The two teams are making a welcome return to the Continental showpiece, with India last appearing in 2011 and Thailand four years earlier.

Drawn in a group that also includes the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, a win for either India and Thailand will go a long way to boosting their hopes of advancing to the Round of 16, a fact not lost on the head coaches of both teams, who also accept that the opener is going to be far from easy.

The Socceroos claimed their first-ever AFC Asian Cup title on home soil in 2015 but, with a rejuvenated squad and a new man at the helm, Arnold was quick to stress he and his players are focused only on what lies ahead.

“That was four years ago, it was in our own nation and it’s a great memory for the Australian public, but in four years many things change in and around the team and also in people’s personal lives,” said Arnold, who took over as Australia coach following the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia.

“It’s a great memory, but we’re totally focused on what’s in front of us. We can’t do anything about the past and what’s in front of us is the Asian Cup. For the players and myself it’s time to get the show started. Everyone’s been talking about it for a long time and we’ve prepared for it and we’re ready.”

Four years on from a third-place finish in Australia, Zaccheroni’s charges prepare to face their regional rivals looking to repeat the country’s famous run to the 1996 final when they narrowly lost on penalties to Saudi Arabia.

With excitement building ahead of the tournament’s first fixture, the Italian tactician believes the absence of influential midfielder Omar Abdulrahman and an injury doubt over defender Ismail Ahmed will not prove decisive as the Emiratis look to underline their current title ambitions and secure an immediate advantage in an intriguing Group A that also includes India and Thailand.

The 17th edition of the AFC Asian Cup, which will be the biggest and best Continental showpiece, kicks off on Saturday with hosts United Arab Emirates taking on Bahrain in their Group A opener at the Zayed Sports City Stadium.

Check out the individual national team kits by groups below:

Azkals midfielder Luke Woodland (pictured above, centre) was born in Abu Dhabi, just over an hour away from Dubai's Al Maktoum Stadium, where the Southeast Asians will begin their Group C campaign against the highly-rated Korea Republic.

Woodland's family relocated to England when he was two years old, but he revealed his delight at returning to the country of his birth for the Philippines' historic first step on the Continental stage.

Both teams arrived in Dubai and have planned several training sessions before their respective UAE 2019 matches.

The AFC Asian Cup opening match has not always seen the host have it easy, as there have been instances where we saw the host nation stunned on their home turf. Over the years, there were many a classic encounter which saw entertaining draws or a shock result that remains in memory.