2023 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup. /CFP
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has released requirements for the football associations interested in hosting the AFC Asian Cup in 2023, Ma Dexing of Titan Sports reported on Monday.
It's best for the host's national team to be already qualified or about to qualify for the tournament. Around 13 teams have secured qualification for the 2023 Asian Cup, leaving 11 spots to be decided during the competitions between June 8 and 13. It's possible to get an open spot for the host, but that will require the AFC to alter the rules of the qualification tournament, not to mention it's likely to lead to other issues. Therefore, the AFC prefers a new host to have a qualified team.
Players of Qatar celebrate winning the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup after 3-1 win over Japan in the final game at Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, February 1, 2019. /CFP
Meanwhile, there are another seven specific requirements:
The host must have at least five stadiums, each of which must have a seating capacity of 20,000.
The stadium for the opening ceremony and the final game must be able to host 40,000 spectators.
At least two practice fields must be available for each group that contains four teams.
The host must have multiple four-star or five-star hotels that meet international standards.
Free traveling inside and free access to international flights of both into and out of the host country must be assured.
Domestic flights must be assured among host cities that are over 200 kilometers away from each other.
A specific project to ensure the safety of spectators attending the games and the security of the competitions is required.
Al-Janoub Stadium in Doha, Qatar, one of the stadiums to hold the 2022 FIFA World Cup between November 21 and December 18. /CFP
The Korea Football Association of South Korea has already expressed interest in hosting the 2023 Asian Cup, and it may face competition from Japan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Both Japan and South Korea have the infrastructure left from co-hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2002. The UAE was the host for the last edition of the Asian Cup in 2019. Qatar wanted to bid for the tournament in 2027, but as the host for the 2022 World Cup, it is ready to hold the top Asian Football Cup first.
The AFC asked the interested football associations to reply within one week to express their intention to host the tournament.