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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirms today that the United Arab Emirates Football Association (UAE FA) has agreed to host the centralised Group A matches of the Asian Qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup – Qatar and 2023 AFC Asian Cup – China.
The remaining seven matches in Group A, which comprises leaders Syria, China, Philippines, Maldives and Guam, will be held at the Sharjah Stadium, with the match schedule to be confirmed in the coming days after discussions with the participating teams, taking into consideration their arrival schedules to the UAE.
AFC General Secretary Dato’ Windsor John conveyed his appreciation to the UAE FA for their willingness to stage the Group A matches, particularly during these challenging times.
He said: “These are indeed unprecedented times for everyone, and, on behalf of the AFC, I would like to thank the UAE FA for agreeing to host the Group A matches of the Asian Qualifiers.
“The UAE FA’s commitment to host the matches within such a short lead time is testament to their spirit of understanding and organisational excellence, and we are confident that they will provide the best possible environment for our teams and players.
“The AFC outlined its desire to ensure the safe and successful resumption of the Asian Qualifiers and we are determined to deliver on our plans, keeping in mind the highest health protocols, for the benefit of all our participating teams, players, fans and key stakeholders.”
Meanwhile, UAE FA General Secretary Mohammed Hazzam Al Dhaheri added: “The United Arab Emirates Football Association is delighted to host the Group A matches of the Asian Qualifiers in the spirit of Asian unity and solidarity.
“We have demonstrated with the AFC Champions League (West) in Sharjah the capabilities of the United Arab Emirates in staging world-class competitions.
“In addition, we are hosting more than 14 national teams’ camps and international friendly matches in preparations for the World Cup Qualifiers, which proves the advanced football infrastructure in the UAE. We look forward to welcoming the participating teams and being the only country in Asia to hosts two groups of the Asian Qualifiers.”
The United Arab Emirates will also provide the backdrop for the matches in Group G, which consists of the host as well as ASEAN challengers Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, which is scheduled to take place on June 3 at the Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium and the Zabeel Stadium in Dubai.
