GROUP A
AUSTRALIA
Current FIFA Ranking:100
Average age: 26.4 yrs
Last 10 competitive fixtures (excluding friendlies and EEA Cup):
Won 3 Drawn 3 Lost 4 (Goals for:15 against:16)
Average FIFA ranking of opposition: 64.3
Worth noting: Australia has lost just twice on home turf to Asian opposition. 1-0 ag. China in ’08 and 1-0 ag. Kuwait in ’09.
KOREA REPUBLIC
Current FIFA Ranking:69
Average age: 25.7 yrs
Last 10 competitive fixtures (excluding friendlies and EEA Cup):
Won 3 Drawn 3 Lost 4 (Goals for:12 against:12)
Average FIFA ranking of opposition: 63.3
Worth noting: Korea Republic has failed to beat fellow Cup favorites, Australia and Japan, in their last 7 attempts.
KUWAIT
Current FIFA Ranking:125
Average age: 26.7 yrs
Last 10 competitive fixtures (excluding friendlies):
Won 4 Drawn 4 Lost 2 (Goals for:19 against:17)
Average FIFA ranking of opposition: 103.1
Worth noting: Kuwait is the second lowest ranked team in the competition, 25 positions above Korea DPR.
OMAN
Current FIFA Ranking:93
Average age: 26 yrs
Last 10 competitive fixtures (excluding friendlies):
Won 4 Drawn 4 Lost 2 (Goals for:13 against:6)
Average FIFA ranking of opposition: 114.2
Worth noting: Oman has won just twice in 11 recent outings (including friendlies). Best recent result was a 5-0 win over fellow group contenders, Kuwait.
GROUP B
CHINA PR
Current FIFA Ranking:96
Average age: 25.4 yrs
Last 10 competitive fixtures (excluding friendlies and EEA Cup):
Won 4 Drawn 2 Lost 4 (Goals for:12 against:9)
Average FIFA ranking of opposition: 122.8
Worth noting: China PR is undefeated in 10 friendlies since September of last year.
KOREA DPR
Current FIFA Ranking:150
Average age: 22.8 yrs
Last 10 competitive fixtures (excluding friendlies and EEA Cup):
Won 7 Drawn 1 Lost 2 (Goals for:15 against:4)
Average FIFA ranking of opposition: 116.6
Worth noting: Korea DPR drew 1-1 against an experimental Australia side a couple of years ago. Best result since is a 2-2 draw against Bahrain.
SAUDI ARABIA
Current FIFA Ranking:102
Average age: 25.9 yrs
Last 10 competitive fixtures (excluding friendlies):
Won 7 Drawn 2 Lost 1 (Goals for:15 against:7)
Average FIFA ranking of opposition: 119.2
Worth noting: As hosts, the Saudis lost to Qatar in the Gulf Cup final. Their Spanish manager, Caro Lopez, was sacked as a result.
UZBEKISTAN
Current FIFA Ranking:71
Average age: 27 yrs
Last 10 competitive fixtures (excluding friendlies and EEA Cup):
Won 5 Drawn 3 Lost 2 (Goals for:18 against:8)
Average FIFA ranking of opposition: 105.1
Worth noting: Uzbekistan were the highest ranked Asian Confederation team not to qualify for last year’s World Cup Finals.
GROUP C
BAHRAIN
Current FIFA Ranking:110
Average age: 26 yrs
Last 10 competitive fixtures (excluding friendlies):
Won 4 Drawn 4 Lost 2 (Goals for:8 against:10)
Average FIFA ranking of opposition: 133.9
Worth noting: Bahrain did not manage a single goal in the Gulf Cup. Have since defeated Saudi Arabia and Jordan in friendlies.
IRAN
Current FIFA Ranking:51
Average age: 26.5 yrs
Last 10 competitive fixtures (excluding friendlies):
Won 7 Drawn 1 Lost 2 (Goals for:19 against:8)
Average FIFA ranking of opposition: 89.2
Worth noting: Iran was one of four Asian Confed nations to play in Brazil. Pushed Argentina all the way before going down to a late Messi wonder goal.
QATAR
Current FIFA Ranking:92
Average age: 24.7 yrs
Last 10 competitive fixtures (excluding friendlies):
Won 5 Drawn 4 Lost 1 (Goals for:18 against:10)
Average FIFA ranking of opposition: 125.2
Worth noting: Current Gulf Cup holders. Qatar are on a 11 game run without defeat including a friendly win over Australia in October of last year.
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Current FIFA Ranking:80
Average age: 25.3 yrs
Last 10 competitive fixtures (excluding friendlies):
Won 6 Drawn 3 Lost 1 (Goals for:23 against:4)
Average FIFA ranking of opposition: 111.4
Worth noting: UAE finished 3rd in The Gulf Cup that was played last November.
GROUP D
IRAQ
Current FIFA Ranking:114
Average age: 22.6 yrs
Last 10 competitive fixtures (excluding friendlies):
Won 2 Drawn 1 Lost 7 (Goals for:6 against:12)
Average FIFA ranking of opposition: 100.4
Worth noting: The Iraqis have recorded just a single victory in their 10 most recent outings, including friendlies and the Gulf Cup.
JAPAN
Current FIFA Ranking:54
Average age: 26.7 yrs
Last 10 competitive fixtures (excluding friendlies and EEA Cup):
Won 2 Drawn 2 Lost 6 (Goals for:10 against:17)
Average FIFA ranking of opposition: 49.2
Worth noting: The reigning Asian champions have defeated Australia (in 90 minutes) just once outside Japan.
JORDAN
Current FIFA Ranking:93
Average age: 25.2 yrs
Last 10 competitive fixtures (excluding friendlies):
Won 3 Drawn 6 Lost 1 (Goals for:10 against:11)
Average FIFA ranking of opposition: 90
Worth noting: Jordan has not won in any of their recent friendlies – 10 games (3 goals scored, 14 conceded).
PALESTINE
Current FIFA Ranking:115
Average age: 27.1 yrs
Last 10 competitive fixtures (excluding friendlies):
Won 5 Drawn 2 Lost 3 (Goals for:9 against:5)
Average FIFA ranking of opposition: 122.9
Worth noting: The Palestinians did not manage to score in recent friendlies against Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and China PR.
