Kuala Lumpur: Both Qatari national teams were pitted in tough groups in the qualifiers for the under 16 and under 19 AFC championships, both of which will be held in 2018. In the under 19 category, a tournament which Qatar won in 2014; Qatar will welcome Iraq, Lebanon and Afghanistan in Doha. Ten (10) group winners and five (5) best second-placed teams will advance to finals along with the host country. The AFC U-19 Championship qualifying stage is scheduled to take place from October 31 to November 8, 2017. Meanwhile, Qatar under 16 squad will play host to the four-team group C that also includes, United Arab Emirates, Yemen and Bangladesh. The group matches will be played starting September 20th until the 24th of the same month. Qualifying format is similar for both competitions.