Australia was handed an early challenge against two time continental champions South Korea at next year’s Asian Cup as the hosts got a difficult draw.

The Socceroos, who have never won the Asian Cup and are hosting it for the first time, will open the tournament against the 1980 champions Kuwait in Melbourne on January 9, and will also face Oman in Group A.

While both Australia and South Korea will be confident of reaching the knock-out stages, neither team can afford any slip-ups.

“It’s a challenging group and it will be a tough three games for us, but from our perspective we know we’ll be well prepared for it,” Australia’s coach Ange Postecoglou said.

“At some point you have to play a team so our goal is to do well in this tournament. Everyone will be focusing on that and obviously that makes it challenging.

“That first game against Kuwait in Melbourne becomes a real critical one. We need to get off to a really strong start and if we can get those three points that will put pressure on the other teams.”

“Every game could be a banana skin.

“Kuwait in that first game is going to be a challenge, Oman, they proved when they came here last year that they’re a tough team to beat and they’ll come here with no fear.

“So we’re not going to discount anyone.”

Postecoglou expects Australia to make the final again next year, but this time he wants to go one step further.

With six hosts having previously won the Asian Cup he feels the Socceroos will have a major advantage.

“It’s in our backyard, this tournament,” he said. “We want to play in these big tournaments but you don’t get the chance very often to play them in your home country.

“If you think about that last game against South Korea in front of 50,000 people at Suncorp Stadium, I like those conditions.”

Australia, who joined the Asian confederation in 2006, will hope to use their home advantage to win their maiden Asian Cup after missing out 1-0 in extra time to Japan in the 2011 final in Qatar.

The tournament will kick off on January 9, with the final to be played at Stadium Australia on January 31.

Group A: Australia, Korea Republic, Oman, Kuwait
Group B: Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, China PR, DPR Korea
Group C: Iran, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain
Group D: Japan, Jordan, Iraq, AFC Challenge Cup 2014 winners

Source: ABC