BEIJING: Asian Football Confederation (AFC) general secretary Windsor John has spoke highly of the AFC Asian Cup China 2023 preparations amid the COVID-19 pandemic, voicing his confidence to "deliver a tournament to remember."
"The AFC has been working closely with the Local Organising Committee (LOC) as well as the Chinese Football Association (CFA)," John said in an online interview on Friday. "The co-operation between all parties has been smooth."
"We have seen some great progress already in key areas since the AFC and CFA hosted the Asian Cup 2023 Kick-Off Meeting in July 2019," he added.
According to the the AFC, the Joint Kick-Off Meeting was held in Beijing in January 2020, which built an effective working relationship to guide venue construction. In October last year, the AFC Asian Cup China 2023 LOC was established in Beijing.
"Such cooperation early in the planning for what will be the biggest and most watched AFC Asian Cup in history has been invaluable," John noted. "At the beginning of 2020, the sudden outbreak of the pandemic halted many football matches but did not disturb the preparatory work."
"There has also been significant development in the construction of football specific stadiums and there is no doubt that China will provide the perfect platform for the competition." Agencies