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Spotlight hits AFC Asian Cup 2023 as Qatar vs Lebanon set to take charge today

 

The 2023 AFC Asian Cup will take place in Qatar from January 12 to February 10, marking the first time Qatar hosts a major football event after FIFA 2022. The opening match will feature Qatar’s home side and Group A favorites against Lebanon at the iconic Lusail Stadium. Qatar is the defending champions of the tournament, having won the coveted trophy in the previous edition in 2019. Almoez Ali, Qatar’s leading goal scorer, has scored 50 goals and earned the Golden Boot at the 2019 edition for scoring nine goals.

Lebanon has not beaten the Gulf team in seven meetings, but Captain Hassan Maatouk of Lebanon is motivated to make every Lebanese person happy. The Local Organising Committee (LOC) reported that nearly 1 million tickets had been sold by January 11. The tournament will feature 51 games in nine stadiums, with 6,000 volunteers recruited and over 3,000 journalists, photographers, broadcasters, and digital content creators expected to mark their presence. Fans from Qatar, India, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Indonesia, and the Philippines currently lead in ticket buying.

The local tourism industry hopes the tournament will stimulate the market, with activities planned to create a carnival-like atmosphere in Qatar. Enthusiasts can expect a large-scale fan festival area in Doha.

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