Kuala Lumpur: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 have announced that the upcoming edition of the continental event will be held from January 12 to February 10, 2024.
“The tournament will be held across 30 days, two more than the 28-day 2019 edition in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as part of efforts to enhance the experience for Asia’s football fans as well as the stature and commercial value of the competition,” it said in a release.
The AFC and LOC have also confirmed that the tournament will be staged across eight stadiums, six of which were venues for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, namely: Al Janoub Stadium, Al Bayt Stadium, Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium, Al Thumama Stadium, Education City Stadium, Khalifa International Stadium as well as the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium and Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium.
The official draw ceremony for AFC Asian Cup will be held at the world-renowned Katara Opera House in Doha on May 11, 2023, with the official match schedule also expected to be unveiled shortly after the draw, as per the AFC release.
Asia’s top 24 nations will compete for the most prestigious prize in Asian football and, as part of efforts to engage with more fans than ever before, the 18th edition of the tournament will maximise the advantage of playing the opening game on a Friday and the final on a weekend.
(IANS)