Shaikh Salman hails AFC Asian Cup 2023 as 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 Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said the forthcoming event, starting on January 13, will be a tournament of many firsts.

“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," said Shaikh Salman.

“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 in Qatar will truly be a tournament of firsts," he added.

Shaikh Salman also 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 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," he added.

Shaikh Salman was also quick to acknowledge the breakthrough innovations set to be introduced at Asia’s crown jewel with the AFC Asian Cup scheduled to take place from 1 to 5 February, and the use of the Semi-Automated Offside Technology (SAOT) and Video Assistant Referee (VAR) systems across all 51 matches for the first time.

“These enhancements further underline the AFC’s desire to enhance our flagship competitions with each passing edition and bring to life our Vision of providing a world-class stage for our players, teams and officials.”

The AFC President concluded: “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.”