RIYADH (Saudi Arabia): The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) announced on Wednesday the launch of its campaign to host the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, under the slogan “Forward for Asia”.
The bid comes in light of the great development that the sports sector in Saudi Arabia is witnessing in recent years, in addition to the Kingdom’s ability to host the largest and most important international sporting events in recent years.
The performance of the Saudi team in the Asian Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023is also a catalyst for the bid to host the 2027 continental showpiece, SAFF said in a statement.
Saudi Arabia has a proven record of achievements at the continental level, with the national team having won the AFC Asian Cup three times and five appearances at the FIFA World Cup Finals but the country has never hosted the AFC Asian Cup.
The President of the SAFF, Yasser Al-Misehal, said: “At a time when Saudi Arabia is witnessing the launch of development plans that are in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, we want to devote our great passion for football and push it forward to motivate the continued advancement of this sport in various fields throughout Asia.”
The slogan of the campaign combines three elements: the golden falcon, football and wings.
The golden falcon is Saudi Arabia’s national bird, and it refers to the strong passion of the Saudi people, while football symbolises the Kingdom’s serious commitment to hosting the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in a new way, ensuring the enhancement of the sport while the wings showcase strengthening partnerships and moving forward towards organising a successful competition in all aspects. (Source: AFC)
