidi
* Valery Kichin
* Dion Cools
* La'Vere Corbin-Ong
* Faisal Halim
* Darren Lok
* Mohamadou Sumareh
* Syafiq Ahmad
* Hamza Mohamed
* Aung Kaung Mann
* Win Naing Tun
* Darshan Gurung
* Mahmoud Abu Warda
* Mohammed Rashid
* Tamer Seyam
* Gerrit Holtmann
* Hafiz Nor
* Gabriel Quak
* Manuchekhr Dzhalilov
* Ehson Panjshanbe
* Teerasil Dangda
* Pansa Hemviboon
* Worachit Kanitsribampen
* Thitiphan Puangchan
* Sarach Yooyen
* Arslanmyrat Amanow
* Dostonbek Khamdamov
* Farrukh Sayfiev
* Azizbek Turgunboev
* Oston Urunov
1 own goal
* Ahmed Al-Wajih (against Palestine)