AMMAN - West Asia Football Federation Secretary-General Khalil Al Salem said the federation will hold a video meeting with its member national associations tomorrow, Thursday, to discuss the idea of staging a West Asia national teams tournament in place of the Asian Cup, which has been postponed until the end of next year.
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In an exclusive statement to Al Ghad, Al Salem said the meeting aims to study the idea with the national associations and determine whether the tournament can be held during the period originally set for the Asian Cup. He added that the federation will also look at where the tournament could be hosted, should the idea win the approval of the participating associations.
He said: "The West Asia Football Federation looks forward to reviving a tournament that has been suspended for years, and to making use of the window created by the postponement of the continental competition, giving national teams the chance to play official matches at the regional level rather than only friendlies."
The Asian Football Confederation's decision to postpone the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia until the end of next year, instead of its original date in early January, has left several Arab teams with new options for filling the gap. Eleven Arab teams had been preparing to compete in the continental tournament.
All eyes are on the upcoming meeting to see where the national associations stand on the proposal and how ready they are to send their national teams, especially since participation would be optional rather than mandatory, according to the West Asia federation's proposal.
If the tournament is approved, the federation will invite countries wishing to host to submit their bids. The host and the organizing format will be determined later. The edition would be the tenth in the tournament's history.
The West Asia Championship has been held nine times, most recently in Iraq in 2019, when Bahrain lifted the title. In the previous Asian Cup, hosted by Qatar in early 2024, the Jordanian, Qatari and Bahraini national teams reached the final, which Qatar won 3-1.
If the tournament goes ahead, participating teams are expected to rely on local players and professionals based in the Arab and Asian regions, since professionals in Europe and Africa would struggle to join their national teams, as the tournament would not coincide with an international break. The competition's unofficial regional character is another factor.
Source: Al-Ghad. Reporting by Mohanad Juwailes.
