Tajikistan makes Asian Cup history as 2023 lineup finalized

By Emre Asikci

ISTANBUL (AA) - Tajikistan will be among the 24 nations competing in next year’s Asian Cup, confirming their first appearance at the continental showpiece after a goalless draw against Kyrgyzstan.

The complete lineup for the event took shape after Tuesday evening’s final round of qualifiers.

Six group winners -- Tajikistan, Jordan, Palestine, Uzbekistan, India, and Bahrain -- booked their spots, along with the top five of the six runners-up – Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Kyrgyzstan.

They join the 13 previously qualified sides -- defending champions Qatar, four-time winners Japan, three-time champions Iran, two-time winners South Korea, three-time champions Saudi Arabia, 2007 winners Iraq, 2015 champions Australia, the UAE, China, Syria, Oman, Vietnam, and Lebanon.

The 2023 AFC Asian Cup, the tournament’s 18th edition, will be held between June 16 and July 16.

Organizers are yet to confirm a venue, though, after initial hosts China withdrew due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The tournament will be played over 31 days, the longest in Asian Cup history, three more than the 28-day event hosted by the UAE in 2019.