Australia keen on 2031 Asian Cup football, Central Asian nations launch joint bid
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Australia's Tim Cahill holds the Asian Cup trophy after they beat South Korea to win the tournament at the Stadium Australia in Sydney in 2015.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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MELBOURNE – Australia has submitted an expression of interest (EOI) to host the 2031 Asian Cup, while Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan have launched a joint bid for the continental football showpiece.
Australia, which hosted and won the 2015 tournament and will stage the Women’s Asian Cup in 2026, submitted its EOI to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on Feb 24, Football Australia (FA) said.
“Football Australia is delighted to confirm that it has submitted an expression of interest to host the AFC Asian Cup 2031 Finals,” an FA spokesperson said in an e-mailed statement to Reuters on Feb 25.
“This important step reaffirms our commitment to advancing the beautiful game in Australia and on the international stage, while adhering fully to the bidding process as set out by the AFC.”
There were reportedly also EOIs coming from the United Arab Emirates, South Korea and Indonesia.
Former Soviet republics Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan have never hosted the Asian Cup before, while Uzbekistan will organise the women’s event in 2029.
“The AFC Asian Cup is more than a football tournament, it is a celebration of unity, progress and sporting excellence,” Central Asian Football Association president Rustam Emomali said in a post on Instagram.
“Central Asia has a deep-rooted football culture and a passionate fan base, and we are confident that together, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyz Republic can deliver an exceptional tournament that leaves a lasting legacy.”
Australia and the central Asian nations are the latest to notify the AFC of their desire to organise the quadrennial event.
The next edition of the men’s Asian Cup will be played in Saudi Arabia in 2027.
In related news, Australia’s teenage football stars will be facing Japan in the semi-finals of the Under-20 Asian Cup on Feb 26, as their coach said he was “super proud” of them for getting to this stage of the competition.
Trevor Morgan’s side celebrated a “double” success over the weekend, when they not only booked their place in the Asian Cup last four with a thrilling 3-2 comeback win over Iraq, but also qualified for the Under-20 World Cup in Chile later in September to October with that result.
They were pushed to their limits by the Iraqis who led 2-1 at half-time, before fighting back to seal victory.
“Obviously I’m super proud of them,” Morgan, whose players have won all four of their matches so far in Shenzhen, China, said on ESPN.
“For the boys themselves, it’s a life goal to get to a World Cup. They’ve achieved qualification and had to do so with some adversity. They had to show their fighting spirit. They had to come back and they produced the goods.
“These Under-20 teams exist to give players exposure in high-level tournaments, so that one day they might be a Socceroo.” REUTERS
