Asian Cup stadiums

Penpix of the main stadiums being used at the Asian Cup finals in Qatar from January 7-29:

Khalifa International Stadium

Capacity: 50,000

The jewel in the 2011 Asian Cup crown, the Khalifa International Stadium will host the opening match and the final.

It has already proved itself a stunning venue for sport and entertainment by hosting the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2006 Asian Games. The stadium, part of the Aspire complex, a multi-purpose sports zone that boosts the world’s largest indoor hall, was originally opened in 1996 but was renovated and expanded ahead of the Asian Games.

A roof has also been built on its western flank, along with a large futuristic-looking arch.

Al-Saad Stadium

Capacity: 18,000

This state-of-the-art stadium was built in 1974 but was completely remodelled for the Asian Games.

It is home to Qatar’s most successful football club, Al-Saad, and has historically been the preferred venue for the Qatar national team.

Al-Gharrafa Stadium

Capacity: 25,000

This is one of the newest and largest stadiums in Qatar and was one of the five venues for the 2006 Asian Games football competition, hosting the women’s final.

The club that calls it home — Al-Gharrafa — was founded in 1979 as Al Ittihad but changed its name in 2004 to better reflect its geographical location in the Al-Gharrafa district, northwest of Doha’s city centre.

The club is one of the most successful in Qatar — winning the league title in 1992, 1998, 2002 and 2005.

Al-Rayyan Stadium

Capacity: 25,000

It shares the distinction with Al-Gharrafa of being the second largest stadium in the country after Khalifa. It was used for the 2007 Emir’s Cup final and also hosted matches during the 2006 Asian Games. The venue also boosts a large indoor hall, used for training when the searing Gulf heat gets too much.

Qatar Sports Club

Capacity: 12,500

This small stadium was renovated for the Asian Games and while primarily used for football, it also hosted the Qatar Athletic Grand Prix in 2010, the first meeting of the 2010 Diamond League. It was also the host for the opening and closing ceremonies of the West Asian Games in 2005.