RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- Uruguay, Japan and defending champions Chile will face each other in the first phase of this year's Copa America after being drawn in the same group on Thursday.

Tournament hosts Brazil will face Bolivia in the curtain-raiser at Sao Paulo's Morumbi Stadium on June 14 and will also meet Peru and Venezuela in Group A.

Group B will begin with a tantalising clash between Argentina and Colombia in Salvador on June 15. The group will also feature Paraguay and 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar.

But Group C is likely to be dubbed the group of death with Uruguay and defending champions Chile both ranked in the world's top 13 and Japan rated the third best Asian side by world football governing body FIFA. Ecuador is the other team in the group.

The Copa America, the world's oldest continental football tournament, will be held in five Brazilian cities from June 14 to July 7.

This year's edition will include each of CONMEBOL's 10 member nations plus guests Japan and Qatar.

The top two teams from each group and the two best third-placed sides will advance to the knockout stage, which begins on June 27.

Rio de Janeiro's Maracana Stadium will host the final on July 7.