Sheikh Ahmed Al-Yusuf with Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim during the Asian General Assembly meeting.

KUALA LUMPUR, April 12, (KUNA):  Sheikh Ahmad Al-Yusuf Al-Sabah, President of the Kuwait Football Association, has extended an invitation to Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), to visit Kuwait in connection with ongoing discussions about Kuwait's bid to host the AFC Asian Cup 2031.

In a statement released by the Kuwait Football Association following a meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Sheikh Ahmad revealed that Sheikh Salman has accepted the invitation and is expected to visit Kuwait soon, coinciding with the arrival of AFC representatives to assess the country's readiness for hosting.

Sheikh Ahmad expressed his pleasure at Sheikh Salman's acknowledgment of Kuwait's strong commitment to the bid, highlighting that the meeting was productive and conducted in a positive atmosphere.

The meeting was attended by several key figures, including Kuwait's Ambassador to Malaysia, Rashid Mohammed Al-Saleh, Deputy Chairman of the Kuwait Football Association for Technical Affairs, Osama Hussein, and board member Dr. Ahmad Ajab. Also present was Engineer Sarah Al-Fulaith, Acting Deputy Director of the Public Authority for Sport for Facilities and Maintenance, who provided a detailed presentation on Kuwait's sports infrastructure and future development plans.

The AFC previously announced that it had received seven official bids to host the AFC Asian Cup 2031, including Kuwait's bid. This demonstrates the tournament's growing stature and the confidence of national associations in their ability to host the event to international standards.

Sheikh Salman Al-Khalifa, President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), praised Kuwait for joining six other countries in competing to host the AFC Asian Cup 2031, highlighting the growing significance of the continental championship.

During his remarks at the AFC Executive Committee meeting in Kuala Lumpur, held ahead of the AFC Congress, Sheikh Salman acknowledged the "letters of interest" received by the AFC secretariat by the March 31, 2025 deadline. These letters were submitted by Kuwait, Australia, India, Indonesia, South Korea, the UAE, and a joint bid from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Sheikh Salman noted that this record number of bids underscores the increasing importance of the AFC Asian Cup, drawing a comparison to the Qatar-hosted tournament, which attracted record-breaking fan attendance.

He also confirmed that Saudi Arabia will host the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, with the host country for the 2031 edition to be announced at the AFC Congress in 2026 following a thorough assessment of all bids.