Football draw places Qatar and Iraq in group 'A'

Hosts Qatar were Sunday placed in Group 'A' while top seeded Libya figure in Group 'C' of the football event of the 12th Arab Games opening here next month. The Arab Games Organising Committee today held the draw to distribute the 12 football teams into three groups. Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Libya were placed as the number one teams in Group 'A', 'B' and 'C' respectively. Qatar enjoy this privilege being hosts of the Arab Games while Saudi Arabia earned this slot by finishing second in the previous edition of the meet and Libya for being adjudged the best team in October by the FIFA, officials conducting the draw said. Nine teams were divided into three categories to select the number 2, 3 and 4 teams and organisers conducted the draws over three rounds. The three groups comprise the following teams: Group 'A' - Qatar, Iraq, Bahrain and Syria. Group 'B' - Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Somalia. Group 'C' - Libya, Jordan, Sudan and Palestine. Group 'A' teams will play their matches at Al Sadd football stadium, Group 'B' will play at Al Rayyan and Group 'C' will play at Al Gharafa. The first match of the football event will be held on December 9 and the final will be played on December 23. Teams that fulfilled the Arab Games and FIFA rules qualified for the competition while players on the rolls of their respective countries' national football associations, the Union of Arab Football Association and FIFA were eligible to participate, organisers said.