September 10 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Chinese Football Association (CFA) will jointly assess 20 candidate host cities – including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hangzhou – for the 2023 Asian Cup.
The two governing bodies have sent an inspection team to all the candidate host cities, according to Xinhua news agency. The team will tour the cities and assess infrastructure, construction and potential host venues. Cities will have as a hosting requirement a plan to develop an infrastructure of youth football by the end of 2021, according to the CFA.
The CFA wants to stage the 2023 tournament in at least nine football-specific venues, out of 12 stadiums that they see will be used for the event. The AFC’s bidding requirements called for a minimum of seven stadia.
Beijing’s National Stadium, Tianjin Olympic Centre Stadium, Hangzhou Olympic Sports Expo Centre Main Stadium, Helong Sports Centre Stadium in Changsha and Guangzhou Tianhe Sports Centre Stadium will receive minor renovation work, according to the bid book. Shanghai Pudong Football Stadium will host the final and one semi-final. Beijing’s National Stadium, the 2008 Olympic Stadium, will stage the other last-four game.
China last hosted the Asian Cup in 2004 when the tournament was played in a 16-team format for the first time. The Chinese reached the final on home soil but were defeated by the Japanese 1-3. At the last Asian Cup with 24 participants, China, under the stewardship of Italian veteran coach Marcelo Lippi, were eliminated by Iran in the quarter-finals. The AFC awarded China the hosting for the 2023 event in June on the eve of the FIFA Congress in Paris.
Contact the writer of this story, Samindra Kunti, at moc.l1735287934labto1735287934ofdlr1735287934owedi1735287934sni@o1735287934fni1735287934
