The 2022 Women’s Asian Cup, to be hosted by India, will be held from January 20 to February 6, the Asian Football Confederation announced on Thursday.
The tournament will feature 12 teams, expanded from eight in the previous edition, comprising three groups of four with a minimum of 25 matches being played over 18 days.
Eight teams will qualify for the newly-introduced quarterfinals. The event will also serve as a qualification tournament for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which will see a record five Asian teams seal their spots to join co-host Australia for the newly-expanded 32-team global showpiece.
Centralised venue
The Qualifiers for the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup is set to take place from Sept. 13 to 25 in a centralised venue as the continent’s hopefuls compete for the final eight spots to join the three highest-ranked sides from the last edition — Japan, Australia and China, who alongside host India receive automatic qualification.
AFC General Secretary Dato Windsor John said: “India has seen incredible growth in recent years, and we are confident that the AFC Women’s Asian Cup India will present another historic step in the incredible journey of Indian football — one that will strengthen the passion for the game and leave a lasting impact for future generations of women footballers.”
The tournament is one of the two marquee events being held in the country next year as the hosting rights of the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup was also handed to India after the 2020 event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.