Asian football will showcase its brightest stars during the AFC Asian Cup tournament in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), starting Saturday (January 5).
During the 28-day long tournament as many as 24 teams including hosts UAE, defending champions Australia and the most successful team in the history, Japan will fight for the coveted trophy.
All You Need To Know About The Tournament:
Teams and Groups
This will be the biggest Asian Cup to date. It used to be a 16-team affair earlier.
GROUP A: UAE, Bahrain, India, Thailand
GROUP B: Australia, Syria, Jordan, Palestine
GROUP C: South Korea, China, Kyrgyzstan, Philippines
GROUP D: Iran, Iraq, Vietnam, Yemen
GROUP E: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Lebanon, North Korea
GROUP F: Japan, Uzbekistan, Oman, Turkmenistan
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Format
It will be played in a single round robin with each team playing three matches each in the group stage. The top two teams and the four best third teams qualify for the next stage, Round of 16.
Matches and Venues
51 matches will be played in eight venues. And they are – Zayed Sports City Stadium, Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium and Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi; Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium and Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain; Al-Maktoum Stadium and Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium in Dubai; and Sharjah Stadium in Sharjah.
Prize Money
Total prize money is US$14,800,000, with the winners getting $5 million. The runners-up will get $3 million, while the losing semi-finalists will receive $1 million. All 24 participating teams will also receive $200,000.
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How to watch?
Star Sports Network will provide full coverage and will telecast in English, Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Kannada and Malayalam. Hotstar will provide live streaming service.
