Following China’s refusal to host the Asian Cup due to a coronavirus outbreak, the Asian Football Confederation has opened bids for the 2023 Asian Cup, which will most likely be hosted by Japan now.
The 18th edition of the AFC Asian Cup will be held from 16 June to 16 July 2023. Following the expansion of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, the event will feature 24 teams, including the host nation. Qatar is the defending Asian champion.
The Asian Football Confederation has set a deadline of June 30 for member associations to submit new bids for the host country, after which officials will decide who will host the tournament.
The mega event was supposed to be held in China, but the AFC announced earlier this month that China had withdrawn from hosting the 24-team Asian Cup due to the country’s zero-Covid policy.
However, the Japan Football Association chairman, Kozo Tashima, in a local media talk expressed desire and said “If Japan were to host it, it would be exciting, no doubt about it.”
The Asian Cup is held every four years and is organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), with Qatar winning the most recent edition in 2019.