Doha, 14 January 2024- HE President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa expressed his gratitude to HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, for the generous patronage of His Highness of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 opening ceremony held at the Lusail Stadium, on Friday.
Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), the AFC President and FIFA Vice President praised the opening ceremony and said that the tournament's ideal atmosphere, football passion, and remarkable developments are all proof of the advancement of football, rising competitiveness, and the emergence of talent on the continent.
Al Khalifa said that the opening ceremony was impressive and demonstrated the State of Qatar's unsurprising organizational excellence, especially in light of the dazzling and historic FIFA World Cup edition it hosted. His Excellency also extend his thanks to the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 organizing committee and the Qatar Football Association, for their work and successive accomplishments, which serve as evidence that Asia is a global destination for major sport tournaments.
The AFC President noted the wide attendance at both the opening ceremony and the Qatar-Lebanon opening match, adding that this wide attendance is an ideal start for the tournament, demonstrating the enormous football passion in Asia, the marketing plan success, and the ideal environment for Asian football.
Commenting on Qatar's hosting of the AFC Asian Cup for the third time, HE Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said that just a year after the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the greatest edition of its kind, and after Qatar was chosen to host the AFC Asian Cup in October 2022, the country is now showcasing the best edition of the tournament ever, which is proof of the accumulated capabilities of the Qatar Football Association and the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 organizing committee.
The AFC President concluded by saying that despite this being the shortest period of time ever given to prepare to host the AFC Asian Cup, the continent is now witnessing an exceptional tournament that illustrates the unity of the Asian football family, thanks to the Qatar Football Association and the local organizing committee.
