October 3, Kathmandu. The final round matches of the AFC Asian Cup China 2023 Qualifiers will be played at centralized venues on a single round robin basis from the traditional home and away format.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said that the qualifiers will be played at a centralized venue on Wednesday.
The decision was taken by the AFC Executive Committee keeping in mind the challenges posed by the COVID 19 pandemic and to prioritize the safety and welfare of all stakeholders in qualifying for Asia’s biggest men’s football tournament.
The Asian Cup will be played in China from June 1 to July 1, 2023. According to the AFC, the final qualifiers will be played on three match days, June 8, 11 and June 14, 2022.
The AFC also said that the process of submitting proposals to the participating members for the Games would be expedited.
The AFC also said that the game schedule could be changed if necessary based on the rules of the competition.
After the second round of the Asian Cup Qualifiers, 22 countries have already qualified for the final round.
Indonesia and Cambodia also qualified for the last two rounds of the Asia Cup through play-offs earlier this month.