RIYADH – A source in the Asian Football Confederation said it is highly unlikely that the Kingdom will be allowed to host the 2019 Asian Cup as women visitors have to be accompanied by a male guardian, Al-Sharq daily reported. The source said it would be logistically difficult for the Kingdom to facilitate the entrance of female fans wishing to watch the tournament thanks to the rule. The source did say, however, that the confederation felt the Kingdom was capable of organizing such an event because it has experience in managing huge crowds of Muslims who enter the Kingdom every year for Haj and Umrah. However, the only problem the Kingdom faces is that it will not be able to comply with the association's regulations allowing female fans to freely enter the host country. The Asia Cup attracts a large number of female fans who want to support their national teams at matches and would not normally be able to do so if the Kingdom is given the go-ahead to organize the tournament. In addition to the Kingdom, 10 countries are competing to organize the Asia Cup including Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, China, Iran, Malaysia, Lebanon, Myanmar and Thailand. — SG
