‘Asian Cup Qatar a tournament of firsts’

As the attention of world football descends upon Doha for a record third time in the history of the AFC Asian Cup, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifah 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.
Ahead of tomorrow’s opener between defending champions Qatar and Lebanon at the iconic Lusail Stadium, Sheikh Salman 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.
“On behalf of the AFC, I would like to wish our teams, players and officials the very best of success and I am confident that we will witness inspiring performances that will showcase the immeasurable progress of Asian football.”
Sheikh Salman took the opportunity to reflect on the exceptional journey undertaken since Qatar was named as the host in October 2022 and underlined his confidence in the immaculate capabilities of the Qatar Football Association and the Local Organising Committee.
The AFC President added: “We are all aware that this is the shortest ever runway that we have had to organise the pinnacle stage of Asian men’s football. But in another remarkable display of Asian football unity, we have shown the world that we are ready to stage an exceptional tournament.
“And of course, so much of this has been made possible all thanks to our dear friends from the Qatar Football Association and the Local Organising Committee. Just over a year ago, Qatar hosted the greatest-ever edition of the FIFA World Cup and now the stage is set for the grandest ever AFC Asian Cup to date.”
Sheikh Salman was also quick to acknowledge the breakthrough innovations set to be introduced at Asia’s crown jewel with the AFC eAsian Cup scheduled to take place from February 1 to 5, and the use of the Semi-Automated Offside Technology (SAOT) and Video Assistant Referee (VAR) systems across all 51 matches for the first time.
He added: “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. I am delighted to declare that the AFC Asian Cup Qatar will truly be a tournament of ‘firsts’.