Kuala Lumpur: The draw for the AFC Asian Qualifiers™ - Road To 26 held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Thursday has produced a string of encounters over the upcoming months that Asian football fans can look forward to with great excitement.

Eighteen nations were divided into three groups, with eight confirmed places and a possible additional spot via a playoff on offer for Asia at the FIFA World Cup 2026 to be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.

With the draw setting up several high-profile clashes in the next phase of the qualifiers beginning September 5, the-AFC.com takes a look at six such matches that stand out during the early stages of the AFC Asian Qualifiers third round.

𝐋𝐄𝐓'𝐒 𝐆𝐎!#AsianQualifiers Round 3 Draw Ceremony is Live!

📺 https://t.co/WJeQGfpB8v pic.twitter.com/G3sqmATh5y

— #AsianCup2023 (@afcasiancup) June 27, 2024

Jordan vs Korea Republic: Group B - MD3

A Jordan side full of confidence brought the second round to a close in style by defeating Saudi Arabia 2-1 in Riyadh to win their group on goal difference, and the AFC Asian Cup runners-up now gun for their first-ever FIFA World Cup after finding themselves in a group featuring Korea Republic, Iraq, Oman, Palestine and Kuwait.

The Koreans, on the other hand, went through the second round unbeaten and will hope to keep their run of being at every FIFA World Cup since 1986 going, being the highest-ranked team in their group. And the result of the contest between these two sides on the third matchday could set the tone for what unfurls in Group B for the remainder of the campaign. .....

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