AIFF Media Team

NEW DELHI: The Final Draw for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 is set to be held on Thursday, May 11, 2023, at the Katara Opera House, in Doha, Qatar, the Asian Football Confederation announced.

In a letter to all the Participating Member Associations (PMA), the AFC informed that Qatar will host the upcoming edition of the AFC Asian Cup, and invited the President of each PMA, Head Coach and Team Managers were invited to attend the Final Draw.

The AFC also announced the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 will be held in the nation that hosted the FIFA World Cup last year, with the proposed tournament dates set between January 12 to February 10, 2024. The final dates of the competition will be formalised after confirmation with FIFA.

Time we started planning ahead: Igor Stimac 

India head coach Igor Stimac said after the announcement by AFC, “Now we can start planning for the road ahead. It’s necessary we start discussing with other stakeholders as soon as possible, on how to organise the calendar for the upcoming season which will be enormous challenge for everyone.”

Stressing on the importance of the preparation for the AFC Asian Cup, Stimac said, “Our priority is to get as much time as possible for preparation throughout December and January prior to the Asian Cup. We have a packed schedule this year with the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers, the Asian Games, and the FIFA windows for the Senior Team. It is necessary for us to plan early.”

The India head coach also wants to get the ball rolling for the Asian Cup right after the Final Draw. “For now, we are planning to choose appropriate accommodation right after the draw, and also discuss possible friendly games before the tournament,” he said.