Japan, Iran, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) booked their tickets to represent Asia at the 24-team FIFA U-17 World Cup, Nigeria 2009, local media reported Tuesday.

The teams qualified by virtue of their entry into the semifinals of the ongoing AFC U-16 Championship in Uzbekistan.

Nigeria, as host of the 23-day tourney, has automatically qualified for the competition. Though the Nigerian team failed to qualify for the African finals to be held early next year in Algeria, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has swung into action by changing the team's technical crew.

Henry Nwosu, who replaced Alphonsus Dike, has been charged to raise a formidable team capable of retaining the FIFA U-17 World Cup, which was won by the coach Yemi Tella-tutored boys in Seoul, South Korea in 2007.

The remaining 19 qualifiers are to come from UEFA (Europe - five), CONCACAF (Central, North America and Caribbean - four), CONMEBOL (South America and CAF (Africa - five) and OFC (Oceania - one).