2023 Asian Cup still needs a home as final cast confirmed

The Korean national football team applaud the fans after beating Egypt 4-1 in a friendly at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Mapo District, western Seoul on June 14. [NEWS1]

The third round of qualifiers for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup finished last week, with the final 11 teams joining the 24-squad lineup.

With the competing nations for the continental tournament now confirmed, the focus shifts to finding somewhere for them to actually play — China, the original host of the 2023 Asian Cup, withdrew last month due to the country’s Zero-Covid policy.

The AFC called for interested parties to bid to take over as host for the tournament, which is scheduled to run from 16 June to 16 July next year, earlier this month.

AFC is yet to announce a shortlist of preferred bidders, but possible contenders include Qatar, which will have hosted the 2022 Qatar World Cup only seven months earlier, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Korea.

Australia, which has the infrastructure in place after hosting the tournament in 2015, is effectively excluded as it will be hosting the 2023 Women’s World Cup in July.

President Yoon Suk-yeol, while attending a friendly between the national team and Brazil at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Mapo District, western Seoul on June 2, reportedly discussed the idea of bidding to host the Asian Cup with the chairman of the Korea Football Association.

Interested parties — including Korea — have until June 30 to officially state their interest in hosting the tournament. The AFC is then expected to move quickly to have a new host in place to allow us much time as possible for preparation for the tournament.

Wherever it ends up being played, the cast of 24 nations that will compete at the continental tournament has now been determined.

Korea was among the 13 clubs to qualify for the Asian Cup last year, during the second round of qualifiers that also acted as the Asian qualifiers for the 2022 Qatar World Cup. In the second round, eight group winners and the five best runners-up earned a ticket to the Asian Cup.

Korea earned their spot as the winner of Group H, as did Lebanon as the runner-up from the same group.

Also from the second round: Syria and China qualified as the winner and runner-up of Group A; Australia qualified as the winner of Group B; Iran and Iraq qualified as the winner and runner-up of Group C; Saudi Arabia qualified as the winner of Group D; Qatar and Oman qualified as the winner and runner-up of Group E; Japan qualified as the winner of Group F; and the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam qualified as the winner and runner-up of Group G.

Following that second round, the final 11 spots were determined in the third round of Asian Cup qualifiers earlier this month, where six group winners and the five best runners-up earned their tickets to the tournament.

Jordan, Palestine, Uzbekistan, India, Bahrain and Tajikistan, who will make their Asian Cup debut next year, all topped their group to earn a berth at the tournament, with Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Kyrgyzstan taking the final spots.

Qatar enter the tournament as reigning champions, having won in 2019, with Japan, Korea, Australia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Iraq all also former winners. Japan is the winningest team, with four victories to their name.

Whether Korea ends up hosting the tournament or not, the Taeguk Warriors will be desperate to change their fortunes at the tournament. Korea has not lifted the Asian Cup since 1960, which was also the last time Korea hosted the tournament.

The best result the Taeguk Warriors have seen in recent years was second-place in 2015, when they lost 2-1 to Australia in the final, and third place in both 2011 and 2007. Korea was knocked out of the 2019 tournament in the quarterfinals by eventual champions Qatar.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]