UAE Launches Formal Bid Against Six Other Nations To Host Asian Cup In 2019

The UAE FA has "made a formal bid to host the 2019 Asian Cup," according to Ahmed Abbas Rizvi of THE NATIONAL. The FA sent in its papers to the Asian Football Confederation on the final day of accepting bids. It "will be competing against six nations" -- Bahrain, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Iran -- to host the continent’s premier football tournament. Australia will host the 2015 Asian Cup before it is West Asia's turn in '19. FA General Secretary Yousuf Abdullah said, "We already have some of the best footballing facilities, and we have shown our organizational abilities through the successful hosting of international tournaments in the past like the Youth World Cup and the Club World Cup." Abdullah said that the FA "will be setting up special committees soon" to start working on its bid presentation (THE NATIONAL, 2/2).