The title of the "Best Team in Asia" is closer to being determined as the draw for the 2011 Asian Cup has lined up the best 16 teams in the confederation. The oil & gas rich nation of Qatar will host the tournament in a test run for a possible 2022 World Cup bid.

The big story was the defending champions Iraq being drawn in the same group as United Arab Emirates, eternal rival Iran and World Cup attendees North Korea in Group D. This group is seen as the Group of Death as The Lions of Mesopotamia look to repeat the magic of 2007 that led to their 1st Asian Cup triumph.

The host nation of Qatar will be in Group A with fellow Arabian Peninsula nation, Kuwait. China and Uzbekistan rounds out a group that is wide open with no clear favorite.

Here are the groups for the 2011 Asian Cup finals:
The tournament begins on January 7th with the final match scheduled for January 29th at the Khalifa International Stadium in the Qatari capital city of Doha.

Read more about the 2011 Asian Cup on the AFC website.