A Japan Football Association official on Wednesday expressed his fear that his country’s chance of hosting the 2023 Asian Cup after China’s withdrawal due to the Corona virus pandemic was “negligible”, two days before the nominations were closed.
At the end of June, South Korea officially submitted its candidacy to host the finals, instead of China.
In response to a question about whether the Japanese Football Association intends to make an offer, Yasuharu Surimachi, technical director of the association, said, “We are studying the matter, but there is a small chance.”
The tournament was scheduled to be held in 10 Chinese cities with the participation of 24 teams during the period from June 16 to July 16, 2023, but it apologized for not hosting it due to the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic in mid-May.
The Asian Football Confederation has opened the door for its member national federations to express their desire to host the quadrennial tournament, noting that interested countries must submit their candidacy by June 30 before extending the deadline until the middle of this month.
Japan, which won the continental title four times in 1992, 2000, 2004 and 2011, hosted the finals in 1992.
The continental championship was first held in 1956, and South Korea hosted its version in 1960. The “Taeguk Warriors” won the title only twice, in 1956 and 1960.
China is suffering from the consequences of the Corona virus, which has kept it off the sports map, as organizers in May postponed the Asian Games scheduled for September in Hangzhou due to logistical problems caused by Covid.
The World University Games, scheduled for Chengdu in June, were also postponed for the second time due to “persistent uncertainty over conditions”.