Asian Football Cup, celebrating football in our region
Australia's Socceroos will join 15 Asian countries when they compete in the AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015, uniting the region through the common language of sport.
The Australian Government is proud to support the Asian Cup, which will showcase the sporting talents of all 16 competing countries across the region and inspire future generations of players.
Sport diplomacy provides a unique opportunity for broadening, deepening and diversifying our engagement with the nations of Asia.
The 2015 Asian Cup will provide an opportunity to showcase Australia's credentials as a world class leader in hosting major sporting events, as well as an attractive destination for business and tourism.
With the draw for the 2015 Asian Cup finalised, the competition will see 32 games played across Australia in January 2015 in five cities – Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and Newcastle.
Coinciding with the Asian Cup draw, the Australian Government is launching Match Australia's International Sports Business program. Match Australia will utilise Australia hosting the AFC Asian Cup as a platform to further promote Australian business capabilities and enhance relationships across the region; and we welcome international investors and customers to register their interest in coming to Australia during the tournament.
2015 will be a huge year for sport with Australia hosting AFC Asian Cup, the Cricket World Cup and Netball World Cup - all opportunities to strengthen ties in our region.
Countries Currently Qualified for 2015 Asian Cup
Australia
Bahrain
Peoples Republic of China
Iran
Iraq
Japan
Jordan
Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea
Republic of Korea
Kuwait
Oman
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
United Arab Emirates
Uzbekistan
And the winner of the AFC Challenge Cup- Held 19 May to 30 May 2014 from the following nations:
AFC Challenge Cup 2014 - Draw
Group A:
A1. Maldives
A2. Palestine
A3. Kyrgyzstan
A4. Myanmar
Group B:
B1. Turkmenistan
B2. Philippines
B3. Afghanistan
B4. Laos