The AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, hosted by Doha from January 12 to February 10, is considered one of the historical editions of the tournament, featuring unprecedented facts and figures, making it a special version on all levels.
The 18th edition will witness the participation of 24 teams, marking the second time in history the number has been increased since the 2019 edition. Originally planned to be held in China, it was moved to Qatar due to China’s withdrawal. The decision to hold it in Qatar was announced by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) due to Qatar’s full readiness after the spectacular organization of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
The tournament stands out as it will be played on nine stadiums, including seven that hosted World Cup matches, a first in the continent’s history. No country that has hosted the World Cup has hosted the AFC Asian Cup before. Additionally, it is the first time the tournament will be played on technologically advanced stadiums, especially in cooling and environmental preservation, highlighting Qatar’s enduring legacy from the World Cup.
Qatar is presenting an eco-friendly edition, providing digital tickets for the Asian Cup matches that can be presented as electronic tickets on mobile phones. Fans will be able to store tickets in their digital wallets, contributing to a paper-free and environmentally friendly experience, showcasing Qatar’s commitment to hosting a sustainable tournament that respects environmental requirements.
Not only is this edition marked by organizational details, but it will also enhance the concepts of excellence that have become a hallmark for the State of Qatar. Qatar becomes the first country in the continent, as well as in the Arab and Gulf region, to host the tournament three times in its history, following the 1988 and 2011 editions, surpassing Iran, Thailand, and the UAE, each having hosted it twice.
This edition is unique as it takes place on stadiums known worldwide through the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Although the World Cup has been held in Asia in South Korea and Japan, neither country has hosted the AFC Asian Cup after hosting the World Cup, making this tournament distinctive in this regard.
Qatar, in this edition, is accompanied by signs of excellence through numbers and details that will be immortalized in the records of Asian football history. Qatar is the third country to hold the title and host the tournament after South Korea, who won the 1956 edition and hosted the 1960 edition, and Iran, who won the 1972 edition and organized the 1976 edition. This creates favorable opportunities for the Qatari national team to secure the title again after winning it in 2019.
The matches will be held in nine stadiums, including seven that hosted matches in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, namely Lusail, Al Janoub, Education City, Al Bayt, Al Thumama, Khalifa International Stadium, and Ahmed Bin Ali in the Al Rayyan region.
The Qatari edition will witness the debut of the Tajikistan national team, the 36th team to participate in the continental tournament since its inception in 1956.
Tajikistan will play in Group A alongside the host team Qatar, China, and Lebanon. They will play their first match against the Chinese team on January 12 at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium in Al Duhail, a modern stadium hosting AFC Asian Cup matches for the first time.
Fans will have an exceptional opportunity to attend more than one match in a single day for the first time in the history of the AFC Asian Cup finals, as the stadiums are close to each other. This feature allows fans from all over the continent and the world to stay in one place throughout the tournament, similar to what happened in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, which was characterized by the proximity of the stadiums and great flexibility in transportation use. The audience will have the opportunity to continue enjoying these exceptional features such as proximity to the stadiums, ease of mobility, and the ability to watch more than one match in a single day.
The tournament consists of 51 matches among 24 teams, and the group stage will feature three matches in one day, making the competition atmosphere exciting throughout the entire month. The tournament will be full of passion and love for football, providing an Asian flavor this time but in an atmosphere similar to the last World Cup.
The Lusail Stadium, which hosted the final of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, will host the opening match between the host team Qatar, the defending champion, and Lebanon. The stadium will also host the final match of the tournament, with a seating capacity of 88,966, making it one of the largest stadiums in the history of the AFC Asian Cup, second only to Azadi Stadium in Tehran, which welcomed about 100,000 spectators in the 1976 edition.
The Lusail Stadium hosted 10 matches during the Qatar World Cup, including the historic final where the Argentine national team won the title against the French national team.
This will be the seventh time the tournament finals are held in the western part of the continent. The finals were held in Kuwait in 1980, and the Kuwaiti national team won the title. In 1988, it was held in Qatar, and the Saudi national team won the title. In 1996, it took place in the UAE, and the Saudi national team won the title. In 2000, it was in Lebanon, and the Japanese national team won the title. In 2011, it was in Qatar, and the Japanese national team won the title. In 2019, it was in the UAE, and the Qatari national team won the title. (QNA)
