Saudi Arabia has finalized its preparation for the Oct. 31-Nov. 14 Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) U-19 Championship to be held in Dammam and Al-Khobar. The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) is organizing the event in collaboration with the AFC. “We have held several meetings with the heads of different bodies in the organizing committee and we are ready to host the participant teams,” SAFF General Secretary Faisal Abdul Hadi has said. Abdul Hadi, who is also the director of the championship, said some teams will arrive in the Kingdom through Bahrain International Airport to avid rush at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. The management of the Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam and Prince Saud Bin Jalawi Stadium in Khobar, the two venues of the championship, have also completed their preparations. Beside the host team Saudi Arabia, 15 Asian teams are participating in the championship that lasts until Nov. 14. Seven Arab countries are among the teams which have been divided into four groups. The top two teams from each group move into the quarterfinals and the top four teams will qualify for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt in 2009. Saudi Arabia is drawn in Group A along with Japan, Iran and Yemen. Defending Champion DPR Korea is in Group C with China, Tajikistan and Lebanon. Three Arab teams Iraq, UAE and Syria are in Group B with South Korea. Group D includes Jordan, Australia, Thailand and Uzbekistan. Saudi Arabia has won the championship twice - in 1992 in Korea Republic and in 1982 in Bahrain. Jordan and Japan are the first two teams to arrive in the Kingdom while the Iraqi delegation is expected to land on Wednesday. __
