Socceroos coach Arnold welcomes tough but "familiar" Asian Cup draw

A screen displays the draw result during the draw ceremony for the 2023 AFC Asian cup championship held in Doha, Qatar on May 11, 2023. (Photo by Nikku/Xinhua)

CANBERRA, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Socceroos coach Graham Arnold has welcomed a "familiar" draw for the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar.

The Socceroos were drawn on Thursday night alongside Uzbekistan, Syria, and India in Group B for the tournament, which begins on January 12, 2024.

The top two teams from each group and the four best third-placed teams from across the six groups will progress to the round of 16.

Australia is among the favorites to win the Asian Cup after a historic run to the round of 16 at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Speaking after the draw, Arnold said Qatar has become a "home away from home" for the squad.

"Obviously every draw is tough, but I'm very happy with that draw. Having the familiarity of playing here in Qatar will help us as well," he said.

"Asia has come a long way in football and in strength. We played Syria in World Cup qualifiers, we played Uzbekistan before, we are familiar with the way they like to play, and we are looking forward to it."

He said "it's been a home away from home for the Socceroos" over the past couple of years due to COVID-19, but also with the World Cup qualifiers and the World Cup.

"We are very comfortable here, we are familiar with the stadiums, the surroundings, and we are looking forward to getting this Asian Cup underway," said the coach.

Arnold, who signed a four-year contract extension in January, will be seeking to make amends for the 2019 Asian Cup when the reigning champions were knocked out by the United Arab Emirates in the quarterfinals.

He said the squad was in a much better position heading into this tournament with a better balance between experience and youth.

"We're going into this tournament with a great mindset and looking forward to doing well," Arnold said.

Qatari footballer Hassan al-Haydos carries the Asian Cup trophy during the draw ceremony for the 2023 AFC Asian cup championship held in Doha, Qatar on May 11, 2023. (Photo by Nikku/Xinhua)

FIFA President Gianni Infantino (centre L) and President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Sheikh Salman Bin Ibrahim al-Khalifa (centre R) pose for group photos during the draw ceremony for the 2023 AFC Asian cup championship held in Doha, Qatar on May 11, 2023. (Photo by Nikku/Xinhua)

Sun Wen, vice president of the Chinese Football Association (CFA), displays the slip during the draw ceremony for the 2023 AFC Asian cup championship held in Doha, Qatar on May 11, 2023. (Photo by Nikku/Xinhua)

Qatari footballer Hassan al-Haydos displays the slip of team Australia during the draw ceremony for the 2023 AFC Asian cup championship held in Doha, Qatar on May 11, 2023. (Photo by Nikku/Xinhua)

Qatari footballer Hassan al-Haydos displays the slip of team Japan during the draw ceremony for the 2023 AFC Asian cup championship held in Doha, Qatar on May 11, 2023. (Photo by Nikku/Xinhua)

A screen displays the draw result during the draw ceremony for the 2023 AFC Asian cup championship held in Doha, Qatar on May 11, 2023. (Photo by Nikku/Xinhua)