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659259
Wed, 05/10/2023 - 20:13
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https://www.oananews.org//node/659259
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AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023: 24 Teams Await Their Fate in Final Draw in Doha
Doha, May 10 (QNA) - Qatar is looking forward to continuing to reap successes during its hosting of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 from Jan. 12 to Feb. 10, 2024. to become the first country to host the finals of the continental championship for the third time, after 1988 and 2011.
Qatar seeks to continue excellence and dazzle through the successful hosting of various international sporting events, this is after its success in hosting the most important and prominent events such as the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the 2019 World Athletics Championships, the Formula 1 races, and Arab Cup.
The teams qualified for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 was completed in June, after the completion of the final stage of the final qualifiers.
According to the regulation approved by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to qualify for the tournament, 13 teams found their way to the tournament after participating in the final qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and these teams are Qatar, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Australia, China, Iran, Iraq, South Korea, Lebanon, Oman, Syria, UAE and Vietnam.
As for the other 11 teams that qualified through the final qualifiers, they are Jordan, Palestine, Uzbekistan, India, Bahrain, Tajikistan, Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Kyrgyzstan.
According to the continental championship regulation, the 24 teams will be divided into six groups of four teams each across Groups A to F, with the top two and four best third-placed teams advancing into the final 16 of the competition, which is held according to the knockout system.
With the escalation of enthusiasm for the start of the tournament competitions at the beginning of 2024, the official date for the tournament draw has been confirmed, based on the monthly ranking of teams issued by the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA).
The draw ceremony will be held at the Opera House in Katara, on May 11, at 2:00 pm local time, and the tournament matches schedule will be announced shortly after the draw.
The 24 teams participating in the tournament are awaiting their fate in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup draw after the seeding of the 18th edition of the continental championship has been completed.
The Qatar national team, the host and champion of the last edition of the Asian Championships, has been allocated the first position in Pot 1 ahead of the draw, to ensure that the host nation commences the tournament with the opening match scheduled for Jan. 12, 2024.
Joining the hosts and defending champions in Pot 1 are the teams ranked from second to sixth in Asia in the latest FIFA Ranking namely, four-time winners Japan, three-time champions the Islamic Republic of Iran, two-time winners Korea Republic, 2015 champions Australia and Saudi Arabia who will be aiming to claim their fourth Continental crown.
Japan ranks 20th in the world in the latest FIFA rankings for April, followed by Iran in 24th place, South Korea in 27th place, Australia in 29th place, Saudi Arabia in 54th place, and Qatar in 61st place.
Pot 2 will comprise 2007 champions Iraq, 2019 hosts the United Arab Emirates, Oman, 2011 semi-finalist Uzbekistan, two-time runners up China and Jordan.
Iraq ranks 67th in the FIFA rankings, the UAE 72nd, Oman 73rd, Uzbekistan 74th, China 81st and Jordan 84th.
Meanwhile, Bahrain, Syria, Palestine, Vietnam, Kyrgyzstan and Lebanon will take their places in Pot 3. Bahrain ranks 85th, Syria 90th, Palestine 93rd, Vietnam 95th, Kyrgyzstan 96th, and Lebanon 99th.
India, debutants Tajikistan, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Indonesia will complete the line-up in Pot 4.
India occupies 101st place in the FIFA rankings for the national team, Tajikistan 109th, Thailand 114th, Malaysia 138th, Hong Kong 147th, Indonesia 149th in the world.
Some of the most iconic names of Asian football are expected to grace the Final Draw as Draw Assistants with the Head Coaches from the 24 teams also poised to be in attendance
The tournament will be held in eight stadiums, including six stadiums that co-hosted the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, which are Al Janoub Stadium, Al Bayt Stadium, Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Al Thumama Stadium, Education City Stadium, Khalifa International Stadium joined by Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium and Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium.
The AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 will be held in Qatar over a period of 30 days, an increase of two days from the previous edition, which lasted for 28 days in 2019 in the UAE, to enhance the experience enjoyed by the enthusiastic football fans in the continent of Asia, and to enhance the status and commercial value of the tournament.
Qatar became the first country to host the finals for the third time, and all indications are that Asian football will witness a great celebration through the 18th edition of the Asian Cup.
Qatar was previously equal to Iran, Thailand, and the UAE in hosting the tournament twice before, and Qatar has confirmed that the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 will be a football festival in the Asian continent.
The Qatar national team seeks to defend the title that it won in 2019 in the UAE, and it will be among the candidates to compete for the 2023 Asian Cup title in Qatar.
After Qatar team failed to reach the semi-finals in the previous two editions at home in 1988 and 2011, playing at home this time will give the Qatari team a chance to become the fifth team to win the championship title twice in a row after Iran, Japan, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia.
The Japanese team is the most crowned team, as it won it four times in 1992, 2000, 2004 and 2011, followed by the Iranian team, which crowned the title three times in a row in 1968, 1972 and 1976, and Saudi Arabia with 3 titles in 1984, 1988, and 1996.
South Korea won the title twice, in 1956 and 1960, while Australia, Iraq and Kuwait won the title once. (QNA)
