AFC Asian Cup 2023 (Qatar Champions)

[Zidane98]

Official thread for Asian Cup 2023. Running from 12 January 2024 to 10 Feb 2024 in Qatar after China withdrew from hosting in July 2023 due to covid zero policy.







Groups as follows:




Australia group fixtures:

13 January 10.30pm KO vs India
18 January 10.30pm KO vs Syria
23 January 10.30pm KO vs Uzbekistan.

All Socceroos games will be screened on FTA - including knockouts. All other games screened on Paramount +.


Notable PL players playing in this tournament include Son for Spurs, Mitoma for Brighton , Hwang for Wolves & Endo for LFC.


Should be a cracking tournament. Poll included for winner.

 

[RPCB]

Shouldn’t this be called Asian Cup 2024. Since the competition is in 2024?

 

[Zidane98]

Shouldn’t this be called Asian Cup 2024. Since the competition is in 2024?

Nope. The tournament was supposed to be played in July 2023. President Xi pulled the pin because the Chinese were chasing covid 0. Ironically, they gave up on this 6 months ago. So AFC Asian Cup 2023 officially remains as the name.


Same as Euro 2020 which was still called Euro 2020 despite being played in 2021 due to covid.

 

[RPCB]

Nope. The tournament was supposed to be played in July 2023. President Xi pulled the pin because the Chinese were chasing covid 0. Ironically, they gave up on this 6 months ago. So AFC Asian Cup 2023 officially remains as the name.


Same as Euro 2020 which was still called Euro 2020 despite being played in 2021 due to covid.

Fair enough mate. I had no idea the tournament was meant to be played in July.

 

[Hamingja]

Needs 4 groups instead of 6 for the group stage to have any interest

 

[Zidane98]

Needs 4 groups instead of 6 for the group stage to have any interest

Personally, 24 teams is too many for the Asian Cup IMO. Too many shitters in the draw.


16 teams is better with a quarters, semi and final.

 

[Hamingja]

Will need to make sure to put like 10 past India in case we stuff up one of the other games

 

[Zidane98]

Fair enough mate. I had no idea the tournament was meant to be played in July.

Yep, China won the hosting rights. Then pulled out in May last year.


South Korea offered to take over and host in exactly the same time frame (July 2023):

South Korea claims Middle Eastern influence led to Qatar being awarded Asian Cup

The Korea Football Association has claimed that the "unconventional offensive and support of Middle Eastern countries trying to take the lead in Asian...

www.insidethegames.biz

But were shunned for Qatar who only just hosted the tournament in 2011.


The South Koreans were pretty pissed about that decision.

 

[Zidane98]

Will need to make sure to put like 10 past India in case we stuff up one of the other games

I doubt we have many problems in the group stage.

 

[Zidane98]

Bostonian Mitoma likely to be out for most of the tournament. Good chance Japan go as far as the semis or final.

 

[RossFC]

What's a pass mark for Australia here, making the semis?

 

[Zidane98]

What's a pass mark for Australia here, making the semis?

Yep. Minimum.

Feel like the only nations we should be eliminated by are Iran/Japan/S Korea.

 

[RossFC]

 

[Bradesmaen]

Souttar is very underdone. Has played 86mins for Leiceter in the Championship this year, what a terrible buy he was for them last season.

 

[RossFC]

 

[Zidane98]

Would be a big loss for Japan. Reckon they'll still take him incase he is fit for the later knockout rounds.

 

[TubbsFarquhar]

Japan will still cruise to the semis without him (well, should).

It's hard to see us winning with that squad, especially compared to Japan and S. Korea but given we exceeded expectations in the WC, we're not completely without a chance.

 

[giggler99]

I will sticky this thread to the Socceroos thread so that Socceroos match discussion can be held here.

 

[giggler99]

What's a pass mark for Australia here, making the semis?

no excuses imo to not make the final, semis should be the pass mark through!

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Qatar corrupt sonsa b9tches.


We shoulda had last years World Cup. WTF do these punks get to host another tournament? Fraud meter is on high alert.

Total penalties/dodgy decisions given to Qatar is at -5.5

 

[Zidane98]

Qatar corrupt sonsa b9tches.


We shoulda had last years World Cup. WTF do these punks get to host another tournament? Fraud meter is on high alert.

Total penalties/dodgy decisions given to Qatar is at -5.5

South Korea were pissed. They were happy to take over hosting from China in mud 2022 when China pulled the pin on hosting. They haven't hosted the Asian Cup since 1960 either. Shambolic it went to Qatar who just had it in 2011.

 

[giggler99]

South Korea were pissed. They were happy to take over hosting from China in mud 2022 when China pulled the pin on hosting. They haven't hosted the Asian Cup since 1960 either. Shambolic it went to Qatar who just had it in 2011.

Above all that it was an East Asian nations turn to host yet The AFC still went with Qatar.

 

[Zidane98]

Above all that it was an East Asian nations turn to host yet The AFC still went with Qatar.

Which also meant a January tournament instead of the agreed July 2023. South Korea is / was a much better and suitable host by far.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

How rigged was that last Asian Cup? Where Qatar won it scoring at will. Which puts paid to the thought in laying a bet on us Aussies to win it. Especially in that corrupt as **** country. Ecuador's first goal in the world cup was ruled out by a dodgy '' fake '' person on VAR. Cartoon styled.

Japan and Korea will offer stiff opposition as always and the Saudi's had a decent showing at the world cup. Then again, more corruption when Argentina clearly should have been in front 2-0 if not for more bs from VAR. Back in the opener at 2018 vs Russia that kepper could have got to some of Russia's goals. Free kick was at least one that looked suspicious on a bad day. 5-0 loss, then they lose narrowly to Uruguay and beat Egypt.

South Korea in 2002? haha.

Yeah nah. No bets for me in this one. I do hope we go well and I believe we will ( unless we get shafted ) we were magnificent last world cup. Really great showing by the boys.

 

[Zidane98]

How rigged was that last Asian Cup? Where Qatar won it scoring at will. Which puts paid to the thought in laying a bet on us Aussies to win it. Especially in that corrupt as * country. Ecuador's first goal in the world cup was ruled out by a dodgy '' fake '' person on VAR. Cartoon styled.

Japan and Korea will offer stiff opposition as always and the Saudi's had a decent showing at the world cup. Then again, more corruption when Argentina clearly should have been in front 2-0 if not for more bs from VAR. Back in the opener at 2018 vs Russia that kepper could have got to some of Russia's goals. Free kick was at least one that looked suspicious on a bad day. 5-0 loss, then they lose narrowly to Uruguay and beat Egypt.

South Korea in 2002? haha.

Yeah nah. No bets for me in this one. I do hope we go well and I believe we will ( unless we get shafted ) we were magnificent last world cup. Really great showing by the boys.

Qatar had multiple players play that were given citizenship and didn't wait the required 5 years to play for the NT last tournament because Qatar magically produced "birth certificates" that showed their mothers were 'born"in Qatar. This means these players automatically became available immediately (on paper). Of course the reality is their mothers were never born in Qatar. Never went near the place until Qatar took an interest in her son playing for the NT instead of for their African national team.

Amusingly UAE took Qatar to FIFA tribunal over it but surprise surprise the Qataris won the case.

Qatar is a scum human rights abusing nation state. Hope we run their noses in it if we were to knock them out.