Asian Olympic qualifiers underway in Qatar

The AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024 is underway in Qatar. The biennial competition will see 16 teams aim for a spot at this summer’s Olympic Games. Matches are set to take place across four stadiums between 15 April – 3 May. It will be the second time that Qatar hosts the competition, having previously organised it in 2016. This will also be the first time that the competition will be played in FIFA World Cup stadiums.

An opening ceremony was held at Jassim bin Hamad stadium prior to hosts Qatar defeating Indonesia by a score of 2-0. Earlier in the day, Jordan drew 0-0 with Australia in a tightly contested match at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium. Two FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 stadiums, namely Al Janoub and Khalifa International stadiums, will also be hosting 14 of the 32 matches of this tournament within a period of 19 days.

The top three teams in the tournament will qualify directly to the Summer Olympics in Paris, with the fourth-place team taking on an African team for the final spot.

This will be the sixth edition of the AFC U23 AFC Asian Cup, after being held for the first time in 2013.

“Once again, Qatar’s world-class infrastructure will be on display when we host Asia’s youngest and most promising players. With this year’s tournament acting as a qualifier to the Summer Olympics in Paris, the competition will surely be a launching stage for stars of the future, reaffirming Qatar’s place as a sports capital of the world,” said Jassim al- Jassim, Local Organising Committee (LOC) CEO.

The tournament is set to feature a number of exciting matches during the group stage. Hosts Qatar will take on Jordan in a much-anticipated matchup between the two AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 finalists at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium on 18 April, 6.30pm kick-off.

Another marquee match-up will see defending champions Saudi Arabia take on previous winners Iraq at Khalifa International Stadium on 22 April, 6.30pm kick-off. Asian powerhouses Japan and Korea Republic are set to face off at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium on the same day, 4pm kick-off.

Drawn alongside hosts Qatar in Group A are Australia, Jordan and Indonesia, while Group B will bring together Japan, Korea Republic, United Arab Emirates and China PR. Group C contains title holders Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Thailand and Tajikistan, with Group D containing Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Kuwait and Malaysia.

Prices for group stage match tickets start at QR15 and can be purchased online through the Hayya to Qatar mobile app. Spectators from outside Qatar can also purchase tickets from the same platform. Disabled spectators can apply to purchase accessible tickets through [email protected].

For more information about the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024, follow @Qatar2023 on Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok and X, formerly known as Twitter.