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Australia has been urged to offer itself as an emergency host for the men’s Asian Cup in January, as the conflict in the Middle East casts doubt over whether the continent’s most prestigious football tournament can go ahead in Saudi Arabia.
The draw for the 2027 Asian Cup was due to be held on Saturday in Riyadh, but the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) postponed the event two weeks ago “to ensure the undisrupted attendance of all stakeholders at the final draw ceremony”.
A new date for the draw has yet to be scheduled despite the tournament’s planned start in eight months, and AFC officials have been contemplating alternative arrangements if the tournament cannot be held in Saudi Arabia.
The Asian Cup is due to begin on 7 January and run for four weeks, involving 24 teams – including the Socceroos – across the capital Riyadh, Jeddah in the west, and Khobar on the Persian Gulf.
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The situation in the Persian Gulf, as well as the success of this year’s Women’s Asian Cup, has prompted discussions within the local football community in recent days around whether Australia could step in to host the men’s tournament if the AFC seeks alternative hosts.
Former Socceroo Craig Foster said Australia was uniquely placed to host the event at short notice, especially given the success of the 2015 tournament and the recent Women’s Asian Cup.
“We have the demonstrated capability, it is an important diplomatic opportunity at a time when Australia’s reputation in the Middle East is severely diminished, and it would be a welcome economic boost for the hospitality industry across the country with multiple teams and fans descending on the country and staying longer,” Foster said.
Australia hosted the largely successful Women’s Asian Cup last month, as well as the 2015 men’s tournament which also set a new benchmark for attendance.
Football Australia lodged an expression of interest to host the 2031 and 2035 editions earlier this year, although that process has been shelved.
An economic benefit assessment found 15,000 tourists visited from overseas for the 2015 Asian Cup, contributing more than half of the tournament’s $81m of direct expenditure.
Hosting the 2027 men’s tournament would involve a cost to Australian taxpayers, however. Contributions towards the women’s Asian Cup from the federal government and the three hosting states – NSW, Queensland and WA – exceeded $20m.
A federal government spokesperson said “we continue to work with Football Australia to help support and grow the world game in Australia”, and the government “considers investment in international sporting events through budget processes”.
Foster called on Australia’s minister for sport, Anika Wells, to offer support for Football Australia putting a hand up as an emergency host.
“From a sporting perspective, it vastly raises the possibility of a strong showing and potential success with our supportive home crowds,” he said.
“The Australian government should be fully supportive and do their utmost along with Football Australia to make it happen.”
A spokesperson for Football Australia said AFC tournaments are now “some of the most significant events in the global football calendar” thanks to the capability demonstrated by Asian nations such as Saudi Arabia, and the locally-hosted events have delivered “substantial economic, diplomatic, social, and health value for Australia”.
“Maintaining Australia’s position as a leading host nation requires sustained and coordinated support from all levels of government, in line with the increasing scale, competition, and expectations associated with global football events,” they said.
Saudi Arabia won the rights to host the event in 2023, a year before it was named as the host of the 2034 Fifa World Cup. The Asian Cup is expected to act as a key test for its capability to host football’s quadrennial showpiece.
The country has been drawn into the conflict in the Middle East and has been targeted by Iranian counterattacks.
One venue currently under construction, Aramco Stadium in Khobar, is barely 200km from Iran and an hour’s drive to Bahrain, which has been attacked in recent days despite the ceasefire.
