SEOUL/DOHA: Fresh off the heels of staging the most successful ever edition of Asia’s crown jewel, the Qatar Football Association (QFA) was honoured with the first-ever AFC Asian Cup Host Appreciation Award on Tuesday at the dazzling AFC Annual Awards Seoul 2023 in South Korea on Tuesday.
President of the Qatar Football Association HE Jassim Rashid Al Buenain, who received the award from AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, said, "We are happy to receive the appreciation award for the host country of the 2023 Asian Cup, which is evidence of the great success of our hosting and appreciation for the great efforts of all work joints."
Lauded by the AFC President as Asian football’s finest hour and a tournament of ‘firsts’, the QFA, the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 Local Organising Committee and Qatari authorities were recognised for their outstanding efforts in setting a new benchmark of excellence for future editions to follow.
The AFC President said: "It is my great honour to present this AFC Asian Cup Host Appreciation Award to the Qatar Football Association and the Qatari authorities, and the whole of Asian football joins me in expressing our deepest gratitude to them for hosting what will be remembered and cherished in history as the greatest ever celebration of Asian football.”
The 18th edition of the Continent’s flagship men’s national team competition was the first ever iteration to feature FIFA World Cup venues as the world’s largest football community turned up in record numbers with more than 1.5 million supporters showcasing their passion across the 51 matches, making the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 - the most-attended showpiece in history.
Not only did the tournament exceed the previous 1.04m attendance record, it also saw the nine world-class stadiums achieve an average of 73% capacity – a 13% increase from the best-ever showing set in China PR in 2004. At the same time, social media engagement reaffirmed the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 as the most appealing and tuned-in edition in history, with digital impressions crossing the 7.9 billion mark.
Breakthrough innovations were also introduced at Asia’s crown jewel with the successful staging of the first-ever AFC eAsian Cup, and the Semi-Automated Offside Technology (SAOT) and Video Assistant Referee (VAR) systems making their full debut, with women’s match officials also appointed to the Continental showpiece for the first time.
The AFC Asian Cup Host Appreciation Award is one of three accolades to debut at the AFC Annual Awards Seoul 2023 with the recipients of the AFC President’s Recognition Award for Outstanding Contribution and the AFC International Player of the Year (Women) also set to join the distinguished honours roll.