Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) today thanks the efforts of the Qatar Football Association, the Qatari authorities and the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy Local Organising Committee in hosting the opening match days of the four AFC Champions League (West) groups.
With 15 teams in Doha for the AFC Champions League (West) centralised competition, which comprises the Group and Knock-out stages of the tournament, the AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim congratulated Qatar earlier in the week saying the arrangements for Asia’s premier club competition had been of the highest calibre.
With just more than two years to go until the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the AFC Champions League has tested procedures, protocols, facilities and stadiums of a world class standard in the build up to and start of the competition.
The experience of all the participants – teams, officials, match officials and staff - has been outstanding from a world leading airport, to smooth and efficient immigration, to some of the best hotels in Asia, to cutting edge training facilities and now matches have been played in state-of-the-art stadiums with the very latest technology.
The medical support provided by the Qatari authorities in safeguarding the health and welfare of all the participants during this difficult time of the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that Qatar’s non-football care is also exceptional.
Three FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 stadiums – Khalifa International Stadium, Al Janoub Stadium and the Education City Stadium – are being used for the AFC Champions League (West) along with Al Sadd’s Jassim bin Hamad Stadium.
The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is the highlight of the next four years when Asia is scheduled to host the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in India, the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Indonesia and the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia/New Zealand 2023 as well as the FIFA Club World Cup planned for China PR, the Olympic Football Tournament in Tokyo and the FIFA Pan-Arab Tournament in Qatar.