The Group A clash will kick-off the largest AFC Asian Cup ever-held. 

The competition has expanded to 24 teams from the 16-team format which has existed since 2004. 

The teams have been sorted into six groups of four, with the group stage continuing until January 17.

UAE, Bahrain, Thailand and India make up Group A, with Group B consisting of defending champions Australia, Jordan, Syria and Palestine. 

China, Kyrgyzstan, South Korea and Philippines are in Group C, Iran, Yemen, Iraq and Vietnam are in Group D and Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Lebanon and North Korea are in Group E. 

Group F is made up of Japan, Turkmenistan, Oman and Uzbekistan. 

The competition will then progress onto the knock-out stages on January 20, with the quarter-finals played on January 24 and 25 and the semis on January 28 and 29. 

Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi will host the final on February 1. 

The last tournament in 2015 saw Australia win on home soil. 

Controversy has mired the competition before it has even started, however, with Qatari Saoud al-Mohannadi, the vice president of the AFC, initially refused entry into the UAE for the tournament. 

The UAE broke diplomatic ties with Qatar in 2017 with the political tension now having an impact on the Asian Cup. 

It has been reported by France 24  that Mohannadi is now in the country, however.

Campaign group #NewFIFANow have also used the start of the tournament to call on AFC President Shaikh Salman to intervene in the case of jailed player Hakeem Al-Araibi.

Al-Araibi is a former national team player of Bahrain who was granted refugee status by Australia in 2017 after fleeing his country following imprisonment as part of a crackdown on dissidents in 2011.

He has been detained in Bangkok by Thai authorities, allegedly on the request of the Bahrain Government, after he travelled to Thailand in November for a holiday. 

With Australia, Thailand and Bahrain all taking part in the competition, #NewFifaNow has urged Shaikh Salman to use his influence to free Al-Araibi.