Kathmandu, May 30 -- Nepal have been drawn alongside Syria, host Tajikistan, and the Philippines in Group K for the U23 Asian Cup qualifiers slated for September.

A total of 44 teams were drawn into 11 groups of four each at a ceremony held at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Thursday. Each group will see teams play each other once in a single round-robin format.

There are a total of 15 spots up for grabs for the seventh edition of the AFC U23 Asian Cup. The 11 group winners and the four best second-placed teams will progress to the U23 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia next year.

Nepal will have a tough time to make their debut in the event. Nepal have been participating in the qualifiers for the event since 2012, which was for the ...