Sydney and Newcastle will host six pool matches involving ten countries in what is the biggest football tournament ever staged in Australia,” Minister for Sport and Recreation Gabrielle Upton said.

“Football fans know the high quality of international players involved in the AFC Asian Cup, and they will be treated to a feast of matches next January.

“Apart from hosting the Socceroos, Stadium Australia will also host pool matches involving Qatar, Bahrain, Iran, Korea DPR and Uzbekistan.

“Football fans in the Hunter will see two pool matches at Newcastle Stadium, the first on Monday 12 January between Japan and the winner of the AFC Challenge Cup, followed by Oman v Kuwait on Saturday 17 January.

“Sydney and Newcastle will also host a quarter-final, both semi-finals, the 3rd/4th playoff and the Final.

“It is a tough draw for the Socceroos, but every Australian sports fan will be cheering them on, hopefully all the way to the Final on Saturday 31 January at Stadium Australia.

“Football continues to grow in popularity in Australia and the AFC Asian Cup will create a lasting legacy in NSW, by boosting participation in football at a grassroots level, and encouraging more people to be active,” Minister Upton said.

Minister for Tourism and Major Events, George Souris said:

“The AFC Asian Cup is expected to attract more than 45,000 international visitors and be viewed by a potential television audience of more than 2.5 billion people, a real publicity coup for NSW. I am particularly pleased to see four games will be played in Newcastle, which will give tourists a chance to visit the city, as well as Newcastle’s surrounding regional areas.

“This event will provide a major economic boost for Sydney, Newcastle and the Hunter region, with visitors staying at our hotels, eating at our restaurants and attending local attractions”.

Fifteen nations have already qualified for AFC Asian Cup 2015 – Australia as hosts, defending champions Japan, South Korea and North Korea, along with recent qualifiers Bahrain, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, China and Iraq. The last spot will be determined in the AFC Challenge Cup in May 2014.

The 23-day festival of football is jointly funded by the Australian Government and the NSW, Victorian, Queensland and ACT Governments.

Fans can register for ticketing information and see all the latest news about the event at afcasiancup.com

2015 AFC Asian Cup matches in Sydney and Newcastle

Uzbekistan v Korea DPR

Saturday 10 January 2015
Stadium Australia

Japan v AFC Challenge Cup Winner

Monday 12 January 2015
Newcastle Stadium

Australia v Oman

Tuesday 13 January 2015
Stadium Australia

Qatar v Iran

Thursday 15 January 2015
Stadium Australia

Oman v Kuwait

Saturday 17 January 2015
Newcastle Stadium

Qatar v Bahrain

Monday 19 January 2015
Stadium Australia

Quarter Final

Friday 23 January 2015
Stadium Australia

Semi Final

Monday 26 January 2015
Stadium Australia

Semi Final

Tuesday 27 January 2015
Newcastle Stadium

3 v 4 play off

Friday 30 January 2015
Newcastle Stadium

Final

Saturday 31 January 2015
Stadium Australia