Asian Cup | Where are the fans of the Hong Kong team going? China renounces the final on Sunday, South Korea vie for the right to host

The Hong Kong football team entered the Asian Cup final week again after 54 years. The event was originally scheduled to be held in China in the summer of 2023, but the mainland gave up hosting due to the epidemic.

Many Hong Kong football fans have planned to cheer themselves up next year. Who will be the host?

According to recent reports, the biggest opportunity seems to be the two most popular tourist destinations for Hong Kong people - South Korea and Japan.

The 2023 Asian Cup Final Week was tendered as early as 2016, and it was finally won by China. However, in May of this year, the Asian Football Association announced that China had decided to abandon the hosting due to uncertainties brought about by the epidemic, so it needed to be tendered again. Bidding closes on June 30.

The Hong Kong National Football Team has reached the Asian Cup final week again after 54 years, which is very exciting.

(HKFA)

Many Hong Kong fans hope that they can support the game in person next summer after the Hong Kong team qualified for the final week. Based on the previous news, it seems that South Korea and Japan have a better chance of hosting, with South Korea being the most active.

The last time South Korea hosted the Asian Cup was in 1960, when they won the championship at home, but they have not hosted the highest-level team competition in Asia since then.

Reuters reported earlier this month that South Korean President Yoon Sek-yue had dinner with a group of players and coaches before the national team's international friendly match against Brazil. After that, Yoon Sek-yue ordered the Korean Sports Agency to "try to win the Asian Cup hosting rights."

According to reports, the chairman of the Korean Football Association, Jung Mong-kyu, and Lee Young-pyo, a former South Korean international and one of the top four players in the 2002 World Cup, all contributed to promoting South Korea's bid for the Asian Cup.

Son Heung-min (second from right) became the first Premier League marksman from Asia and is regarded as a "national treasure". South Korean President Yoon Seok-wook (second from left) also hopes to host the Asian Cup.

(Getty Images)

In Japan, Kozo Tajima, chairman of the Japanese Football Association, revealed to the Japanese media "Nikkei Sports" that he had been "unofficially" asked by the Asian Football Association about the possibility of bidding. Hosting, of course, is quite exciting.”

Tajima Kozo re-emphasized at the end of May that Japan was interested in bidding, but he thought it would be very difficult: "We are now negotiating with the Asian Football League about the requirements of the Asian Cup final week. There is only one year left before the tournament, and there is still a lot of things to do. To be able to host Asia The Cup is of course an honor, and we also hope to hold a competition in the short term.”

Representatives from various countries usually play in the Asian Cup final week with the strongest lineup. Depending on the draw, the Hong Kong football team is expected to play against a number of prestigious top stars such as Japan international Takumi Minamino (pictured).

(Getty Images)

"However, the Asian Cup is the highest level event, we can't spoil it, so we need more time, we have to make the best choice for Asia." Tian Shima also said that he did not understand why China had already hosted the Winter Olympics. Abandoned in case of.

"Reuters" pointed out that Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Australia also have the opportunity to bid, but considering the climate in the Middle East, the first two may need to postpone the event to the end of 2023 or early 2024, which is undoubtedly not an ideal choice, plus the 2027 Asian Cup There is a good chance that it will be hosted by the West Asian Association, but it seems unlikely.

On the Australian side, the country will co-host the Women's World Cup with New Zealand from July to August next year, making it difficult to host the Asian Cup as scheduled.

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