Asia announces it's FIFA World Cup qualification seedings

The Asian Football Confederation has announced it's qualification process and seedings in the lead up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals to be held in South Africa.

The AFC has been allocated 4.5 places in the World Cup finals (5th to playoff against the top ranked side from Oceania) and has seeded it's 43 entries based on their performances in the 2006 tournament and earlier qualification matches.

As a result, Australia has been allocated the top seeding as the only AFC member to proceed beyond the group stages in Germany.

The other nations to make up the AFC top 5 and who will each receive byes through to the third round of the qualification process are Korea Republic, Saudi Arabia, Japan and IR IRan.

Despite winning last month's AFC Asian Cup, Iraq have been seeded 12th and will be required to play in the first round of qualification (08 + 28 October 2007).

The top 4 Asian nations (who will receive direct entry to the FIFA World Cup finals) will be known by qualification round 4 which concludes September 2009. The AFC/OFC playoff will be held on the 10th and 14th Of October 2009.

The AFC will conduct the full draw on Monday August 6.