Qatar Begins 100-Day Countdown to AFC Asian Cup 2023

Qatar is gearing up to host the AFC Asian Cup 2023, which will kick off on January 12, 2024. This is the second major football tournament that Qatar will host in less than a year, after successfully hosting the FIFA World Cup 2022 last year.

Qatar marked an important milestone for the AFC Asian Cup 2023 on Wednesday, celebrating the start of the competition's 100-day countdown with a special celebration in Doha. Top officials from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) were present at the event, including AFC General Secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John, LOC Managing Director Mansoor Al Ansari, LOC CEO Jassim Al Jassim, and LOC Board Member Hani Ballan.

The AFC Asian Cup 2023 slogan, Hayya Asia, was unveiled at the special celebration in Doha. The slogan is a widely understood phrase that means "Let's go Asia" in Arabic. It reflects the tournament's vitality and unifying nature.

Nine stadiums will host 51 matches in Qatar for the 18th AFC Asian Cup from January 12 to February 10, 2024.

Qatar will be hosting the tournament for a record third time, having successfully held it in 1988 and 2011. The host nation will also take part as defending champions.

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairman of the Asian Cup Qatar 2023 Local Organizing Committee, said that the tournament would give fans a chance to relive the excitement of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.