NEW DELHI: India and Saudi Arabia will compete for the hosting rights of the 2027 Asian Cup as three other interested nations have withdrawn their bids, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced on Monday.

If India wins the bid, the country will host the continental showpiece for the first time. Saudi Arabia has won the Asian Cup title three times, but has never hosted the tournament. Iran withdrew its bid a few days ago while Uzbekistan had pulled out of the race in December 2020. Since Qatar, the other interested nation, was on Monday confirmed as the host for next year’s Asian Cup, it withdrew the bid for the 2027 edition.

“The AFC Executive Committee deliberated upon the bidding proposals for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 and shortlisted the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) as the final two bidders,” the AFC said. The decision on the host will be taken by the AFC Congress at its next meeting in February 2023.

India had joined the race for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, but had pulled out early, in October 2018. After staging the Men’s U-17 World Cup in 2017, India is hosting the ongoing U-17 Women’s World Cup.

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