2027 Asian Cup draw: Singapore to face Australia, Tajikistan, and Iraq in group phase
Defending champions Qatar were paired with Japan in a tough group, alongside Thailand and Indonesia.
A giant AFC Asian Cup trophy is displayed inside the stadium before the 2024 semi-final match between Iran and hosts Qatar in Doha on Feb 7, 2024. (File photo: Reuters/Rula Rouhana)
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SINGAPORE: The Lions will face former Asian Cup champions Australia and Iraq at the 2027 Asian Cup following the group stage draw late on Saturday (May 9) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The Lions were drawn into Group D, where they will take on Australia, Tajikistan, and Iraq on Jan 9, Jan 14 and Jan 19, respectively.
Defending champions Qatar were paired with Japan in a tough group, alongside Thailand and Indonesia.
Tournament hosts Saudi Arabia, Japan, South Korea and Australia - all of whom will be playing at this summer’s World Cup - are among the favourites to progress to the knockout rounds.
Speaking after the draw, Lions coach Gavin Lee said: "The qualification united a lot of people in the country and hopefully we can continue to sustain the growth and use this platform to inspire the new generation.
"Coming into this competition, we know there won’t be any easy group. Now we go back to study the group, study the opponents and prepare in the best possible manner. Our target is very clear, that is to perform and play in a way that the people back home can be proud of us."
This is the first time Singapore have qualified for the tournament on merit.
The Lions qualified for the tournament in November 2025 after coming back from behind to beat Hong Kong 2-1 to top their qualifying group.
They beat Bangladesh 1-0 in March to end their campaign unbeaten.
The Asian Cup draw had initially been scheduled for Apr 11, but was postponed due to the war in the Middle East.
Singapore's only other appearance came in 1984, when they took part automatically as hosts.
At 147th in the world, Lee’s men are currently the lowest-ranked side to have qualified for next year’s tournament. Yemen sit two places below Singapore in the rankings, but must first overcome Lebanon in next month’s qualifier to secure their spot in Group E, which also contains South Korea, UAE and Vietnam.
After the victory over Bangladesh, matchwinner Harhys Stewart said it was "good that we have time and a good run up till the Asian Cup to improve and prepare for big games".
Although their March friendly against the Faroe Islands in Dubai was cancelled over the Gulf conflict - which would have been Singapore’s first match against European opposition since 2012 - the Lions’ preparations for the continental showpiece continue.
Singapore have two upcoming friendlies lined up at Jalan Besar Stadium - against Mongolia on May 31 and China on Jun 5.
Head coach Lee said: "As part of our Asian Cup planning and preparations, we wanted to be challenged by stronger teams to push us out of our comfort zones. The match against China will give us a valuable opportunity to deal with the discomfort and remain clear with our thinking despite the overload.
"This will support our plans to build towards the level required for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027. Every international window is important for us. We want to maximise the time we have together and continue progressing as a group."
