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UAE ready to host biggest AFC Asian Cup in history

Abu Dhabi - Aref Hamed Al Awani, tournament director of the local organising committee, said the Cup will 'bring Asia together'

Next January, the UAE will host the AFC Asian Cup - 23 years after the country hosted the 11th edition of the tournament in 1996. And for the first time ever, the tournament will see the continent's 24 teams in action. 
From 2004 to 2015, there were 16 teams in fray and now eight more have been added for the 17th edition. Aref Hamed Al Awani, tournament director of the local organising committee, said the Cup will 'bring Asia together'.
"There are six million Asians in the UAE. Some of the teams like India and the Philippines have big fan base here. We are hoping it will give big boost to the tournament," Al Awani said during a media briefing at Abu Dhabi Sports Council on Thursday.  There are six groups of four teams each.
On January 10, the UAE will play India in Group A match at the Zayed Sports City Stadium. Apart from the UAE and India, the other teams are Thailand and Bahrain (Group A), Australia, Syria, Palestine and Jordan (Group B), South Korea, China PR, Kyrgyzstan and Philippines (Group C), Iran, Iraq, Vietnam and Yemen (Group D), Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Lebanon and North Korea (Group E) and Japan, Uzbekistan, Oman and Turkmenistan (Group F).
"Half of the continent is going to be here with us. The tournament will bring Asia together. All the teams are in good shape as seen at the Fifa World Cup. Their performance was fantastic. Most of the fans will be waiting for those teams to come to the UAE. This is a good opportunity for all the 24 playing nations to show the world the importance of Asian football," he noted.
The tournament will be played in eight venues across three emirates and four cities of Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Dubai and Sharjah. All the stadiums are in expansion mode and renovation process is going on. 
Al Awani is confident that all the eight venues will be ready in time ahead of inspection in September or October. The first match and the final will be played at Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
"Most of the stadiums are in last phase. Zayed Sports City Stadium has seen big developments in last three years. Zayed Sports City is getting young now. It is a major landmark for sporting events in the UAE and the region. Lots of things have been developed at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium.
"There are new lightings and improved safety measures. Al Nahyan Stadium is almost ready with more seating capacity. Al Maktoum Stadium in Dubai is getting new stands. The number of seats has been increased at Sharjah Stadium. Both the venues in Al Ain too are in expansion mode. Most of the seats have been changed at the stadiums," Awani said.
There will be total of 51 matches and tickets will be available online through www.ticketmaster.ae from August 1. 
Up to one million tickets are going to be distributed. Tickets have been divided into three categories with group stage matches starting at Dh25 and final at Dh300.
"We have kept tickets at affordable rates so that everyone can attend the matches. We have also received request from many nationalities for tickets," Awani added. The tournament starts on January 5 and the home team will play the opening match on Bahrain.
ashwani@khaleejtimes.com