The Samurai Blue, as Japan's football team have been nicknamed, have been drawn together with Oman, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. AFP

Asian Cup teams set for continental showpiece in UAE - in pictures



The UAE is buzzing with Asian Cup activity as the teams arrive to play in the continental competition, which kicks off on Saturday.

The tournament, being held in the Emirates for the second time, is nearly a month long with the final scheduled for February 1. It gets under way with the Group A match between the hosts and their regional rivals Bahrain at Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

You can check out pictures of teams arriving in the country and training by browsing the photo gallery above. To move on to the next photo, click on the arrows, or if using a mobile device, simply swipe.

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More on Asian Cup:

Groups, teams, tickets and all you need to know

In pictures: A look back on the last time the Emirates host the Asian Cup in 1996

Son Heung-min can ignite South Korea: Five players to watch at the Asian Cup

Bernd Stange counting on Syria fans to carry team through 2019 Asian Cup group phase

Jan Kocian wants Yemen to dream of big victories at 2019 Asian Cup

Aref Al Awani: Legacy for UAE football will come from Asian Cup

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Groups:

GROUP A: UAE, Bahrain, India, Thailand

GROUP B: Australia, Syria, Jordan, Palestine

GROUP C: South Korea, China, Kyrgyzstan, Philippines

GROUP D: Iran, Iraq, Vietnam, Yemen

GROUP E: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Lebanon, North Korea

GROUP F: Japan, Uzbekistan, Oman, Turkmenistan


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