SINGAPORE, Feb 20: The long road to the Asian Cup finals gets under way on Wednesday, with defending champions Japan plotting to crush India and 2004 runner-up China aiming for an equally convincing rout of the Palestinians.

Asia’s five World Cup-bound teams are all in action with South Korea travelling to Syria, Iran at home against Taiwan and Saudi Arabia in Yemen.

World Cup debutant Australia, playing in its first Asian Cup campaign after joining the Asian Football Confederation in January, faces a tricky assignment in Bahrain, who shocked everyone by making the semifinals in 2004.

The ultimate goal of the 24 teams playing Wednesday is the finals in July next year jointly hosted by Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia.

None of Japan’s European-based stars, including Bolton midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata and Celtic’s Shunsuke Nakamura, are available, with the team made up of J-League players.

South Korea, under Dick Advocaat, go into their match against Syria buoyed by a 1-0 win over World Cup qualifiers Mexico and with plenty of match practice after a nine-game overseas tour.

But they will have their work cut out against a side that ground out a 1-1 draw with Saudi Arabia last week in Jeddah. The Koreans will be without Manchester United star Park Ji-sung and Lee Young-Pyo of Tottenham.

Advocaat, who left the US tour early due to the death of his mother-in-law, will rejoin the team in London en route to Syria.

The Saudis, who failed miserably in the 2004 finals, will have to lift their game after three draws and a loss in their last four outings, against Greece, Sweden, Finland and Lebanon.

China, who fell to arch rival Japan 3-1 in a bad-tempered final in Beijing in 2004, should have an easier task in Guangzhou against the Palestinian squad.

Elsewhere, Singapore takes on Iraq, Jordan plays Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates challenge Oman and Lebanon pit their wits with Kuwait.

Uzbekistan against Bangladesh and Hong Kong versus Qatar round out the matches.

The teams are divided into six groups of four with the top two from each group progressing to the finals.

Other qualifying rounds will be held on March 1, Aug 16, Sept 6, Oct 11 and Nov 15.

Asian Cup qualifying fixtures:

GROUP A