Joining the Korea Republic, which defeated Saudi Arabia 1-0 in 2020 final, will be the ASEAN trio of Thailand, 2018 runners-up Vietnam and Malaysia.
Hosts Uzbekistan, the 2018 champions, will have Iran, Qatar, and newcomers Turkmenistan to contend with in Group A.
Australia, third in the 2020 edition, was drawn in Group B with Jordan, Iraq, and Kuwait while Japan, the 2016 champions, are in Group D with 2020 runners-up Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and debutants Tajikistan.
AFC U23 Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2022 – Official Draw
The fifth edition of the Championship will be played in Central Asia for the first time, with Uzbekistan hosting 32 matches across the cities of Tashkent and Karshi.
Four former champions and nine teams to have reached the semi-finals or better within the last decade alongside two debutants will battle for Continental supremacy from June 1 to 19.
Iran’s Omid team will be led by former star Mehdi Mahdavikia. Although at this level of football, there are no weak teams, Iran’s Omid is in one of the more difficult groups, especially in the presence of the host and the strong Qatari team. Mhadavikia is handling the difficult task of leading Iran for the Olympics with this team, which has eluded Iran for more than four decades.
Group A
Uzbekistan (UZB) – Iran (IRN)- Qatar (QAT) -Turkmenistan (TKM)
Uzbekistan (UZB) – Iran (IRN)- Qatar (QAT) -Turkmenistan (TKM)
| Date | Time | Teams | Venue |
| Wednesday, 1st June 2022 | 18:00 | Iran v. Qatar | Bunyodkor Stadium, Tashkent |
| 20:00 | Uzbekistan v. Turkmenistan | Pakhtakor Stadium, Tashkent | |
| Saturday 4th June 2022 | 18:00 | Turkmenistan v. Iran | Bunyodkor Stadium, Tashkent |
| 20:00 | Qatar v. Uzbekistan | Pakhtakor Stadium, Tashkent | |
| Tuesday 7th June 2022 | 22:00 | Qatar v. Turkmenistan | Bunyodkor Stadium, Tashkent |
| 22:00 | Uzbekistan v. Iran | Markaziy Stadium, Qarshi |