The draw for the final qualifying round of AFC Asian Cup 2011 was made at the Aspire dome in July. Vietnam has been handed in a tough group which includes China, Syria and Lebanon.

China is likely the top candidate in the group. Other three teams will have to compete for the second berth to reach the finals in Qatar. Therefore, coach Calisto and his players will face a challenging mission against Syria and Lebanon as they have good line-ups.

Assistant coach Mai Duc Chung said he believed that the national team will make surprises like what they had shown during the qualifying rounds of the Beijing Olympic 2008 and the Asian Cup 2007.

"In Group D, Vietnam is not as strong as China, Syria and Lebanon. However, it is a possible mission for Vietnam to compete with Syria and Lebanon to make the grade in the group," he said.

Twenty teams were divided into five groups of four with top two teams from each group qualifying for the tournament proper along with AFC Asian Cup 2007 winners Iraq, runners-up Saudi Arabia, third-placed Republic of Korea, hosts Qatar and the champions of AFC Challenge Cup 2008 and 2010.

Meanwhile, 20 players of the national team gathered in Hanoi on July 3 to prepare for a friendly match with China's Olympic team scheduled on July 6.

• Group A: Japan, Bahrain, Hong Kong, Yemen
• Group B: Australia, Indonesia, Oman, Kuwait
• Group C: Uzbekistan, UAE, Malaysia, India
• Group D: Vietnam, China, Syria, Lebanon
• Group E: Iran, Thailand, Jordan, Singapore