Hong Kong will take on three-time winners Iran, United Arab Emirates and Palestine in the group stages of the Asian Cup finals next year, following a draw on Thursday in Doha.

The men's SAR football team, led by Jorn Andersen, was placed in Group C.

Holders and hosts Qatar will play China in Group A, while Japan, the most successful country in the history of the competition with four titles, were drawn in a tricky-looking Group D which also includes fellow former champions Iraq.

The enlarged 24-team Asian Cup kicks off on January 12 with Qatar, who staged the World Cup last winter, facing Lebanon. Also in Group A are tournament debutants Tajikistan.

Hajime Moriyasu's Japan side are the top-ranked team in Asia and beat Spain on the way to the last 16 at the Qatar World Cup.

Of other title contenders, Australia, the 2015 champions as hosts, are in Group B alongside Uzbekistan, Syria and India.

South Korea, now under German legend Jurgen Klinsmann and boasting Asia's best player in Son Heung-min, are in Group E along with Malaysia, Jordan and Bahrain.

Eight stadiums, six of which were used at the World Cup, will stage games.

The 89,000-capacity Lusail stadium, which hosted the World Cup final, is not among them.

The Asian Cup was supposed to take place this summer on the mainland but was moved because of the country's Covid rules. (Additional reporting by AFP)