File photo for
Doha, Qatar: Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa expressed his confidence that the 2023 edition of the Asian Cup, hosted by Qatar from Jan. 12 until Feb. 10 will be the best edition ever.
In his remarks, Sheikh Salman has conveyed his best wishes to Asia's top 24 teams and applauded the spirit of innovation and resilience exemplified by the Asian football family.
Sheikh Salman took the opportunity to reflect on the exceptional journey undertaken since Qatar was appointed as the host in October 2022 and underlined his confidence in the immaculate capabilities of the Qatar Football Association and the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 Local Organizing Committee.
The AFC President said: "I know our teams, players and the hundreds of millions of passionate fans across the globe have been waiting eagerly and we are now in touching distance of hosting our best-ever men's showpiece in Asian football history."
"From the moment Qatar was appointed as the host, we knew that this would be the first AFC Asian Cup to be held in FIFA World Cup venues. We also appointed our women's match officials to the continent's most prestigious men's tournament for the first time," he said.
"And now, with the introduction of the SAOT and full debut of the VAR systems, along with the inaugural AFC eAsian Cup, I am delighted to declare that the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 will truly be a tournament of 'firsts'," he added.
The AFC President concluded his remarks by saying: "At the same time, we are anchored on our Mission to excite and engage with more fans than ever before, and I am confident that the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 will be remembered as Asian football's finest hour."
