Australian legendary footballer took part in the draw of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023.

The player, who made most of his career successes in the English Premier League, said Qatar has organized the best edition of the World Cup last year and therefore will present an exceptional edition of the Asian Cup on the World Cup stadiums. Asian football has evolved with the development of local leagues, and this was demonstrated during the Qatar World Cup with the remarkable results achieved by the six teams, he added.

South Korean Legend Park Ji-sung expressed his great happiness for participating in the finals draw in Doha, pointing that his country’s team are living a new phase with German coach Jurgen Klinsmann.

While Japanese referee Yoshimi Yamashita, the first woman to officiate a Men’s World Cup match, said that Qatar will succeed in organizing the Asian Cup as it succeeded in the 2022 World Cup, expressing hope that the next edition of the tournament would be a highly competitive, which is a measure of the development of football in the continent.

Chinese former female player, winner of Golden Boot and Golden Ball in 1999, Sun Wen confirmed that the Chinese team has a legacy and long-standing traditions in the continental championship, and it will be able to display a good performance during the Asian Cup.

Maymol Rocky, Indian football manager and former footballer and currently the head coach of the India women’s under-20 football team, said that the 2023 Asian Cup will be one of the best editions ever, adding that the Indian team is determined to making history in Qatar by passing the first round.

A total of 24 teams will be divided into six groups of four teams each across Groups A to F, with the top two and four best third-placed teams advancing into the final 16 of the competition, which is held according to the knockout system.

The draw placed Qatar in Group A along with China, Tajikistan and Lebanon. Group B comprises Australia, Uzbekistan, Syria, and India; Group C comprises Iran, UAE, Hong Kong, and Palestine, Group D comprises Japan, Indonesia, Iraq, and Vietnam, Group E comprises South Korea, Malaysia, Jordan and Bahrain and Group F comprises Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Kyrgyzstan and Oman.

Source: Qatar News Agency