Sunday, July 29, 2007 at 10:25 PM

 

 

 

 

 

JAKARTA – The Asian Football Confederation announced on Sunday that the next edition of the AFC Asian Cup in 2011 will be hosted by Qatar.

AFC president Mohamed Bin Hammam confirmed that the event would be played in the Gulf state following the organisation’s executive committee meeting in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, the venue for this year’s Asian Cup final.

Qatar were the sole bidders for the event following the withdrawal of a bid by India and the Iran Football Federation’s failure to submit the official bidding documents.

However, the AFC said that they were impressed by the high quality of the Qatari bid and are confident of the country’s ability to host the Asian continent’s biggest international football tournament.

“Because of the high standards and criteria we are applying for any tournament, it is not possible for every country to host the AFC Asian Cup,” said Hammam.

“From tournament to tournament, the standards will continue to go higher and higher and it is up to the host country to ensure that all the measures are in place to host a successful event.

“We need to organise our tournaments in the best environment, we have to ensure that the teams have the best facilities available and that there is good access for fans to come and watch the games.

“These are the sorts of things that a host country must provide.”

The AFC president admitted that Australia had also been interested in applying to host the 2011 event.

“Australia were very interested in submitting a bid but due to the rotation of the event, it was decided that the candidates for the 2011 competition would be restricted to the South and Central and West Asian regions,” he said.

Hammam also suggested that the event is likely to take place in January due to concerns about the weather in the Middle East during the summer months.

“Immediately after this meeting, we will have to establish an organising committee for the 2011 tournament to decide on these matters but the indication is that it should be played in January,” he said.

“On the FIFA calendar, the confederations can host their events in January or July, but as July is the hot season in the Middle East, the tournament cannot be played then.”

It is the second time that Qatar has been selected to stage the tournament following its hosting of the 1988 tournament.

As a Qatari himself, Hammam was naturally delighted with the decision.

“Qatar is my home and maybe this will give me a reason to spend more of my time there,” he said.

“Hopefully it will be a successful tournament.” at 10:20 PM

 

 

 

 

 

Yasser Al Mosailem, 23, goalkeeper
Despite conceding five goals in as many matches, Al Mosailem has emerged as a successor to former number one custodians Mabrouk Zaid and Mohammed Khoja, playing in all of Saudi Arabia's matches in their run to the final.

Osama Hawsawi, 23, defender
The tall central defender has been hailed by coach Helio Dos Anjos for his presence in the heart of the Saudi Arabia defence and, despite playing every minute of his team’s campaign thus far, has yet to pick up a booking.

Waleed Jahdali, 25, defender
Having replaced former AFC Player of the Year Hamad Al Montashari, 25-year-old Jahdali has become a key member of the Saudi defence, appearing in every minute of his team’s first four matches before being replaced by Redha Tukar late on against Japan.

Kamil Al Mousa, 24, defender
Kamil Al Mousa filled in the vacant spot at left back following an injury to former skipper Hussain Abdulghani and has appeared in all five of Saudi Arabia's matches in their run to the final.

Ahmed Al Bahri, 26, defender
The 26-year-old Al Nasr defender has also been a dangerman in attack for the Saudis with his pin-point crosses helping to set up two of Saudi Arabia's goals in the tournament against Indonesia and Japan.

Saud Khariri, 27, midfielder
Viewed as one of the best midfielders in Saudi Arabia after helping Al Ittihad to back-to-back AFC Champions League titles, Khariri has had an impressive tournament despite playing only two complete matches so far.

Khaled Aziz, 26, midfielder
The 26-year-old Al Hilal midfielder missed the 4-0 win against Bahrain through suspension after receiving two yellow cards in his team’s first two matches but has been an influential figure in the wins against Uzbekistan and Japan during the knockout stage.

Taisir Al Jassam, 23, midfielder
Filling in for the suspended Khaled Aziz against Bahrain, Al Jassam seized his opportunity, scoring two of Saudi Arabia's four goals to receive the man of the match award. The Al Ahli midfielder went on to start against Uzbekistan and Japan in place of Ahmed Al Mousa.

Abdulrahman Al Qahtani, 24, midfielder
Considered by many as the heir apparent to former playmakers Nawaf Al Temyat and Mohammed Al Shalhoub, Al Qahtani has been his side’s set-piece specialist, creating several scoring chances for his teammates and finding the net himself against Bahrain.

Malek Maaz, 25, striker
Malek Maaz was the hero of the semi-final win against Japan, scoring two goals and earning the match MVP award. The Al Ahli striker failed to score in the first four matches of the tournament but helped to set up a few with his pace and quick reaction.

Yasser Al Qahtani, 25, striker
Having been named Saudi team captain before the tournament, the "Sniper" has been in prolific form so far, bagging four of his side's 12 goals, winning two match MVP awards and forming an excellent partnership up front with Malek Maaz. at 1:43 PM

 

 

 

 

 

Noor Sabri, 23, Goalkeeper
The young goalkeeper had had an impressive campaign, allowing only two goals, and took Iraq to their first ever AFC Asian Cup final by saving Yeom Ki-hun’s spot-kick in the penalty shootout victory against Korea Republic in the semi-finals.

Jasim Mohamed, 28, Defender
The bald-headed defender has been an ever-present in Jorvan Vieira's squad throughout the competition and despite his strong and physical presence on the Iraqi backline has yet to receive a booking in any of Iraq’s five matches.

Basem Abbas, 25, Defender
The Lebanon-based defender has made the left-back position his own during the tournament and while he has been steady at the back, he has shown an eye for going forward. He has also caused problems for opponents with his never-say-die attitude.

Haidar Abdul Amer, 25, Defender
Playing in his second AFC Asian Cup, the Al Faisaly defender missed the goalless draw against Oman after taking a knock early in the tournament but has appeared in all of Iraq’s other games.

Ali Hussein Rehema, 22, Defender
The right-back has been in impressive form in this year's tournament attracting interest from Qatar league side Al Wakra. He has played in all five of Iraq's matches and proved a threat in attack with his quick runs and pin-point crosses.

Mahdi Karim, 23, Midfielder
A talented player who first joined the national team in 2001 when he was just 17 years old, Karim has become a key player for Cypriot club Apollon Limassol and started in all of Iraq's five matches in the AFC Asian Cup.

Haitham Kadhim, 24, Midfielder
A commanding presence in midfield, Kadhim missed the match against Oman after receiving two yellow cards against Thailand and Australia. He returned to face Vietnam in the quarter-finals match but also missed the semi-final against Korea.

Nashat Akram, 23, Midfielder
Aged just 23, Nashat Akram has already established his place in the Iraq national team with more than 50 caps for his country. The free-kick specialist scored Iraq's opening goal against Australia and has also created two of Younis Mahmoud's three goals in the tournament.

Karrar Jassim, 20, Midfielder
The young midfielder, who plies his trade for Qatar league side Al Wakra, has had an impressive campaign since replacing the injured Salih Sadir in Iraq’s last two matches. The speedy and tricky player was on target against Australia after coming on as a substitute.

Hawar Mulla Mohammed, 24, Midfielder
Playing just behind main striker Younis Mahmoud, Hawar Mohammed’s work rate and skill with the ball has caused problems for opposition defences throughout the Asian Cup. The 24-year-old has started all of Iraq's matches and was on target against Australia.

Younis Mahmoud, 24, Forward
The Iraq skipper has had a successful campaign, scoring half of his side's six goals including a crucial equaliser against Thailand in the opening game and a brace against Vietnam in the quarter-finals. An excellent free-kick taker, Mahmoud is also a dominant figure in aerial challenges. at 1:40 PM

 

 

 

 

 

PALEMBANG – Ten-man Korea Republic secured third place in the AFC Asian Cup 2007 and qualification for the next edition of the tournament after downing East Asian rivals Japan in a penalty shootout at Gelora Sriwijaya Stadium on Saturday.

The Koreans were reduced to 10 players in the third place play-off match when Kang Min-soo was sent off in the 56th minute but managed to hold on for their third consecutive goalless stalemate thanks to some excellent goalkeeping by Lee Woon-jae.

And the Korean keeper would emerge as his side’s hero once again in the shootout, saving Naotake Hanyu’s attempt to give his side a 6-5 victory.

With the win, the Koreans earned a berth in the 2011 Asian Cup with 2007 finalists Iraq and Saudi Arabia while three-time champions Japan will have to earn their spot via the qualification tournament.

An 11th minute Yasuhito Endo free-kick forced Lee into the first save of the match but it was the Koreans who had the majority of the chances in the first half, with Yeom Ki-hun firing narrowly wide after 16 minutes and forcing Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi to punch over a 24th minute free kick.

Kawaguchi was called into action again a minute later to tip over an Oh Jang-eun shot and also stopped a hard low grounder shot by Lee Chun-soo in the 41st minute.

But it was the Japanese that nearly went in front shortly before half-time when Shunsuke Nakamura’s corner was met by Yuki Nakazawa inside the Korean six-yard box, forcing an excellent point-blank save from Lee Woon-jae.

The game took a dramatic turn on 56 minutes when Kang was dismissed by United Arab Emirates referee Ali Al Badwawi after being shown his second yellow card for a body check on Naohiro Takahara.

However, the Japanese failed to take advantage of the extra man as Takahara fired over from the edge of the box and substitute Hanyu was brilliantly denied by Lee Woon-jae on 74 minutes after being sent clear by Nakamura.

With the match deep into stoppage time, Hisato Sato went within inches of winning the match as his shot from the left of the box flew just past the far point.

The Japanese had their chances in extra time with Hanyu squandering a glorious opportunity when he fired the ball at Kim Chi-gon with the goal at his mercy while Sato flicked Yuichi Komano’s low cross on target only to be denied by Lee Woon-jae.

The Korean goalkeeper’s heroics didn’t end there as he emerged as a penalty shootout hero once again, reaching up with his right hand to keep out Hanyu’s spot kick after the first 11 attempts had been converted. at 12:21 AM