On Monday, the executive office of the Asian Football Confederation confirmed the choice of Qatar to host the 2023 Asian Cup.
This happened during the eleventh meeting held by the Executive Office led by Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, President of the Asian Football Confederation.
Sheikh Salman congratulated the Qatar Football Association on the successful hosting bid and expressed his gratitude to the Asian football family of the Indonesian Football Association and the South Korean Football Association for the commendable hosting files.
The President of the Confederation explained that Qatar’s capabilities, its experience in hosting major sporting events and their meticulous attention to detail are highly valued around the world.
He continued: “Given the short preparation time, we know that the hard work will begin immediately, but with world-class infrastructure and high organizational capabilities, we are confident that Qatar will organize an excellent edition, commensurate with the value and prestige of the pearl in the championships of the Asian continent.” .
The Executive Office also discussed the nominations submitted to host the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, currently limited to Saudi Arabia and India, as the host country will be decided at the next General Assembly meeting in February 2023.
Based on this decision, Qatar’s candidacy file for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup has been closed, as it was considered withdrawn, following a successful request to host the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, in accordance with the nomination file instructions. Australia has withdrawn its bid to host the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, while Uzbekistan and Iran have withdrawn their bid to host the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
During the meeting, the Executive Office expressed its deepest condolences to the Indonesian Football Association and the families of the victims of the events that took place at the Kanjuruhan Stadium in the Indonesian city of Malang earlier this month.
Sheikh Salman said: “The tragedy of Malang was a painful loss and all our feelings and support go out to the families and friends of the victims and to the Indonesian Football Association.”
“Last month we also lost a dear brother and friend, Lim Kia Tong, and we will miss him. He will always be in our hearts and will continue to inspire us with his legacy of integrity, professionalism and great love for the game. .”
Sheikh Salman also expressed his gratitude for the great response he received on his re-election as AFC President.
During the meeting, the Executive Office approved all the decisions made by the federation’s working committees since the last meeting, the most notable of which was the recommendation of the Competition Committee to grant the right to host the U-23 AFC Cup final in 2024. to the Qatari Federation.
