SEOUL– The South Korean football governing body said Thursday it has submitted its final candidature file for Asia’s top tournament.
The Korea Football Association (KFA) said the bid file for the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup includes the government guarantee and contracts on use of match stadiums and practice facilities.
South Korea will be up against Indonesia and Qatar. Australia pulled out of the race earlier this month.
The deadline for the final bid files from candidates had been pushed back from Aug. 31 to Thursday.
China was the original host of the 2023 competition but it withdrew in May this year, citing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
South Korea has hosted the Asian Cup once in 1960, the second edition of the quadrennial event. It was also the last time South Korea won the continental tournament.
The AFC sent a delegation to South Korea for on-site inspection last week. The host will be announced on Oct. 17 following the AFC’s executive committee meeting.
South Korea believes the AFC’s signature tournament should come to East Asia in 2023, with the previous event in 2019 having taken place in the United Arab Emirates.
South Korea will be able to keep the tournament in the four-year cycle by hosting it in the summer, while Qatar, because of its scorching summer weather, would be forced to move the Asian Cup to January 2024 if it is selected as the host.
South Korea’s bid has had strong backing from the central and regional governments. The country has also asked two neighbors, China and Japan, for their support in the bidding process.
Source: Yonhap News Agency