The 18 Countries will be hosting Fixtures for the Men's European Football Qualifiers

In an announcement by UEFA, European Football’s Governing Body, 18 countries (excluding France who has been automatically qualified as World Champions) will host Fixtures for the Men’s European Football Qualifiers for the Games of the 32^nd Olympiad in Tokyo, Japan

Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, England, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Iceland, Croatia, Netherlands, Austria, Wales, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine, and the Republic of Ireland will be hosting matches in 9 groups of 6

9 of the top ten will be automatically drawn into the 1^stPosition, while positions 11-19 will automatically into the 4^thPosition, While the remaining 36 will be drawn as usual

The Draw will be taking place at Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The full fixture list will be released after the Draw

国際トーチリレーの発表

2000年4月から2001年4月までの日本首相であり、オリンピックおよびパラリンピック競技大会の東京組織委員会の委員長である森芳朗は、東京での第32回オリンピックのトーチリレーの国際部 、日本、オリンピア、ヘリス神殿、エリス、西ギリシャ、ギリシャ共和国で始まります

ギリシャのルートはロードスで続き、その後ピレウス、ラリッサ、テッサロニキなどのいくつかの主要都市がアテネのパナシナイコスタジアムで頂点に達します。

欧州ルートは、日本語で国名に基づいてアルファベット順に続き、アイスランドと続き、ロシア連邦に到達します

その後、アフリカ、アメリカ大陸、オセアニア、そしてアジアで幕を開ける次のルートは、アラブ首長国連邦で始まり、レバノンで頂点に達した後、福島県で国内トーチリレーが開始されてから、 東京都新宿区okaヶ丘にある新国立競技場の開会式の閉会式でのオリンピックの炎

森氏は「このトーチリレーは、日本のスポーツ界との関係の維持、オリンピック運動との日本の関係の強化、そして東京が世界最大の都市の一つになるのを支援する」と述べた。

「そして、それが東京2020への道の最初のステップです。驚きはありません」

The Main Draw for the 1st Round

Welcome to the AFC House in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for the draw of the 1st Round in the AFC Men’s Asian football Qualifiers for the Games of the 32^ndOlympiad in Tokyo, Japan, My Name is Ian Darke, I’m your host for the draw, and this will be the start to the road to Tokyo 2020, the Games of the 32^ndOlympiad

For the 1^st round, the 12 lowest-ranked teams, according to the December 2019 FIFA Rankings, will be split into 2 pots, and to do that, please welcome TRAN QUOC TUAN (Vietnam), the Chairperson of the AFC COMPETITIONS COMMITTEE

Thank you, Mr. Darke, Head coaches and Executives of the 12 participating teams, welcome, today, marks the start of the Road to the 2020 Olympic Games, for the 12 lowest-ranked teams, as Mr. Darke said For the 1st round, the 12 lowest-ranked teams, according to the December 2019 FIFA Rankings, will be split into 2 pots, the 1^st Pot will be:

Indonesia

Cambodia

Macau

Bangladesh

Laos

Bhutan

And the 2^nd pot will be:

Mongolia

Brunei

Timor-Leste

Guam

Pakistan

Sri Lanka

For the draw, please welcome, ABED-ALKHALIQ MASOUD AHMED, the Deputy Chairman of the Committee

Thank you, Mr. Tuan, this will be a big draw for us, right here in Kuala Lumpur, there will be restrictions for this:

For Sri Lanka, the second leg will not be taking place at either Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo or Kalutara Stadium in Kalutara, due to safety and security concerns following the 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings, which killed 259 people (including at least 45 foreign nationals and three Police officers), and injured at least 500 People, instead, it will be taking place at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

That’s the Only Restriction for the draw, alright, and now to conduct the draw, please welcome, for Pot A, the former Captain of the Japan National Football Team, Mr. Masami Ihara, and for Pot B, the Former Captain and Head coach of the South Korea National Football Team, Mr. Hong Myung-bo

So are you ready, Mr. Ihara and Mr. Hong?

We’re ready

OK, Mr. Ihara, you Go first with Pot A

Macau

OK, and Mr. Hong, you’re with Pot B

Macau will play

Mongolia

So Macau vs Mongolia, that’s the 1^st Game, and Mr. Ihara will draw the 2^nd team from Pot A

Laos

Mr. Hong, Laos will play

Guam

Laos will be facing Guam, and Mr. Ihara will draw the next Team from Pot A

Indonesia

Mr. Hong, Indonesia will be playing

Sri Lanka

Indonesia will be playing Sri Lanka, and for the Second Leg, the Match will be taking Place at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Mr. Ihara will draw the next Team from Pot A

Bangladesh

OK, Mr. Hong, Bangladesh will face

Brunei

So, Bangladesh vs Brunei, and Mr. Ihara will draw the Penultimate Team from Pot A

Cambodia

Mr. Hong, Cambodia vs

Pakistan

Cambodia vs Pakistan, and Last, but not Least, Mr. Ihara?

Bhutan

And finally, Mr. Hong, Bhutan will be playing

Timor-Leste, so, Bhutan will be playing Timor-Leste, and that’s the draw of the 1st Round in the AFC Men’s Asian football Qualifiers for the Games of the 32nd Olympiad in Tokyo, Japan, I would like to thank both of you for your help and support today, so the 6 Matches will be in Alphabetical Order:

Bangladesh vs Brunei

Bhutan vs Timor-Leste

Cambodia vs Pakistan

Indonesia vs Sri Lanka

Laos vs Guam

Macau vs Mongolia

Let’s get back to Mr. Darke for the closing of the Draw

Thank you, Mr. Tran, and thank you to Both Mr. Ihara and Mr. Hong, and thank you for watching the draw of the 1st Round in the AFC Men’s Asian football Qualifiers for the Games of the 32nd Olympiad in Tokyo, Japan, at the AFC House in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, I’m Ian Darke, saying goodbye

the Announcement by Gianni Infantino, FIFA President

In a stunning announcement by Gianni Infantino, the President of FIFA, Football’s Governing body, the qualifying phase of the Football tournament for the Games of the 32^nd Olympiad for Men and Women, will be played in a format, the likes of that which never seen it before

The format will be:

1.       Every group will be hosted by 2 countries

2.       In groups of 6 teams, 2 host countries will each host 10 games in main stadiums, while the 5 games will be played in other stadiums

3.       In groups of 5 teams, 2 host countries will each host 8 games in main stadiums, while the 4 games will be played in other stadiums

4.       And in groups of 4 teams, 2 host countries will each host 6 games in main stadiums

Filippo Haas (Switzerland), the President of the International Olympic Committee, had welcomed the announcement, he said “I’m really delighted with the Announcement”

“This format was similar to the one which is in use for its male and female under-age competitions by UEFA, European Football’s governing body”

“When I met Aleksander Čeferin, the President of the administrative body for association football, futsal and beach soccer in Europe, in Nyon, the other day, this format, set up by the President of FIFA, will be making a bigger role on the Road to Tokyo”

Also, France, South Korea, and Japan had been automatically qualified for the Men’s Tournament, and the United States of America had been automatically qualified for the Women’s Tournament, although the 2018 Winter Olympic and 2020 Summer Olympic Hosts go through qualifying stages as normal.

The Draw for the Men’s AFC 1^st Round will be taking place in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where the 12 lowest-ranked teams, according to the December 2019 FIFA Rankings, will be played home-and-away over two legs.