The 4th Asian Communities Football Tournament (ACFT) is set to start today at Qatar Football Association’s (QFA) Football Development Department, Pitch 1.
The kick off match, which will launch the tournament, will see India take on Thailand at 7pm, followed by the second match in which Nepal will take on Japan at 8:30pm.
Twelve Asian communities are participating in this year’s tournament where each team is set to play five matches during the group stage.
A total of 37 matches will be played this year, with matches held on Thursdays and Fridays. The semi-finals taking place on 6th May and the final match will be taking place on 13th May, which falls on the same day as this year’s Emir Cup semi-finals.
Organised by the QFA, this tournament is one of the many events that are organised to run along the period of this year’s Emir Cup and acts as a way to excite the fans ahead of the Emir Cup final match. Additionally, QFA recognises the Asian communities’ enthusiasm towards attending the Emir Cup matches and thus is constantly aiming to involve all Asian communities who are loyal fans of the most prestigious tournament in Qatar.
The venues hosting the matches this year include QFA’s Football Development Department’s pitches, Al Sadd Sports Club’s main pitch, and Al Sadd Sports Club’s training site.
Official referees from QFA’s Referee Committee will attend all matches to officiate the matches to ensure the teams abide by the laws of the game.
This year’s tournament features two groups. Group A includes Lebanon, India, Jordan, China, Thailand, while Group B includes Nepal, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, South Korea, Philippines, Japan, and Singapore.