KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4: Australia were named as Asia’s top seeds for region’s 2010 World Cup qualifiers by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on Friday. The Socceroos will go into Monday’s draw seeded first with South Korea second, Saudi Arabia third and Japan fourth, based on the teams’ results at the 2006 World Cup.

Iran will be seeded fifth, significant with the top five teams all receiving automatic byes into the third round of Asian qualifying matches.

Australia, who reached the last 16 in Germany, only joined the AFC at the start of 2006 after ditching Oceania in order to gain a direct qualifying path to the World Cup.

A total of 43 nations, including North Korea, Myanmar and tiny Bhutan, will go into the draw at the AFC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

Iraq, who completed a remarkable triumph by beating Saudi Arabia in the final of last month’s Asian Cup, were seeded 12th.

Asia has retained four automatic berths for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa with a potential fifth on offer via a playoff with Oceania’s top side over two legs.

The opening round of matches begins on Oct 8.—Reuters