Qatar, host of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, is determined to build on the legacy of the 2022 FIFA Qatar World Cup, which thrilled football fans around the world, to deliver the ultimate Asian football event.
The Qatar Asian Cup Organizing Committee hosted football media from across Asia in Doha on Monday to brief them on the preparations for the Asian Cup, which is less than 100 days away from kick-off.The Qatar Asian Cup Organizing Committee explained what is being done in terms of facilities at Lusail Stadium, which hosted the Qatar World Cup Final between Argentina and France on Monday.
For the organizers of the Qatar Asian Cup, it was a big deal to build on the World Cup legacy for the first time in history. The Qatar World Cup was only the second time in history that the tournament was held in Asia. The first was the 2002 FIFA World Cup, which as we all know was co-hosted by South Korea and Japan. However, Korea and Japan were unable to build on their World Cup legacy to host the Asian Cup. Korea has hosted age-group World Cups at World Cup Stadium, including the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup and the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup, but not a continental tournament with an A-team.
The Qatar Asian Cup, on the other hand, will be played at the Qatar World Cup facilities where Argentina lifted the trophy 10 months ago. There will be a total of nine venues for the Asian Cup. That’s one more stadium than was used at the last World Cup in Qatar.
While Stadium 974, which hosted the Round of 16 match between South Korea and Brazil, was retired after that game, Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, home of Qatar’s prestigious club Al Sadd, and Al Duhail’s Anbang Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium, where Kim Moon-hwan plays, will be used. All seven stadiums, except for Jassim bin Hamad Stadium and Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, are World Cup stadiums.
Abdullah Al-Fehani, General Manager of Qatar Asian Cup Venues, emphasized that the facilities are being upgraded from the World Cup.
“Each stadium has its own theme, as you can see from the outside with the golden bands,” he says. “The locker rooms have different lockers and functions. “The locker rooms have a variety of lockers and functions,” says Al-Fehani. “They comply with basic and detailed requirements, but unlike the World Cup, they also have touch screens, which can be used by team managers to explain tactics to their players. I mentioned that the Asian Cup will use the infrastructure that was built for the World Cup, and we’ll be able to see it transform. It will be like a beautiful piece of art,” he said.
Above all, he is very concerned about the conditions at Lusail Stadium, where the opening and final matches of the Asian Cup will be played. “With a capacity of 80,000 spectators, we hope to make the matches at Lusail Stadium even more unique,” says Al-Fehani. We will provide the same experience to the players and fans as we did at the World Cup with the stadium’s various features and facilities.”
The overarching theme of the Qatar Asian Cup stadium operations is green and sustainability. It’s not just the construction of the stadium, but also the policy of operating the stadium, which seeks to protect the environment and explore recycling possibilities during its future operation and demolition.
“Most of the construction work has already been completed, and there is a significant focus on sustainability, and we will monitor what is reported 사설토토 and incorporate it into our future plans,” says Al-Fehani. The current stadium is fully certified in terms of sustainability.”
Finally, Al-Fehani concludes, “For this World Cup, not only the stadiums, but also the accommodation, transportation, and everything else is working as it does for the World Cup. We’ve learned from the World Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup, the FIFA Arab Cup, and other events, and we’ve been getting better and better at it. The same will be true for the Asian Cup,” he said, confident of a successful tournament.