The top two teams from the five-nation qualifiers will be eligible to contest for the final round out of which hosts Nepal and Lebanon have already crashed out for the tournament. Now the race is open only for the defending champions Iran, Tajikistan and Bahrain.
Iran and Tajikistan are on the top of the points table with seven points each. However, Iran lead the table on the basis of goals scored. Similarly, Bahrain are in the third spot with six points.
Bahrain, who will play against Iran in their last match to determine their fate, need to win the match at any cost to fix the final date while only a draw will be sufficient for Iran to advance to the next round.
In the second match of the day, Nepal will take on Tajikistan. The match will be crucial for both the teams as Tajikistan aim to qualify for the final as group winners while Nepal´s quest for opening their account in the points table and scoring a goal in the home ground remains unfulfilled yet. However, only a draw will be sufficient for Tajikistan to advance to the final round. To top the group, the Tajiks will exert their full pressure against Nepal and try to score as more goals as possible. On the other hand, hosts Nepal to save their face in the home ground will at least try for a win or a draw.
The first match, between Bahrain and Iran will be a do-or-die match for Bahrain as they must defeat the defending champions. “We will play the match for win,” said Bahrain coach Adnan Ebrahim Abdulla Ebrahim. The Bahrain team has been working very hard to qualify for the final. The team arrived here 10 days before the tournament to get used to the climate.
“Each of the matches is equally important for us,” said Iran coach Mohammadi Agri Akbar. “Our aim is to qualify as the group topper.” If Tajikistan win against comparatively poor Nepal, then Iran must beat Bahrain with a big goal margin to top the group.
AFC U-16 Group B Points Table
| Teams | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts |
| Iran | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Tajikistan | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7 |
| Bahrain | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 6 |
| Lebanon | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 3 |
| Nepal | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
Fate or free will