Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Abu Dhabi: AFC President Shaikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa expressed his trust that the UAE will host a spectacular AFC Asian Cup 2019 and that the edition will be the best ever in the tournament’s history.
The AFC President expressed his confidence after signing the Organising Association Agreement (OAA) for the AFC Asian Cup 2019 with UAE Football Association President Yousuf Yaqoob Yousuf Al Serkal on Thursday.
Sheikh Salman said UAE has the perfect environment for the success of the Asian Cup with its wonderful infrastructure, high-quality stadiums, modern transportation between the cities and excellent logistics at all levels in addition to the nation’s experience in hosting big international and regional sports events.
The AFC President explained that the signing of the OAA is considered the first milestone to start the preparations to host the continental event, as he hailed the work done in the last few months by UAE Football Association and the local organising committee, after the decision of the AFC to award UAE the hosting rights for the finals that will witness 24 teams for the first time in the AFC Asian Cup history.
Sheikh Salman also stressed on the importance of co-operation and co-ordination between AFC and UAE FA to continue the preparations for the tournament, confirming that AFC will provide all the needed support for UAE to achieve the mutual goals of organising the finals with the highest standards.
The AFC President also expressed his confidence that the launch of the AFC Club Licensing Administration System (CLAS) on Thursday will have positive results in providing transparency in the club licensing process and finalise the process in the best efficient way.
Sheikh Salman said the new electronic system is a new development step that addresses the Member Associations and clubs’ needs and helps the club licensing system goals expand the professionalism of Asian clubs at all levels.