Footballer Fan Zhiyi(L) of China attends the draw lot ceremony for AFC Asian Cup in Kuala Lumpur, captial of Malaysia December 19,2006.[sina.com]

The Chinese men's football team will play archrival Iran in group competitions at next year's AFC Asian Cup.  

China narrowly beat three-time Asian Cup winner Iran 5-4 on penalties in the semi-finals of the 2004 Asian Cup in Beijing and lost to Japan 3-1 in the final.

Uzbekistan and Malaysia join China and Iran in Group C.

Traditional powerhouse Japan is in a tricky Group B with Qatar, UAE and Vietnam, while top seed Australia faces the difficult task of overcoming Iraq, Oman and Thailand in Group A.

In Group D are Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Bahrain and Indonesia.

The top-two teams from each group qualify for the quarterfinals.

The AFC Asian Cup 2007 kicks off on July 7, 2007, in Bangkok. The final will be played in Jakarta on July 29, 2007.