World Cup host nation Qatar has been chosen to replace China in staging next year's Asian Cup. The Asian Football Confederation on Monday announced Qatar had beaten bids from South Korea and Indonesia to become the first country to host the continental championship tournament three times, having staged the event in 1988 and 2011. China had originally been scheduled to hold the 24-team tournament but relinquished hosting rights in May because of the country's COVID-19 restrictions, leaving the AFC to look for replacements. Given the high summer temperatures in Qatar, it's possible the scheduled tournament dates could be switched from next June to later in the year or early 2024. "Qatar's capabilities and track record in hosting major international sporting events and their meticulous attention to detail are well admired throughout the globe," AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said in a statement. "With their existing world-class infrastructure and unrivalled hosting capabilities, we are confident that Qatar will stage a worthy spectacle befitting the prestige and stature of Asia's crown jewel." The Gulf state, which will host the World Cup finals from next month, has not only staged the tournament twice but won the last edition in the United Arab Emirates in 2019. South Korea had been favourites to be awarded the hosting rights as the country had not staged the finals since 1960, when they won the second of their two Asian titles. Qatar were one of three nations bidding to stage the 2027 edition of the Asian Cup. The AFC executive committee on Monday shortlisted the bids from India and Saudi Arabia for that tournament. Australian Associated Press
