JABAR EKSPRES – PSSI Chairman, Erick Thohir, on Sunday (6/4), announced Solo has been appointed as the host of the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifying event, which will take place at Manahan Stadium in September.
Erick stated that the readiness of the Manahan Stadium, which was judged by FIFA to be suitable for holding international matches during an inspection last March, was one of the main reasons Solo was chosen by PSSI to host the prestigious event.
“Speaking of stadiums, I think Manahan is very ready and well maintained. Media facilities are also ready. It has been approved by AFC and has passed the FIFA inspection. Likewise, Persis supporters are not only numerous, also definitely ready to support the national team,” Erick said when reviewing Manahan Stadium, Solo City, as reported by the official PSSI website.
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“Please maintain the trust of the AFC in us, so that there is no longer a negative perception of Indonesian football,” he added.
Manahan Stadium is one of 22 stadiums in Indonesia that have been renovated by the government to meet FIFA standards.
For this reason, Erick hopes that in the future there will be more and more high-quality stadiums in Indonesia, in order to be able to play international, national, League 1 and League 2 matches.
“With more and more of our stadiums having FIFA quality, national and international events will be easier to hold. The impact is that the economic sector grows, MSMEs are involved, so that an orderly, safe and comfortable viewing culture emerges,” said the figure who also served as Minister of BUMN.
In the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers, Indonesia inhabits Group K with Turkmenistan and Taiwan. The qualifying phase will take place from September 4 to 12, followed by 45 teams and divided into 11 groups.
Only the group winners and the four best second-placed teams will qualify for the finals in Qatar. Meanwhile, host Qatar will complete the number of finalist teams to 16 teams at the event which takes place April 15 to May 3, 2024.
