South Korea's decision to enter the race for the 2031 Asian Cup hosting rights looks set to reignite a bidding battle between the eastern powerhouse and influential Gulf states as the nation seeks to organise the tournament for the first time since 1960.

The AFC has also received interest from Australia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Indonesia and a joint bid from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, reports say.

“Cambodia is one of the 8 countries that applied to host the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026 qualifiers. We received confirmation from the AFC on February 26 regarding our hosting rights,” FFC secretary-general Keo Sarath told The Post.

The race to host the 2031 Asian Cup heated up on Friday when South Korea's football association said it had submitted a "letter of intent" to host the continental championship to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

The Korea Football Association said it sent its "Expression of Interest" (EoI) to host the 2031 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup to the AFC on Thursday.

The Korean football governing body announced Friday it has submitted a bid to host the top Asian men's football tournament in 2031.

South Korea's decision to enter the race for the 2031 Asian Cup hosting rights looks set to reignite a bidding battle between the eastern powerhouse and influential Gulf states as the nation seeks to organise the tournament for the first time since 1960.