SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: Qatar have been drawn along with three-timechampions Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in Group C for the 2015 Asian Cup to be held in Australia.

The hosts were drawn along with fellow heavyweights South Korea, Kuwait and Oman in Group A at a lavish ceremony in Sydney on Wednesday.

The Socceroos, who have never won the Asian Cup and are hosting it for the first time, will open the tournament against Kuwait in Melbourne on January 9. While both Australia and South Korea, who have reached eight consecutive World Cups, will be confident of reaching the knock-out stages, neither team can afford any slip-ups. Defending champions Japan were placed in Group D with Jordan, 2007 winners Iraq and the as-yet-unknown winners of this year’s AFC Challenge Cup. Uzbekistan were the top seeds in Group B along with three-time winners Saudi Arabia, China and North Korea. Australia, who joined the Asian confederation in 2006, will hope to use home advantage to win their maiden Asian Cup after missing out 1-0 in extra time to Japan in the 2011 final. South Korea missed out on one of the top seedings for the draw and were left as dangerous floaters after they temporarily fell outside Asia’s leading four teams on the FIFA rankings. GROUPS Group A Australia South Korea Oman Kuwait Group B Uzbekistan Saudi Arabia China North Korea Group C Iran UAE Qatar Bahrain Group D Japan Jordan Iraq Winners of 2014 AFC Challenge Cup (TBC)