Chinese FA officially bids to host 2023 AFC Asian Cup

Xinhua | Updated: 2019-03-15 23:26

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China's Wu Lei, right, duels for the ball with Thailand's defender Chalermpong Kerdka during the AFC Asian Cup round of 16 soccer match between Thailand and China at the Hazza Bin Zayed stadium in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Jan 20, 2019. [Photo/IC]

BEIJING -- The Chinese Football Association (CFA) has officially filed the bid to host the 2023 AFC Asian Cup after detailed preparations, sources with CFA told Xinhua here on Friday.

The CFA said hosting the event will facilitate football development in China.

AFC Asian Cup, the continent's biggest football tournament, is held every four years. China, Indonesia, South Korea and Thailand in 2016 expressed interest in bidding for hosting the 2023 Asian Cup.

China last hosted the AFC Asian Cup in 2004, reaching the final of the tournament before losing to Japan 3-1. In the tournament's 2019 edition in UAE, China advanced to top eight.

As the world's most populous country and the second-largest economy, China have put forward an ambitious football reform plan in 2015, which will be greatly boosted by hosting the 2023 Asian Cup.

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