Playmakers from the participating countries took part in the latest workshop on the AFC Asian Cup, which inspired everybody to reach new levels of enthusiasm thanks to a motivational opening from fellow Playmaker – life coach Farhad Kardan, who currently lives between the United Arab Emirates and Japan.

Throughout the afternoon, guests exchanged uplifting stories, competed against each other in a number of activities from the interactive roadshow before uniting to compete in a football friendly match.

Beginning today, the remodelled the-AFC.com, which has been redesigned to mirror the distinct look and feel of the continental showpiece, will redirect all football fans to the tournament’s dedicated page.

It will present users with essential updates such as live scores, latest videos, results and table standings, exclusive and interactive features that combine to provide a more comprehensive coverage of the AFC Asian Cup.

Digital followers, from more than 200 million engagements in 2018, will be given the opportunity to test their wits against the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019™ Prediction Challenge, which allows participants to predict the scores of all 51 matches. Registered fans also have a chance to win attractive prizes and ‘boasting rights’ on the global predictor leaderboard.

Redesigned to fit the theme of the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 Brand Guide, members of the media will be able to submit their applications for the specific matches they wish to cover through the revamped site while photographers will be given the added opportunity to select their pitch side seats via an interactive seat selection platform.

"We are fully committed towards staging the best-ever AFC Asian Cup for our passionate fans, players and teams and our success relies significantly on the continued support from all our stakeholders. Our friends from the media are a valued partner in this journey and they play a crucial role in helping the AFC grow the stature of our competitions, as underlined in the AFC’s Vision and Mission,” said Dato’ Windsor John, AFC General Secretary.

“We want to provide the best possible environment for all our stakeholders and ensuring a world-class platform for our media representatives, through the enhanced Media Channel, will help us in realising those ambitions.”

A frenetic final day of qualifying for the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 saw DPR Korea, the Philippines and Yemen taking the last three available spots on Tuesday.

Kyrgyz Republic ended their campaign with a 2-1 win over India in Group A but they had sealed their place in the Finals after defeating Myanmar 5-1 last Thursday.

Join the-AFC.com as we take a look at the three teams who have taken their place among the Continent’s best for next January’s extravaganza in the United Arab Emirates.

The glory of being champions, however, was not to be savoured at the end though as UAE lost 2-0 to eventual champions Australia in the semi-finals.

They recovered from their semi-final disappointment to defeat Iraq 3-2 to win the bronze with Salmeen eagerly cheering from the stands.

Four years later, the UAE will host the AFC Asian Cup 2019 with tickets for 51 matches in the 24-team tournament set to go on sale from Monday.

With tickets for the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 set to go on sale on July 30, Salmeen shares his thoughts on his favourite team and the warmth and hospitality that awaits the best teams and their fans in the Continent's premier football tournament on January 5-February 1.

 

The new silverware, which was unveiled during the glittering AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 Final Draw at the Burj Khalifa in May this year, began its epic journey in China PR, finding its way to Korea Republic’s capital, Seoul, before landing in Doha, Qatar last week.

In keeping with the tournament’s ever-growing prestige and stature, the AFC decided to commission a new trophy for the first time since the inaugural edition in 1956. Produced by a world-renowned silversmith in London, the new trophy is revolutionary in design and communicates the powerful spirit of football’s second oldest continental competition.

After shortlisting the thousands of entries in phase one, each nation was then given a selection of three catchphrases to choose from in the second phase, which ended on November 1, 2018.

The month-long contest, which was launched to give football fans the opportunity to showcase their passion and be a part of the continental showpiece, was a major hit on social media with the second phase receiving over 105,000 votes across the AFC’s digital platforms.

Islamic Republic of Iran led the Continent in engagement numbers, garnering over 25,000 votes, with the winning slogan – Eighty Million People, One Nation, One Heartbeat – securing over 11,000 votes.