China has apologized for not hosting the 2023 Asian Cup due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a statement from the Continental Confederation announced on Saturday, at a time when the country is grappling with the worst outbreak of the Corona virus since its outbreak began. June 16 to July 16, 2023 with 24 teams after China was chosen as the venue on June 5, 2019 during an extraordinary meeting of the General Assembly in Paris.
“After extensive consultations with the China Football Association, the China Football Association has informed the Asian Football Confederation of its inability to host the 2023 Asian Cup,” the Confederation said in a statement, adding that the next steps related to the hosting will be announced when events in China have been canceled or postponed, most notably the Hanju 2022 Asian Games, which were scheduled for September.
China has finally faced a new wave of Covid-19 virus infections, which has led to the closure of many cities and the imprisonment of millions of residents in their homes. The association and local organizing committee of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in China have taken important steps during the preparation period, including the launch of the tournament’s logo and the unveiling of the completion of construction work at Shanghai’s Bandung Stadium last year. While the Confederation expressed its “appreciation to China”, it described the decision as “difficult but necessary for the overall interests of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, as the AFC will have enough time to assess the situation with the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. Asian Cup.
Teams from China (former host), Japan, Syria, Qatar, South Korea, Australia, Iran, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, Vietnam and Lebanon have qualified for the 24-team tournament, with third round qualifiers scheduled to end from 8 to 14 June according to the pool system. Japan holds the record for most titles (4) against Saudi Arabia and Iran (3), while Qatar won its first-ever title in 2019 in the UAE.
