The President of the Asian Football Confederation, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, expressed his happiness at being in Lebanon after a long absence, stating: "This country is dear to us, whether as Arabs or Gulf nationals, and we always have beautiful memories, whether from childhood or with family. Lebanon holds a special place for us." He regarded Lebanon's election of Mr. Hashim Haidar as Vice President of the Asian Football Confederation as a historic achievement.
He discussed his new term as AFC President: "They say the third term is difficult, but I don’t see it that way, as it is no different from previous terms. We went through tough conditions like the COVID-19 pandemic and various political issues that had some impact, but we overcame them. We were elected based on a vision to provide the best solutions for supporting Asian football.” Sheikh Salman noted that sometimes people ask for the impossible in very difficult situations, stating: "At the time we went through, Mr. Hashim's leadership was wise, both in the Lebanese Federation and in his role in the AFC, where he has significant weight. Personally, for me, he is one of my biggest supporters, and at the same time, he possesses wisdom and leadership, and sometimes we turn to him for advice."
He added: "If we compare the support from the Asian and international federations before 2013, we see that national federations received around 300 or 400 thousand dollars annually from the continental and international federations. Today, I believe with the international federation and its new program alongside the programs of the AFC, federations are receiving two and a half million dollars, which is almost five times a year."
Regarding the Asian Cup draw and Lebanon's participation, Sheikh Salman stated: "Lebanon has a good chance in this group. The other teams might be slightly better, but they have the opportunity to advance to the second round. We need to focus on preparing the team. We are talking about a tournament that will be held in seven months, which is not a long time, and the coach is new. We hope they succeed in this choice. The groups are all tough, and it is difficult to predict; this depends on the preparation of each team for this tournament, and we wish everyone good luck."
The AFC President also spoke about women's football, saying: "I hope to see a bigger role, not only in terms of teams but also in representation and in the executive office of the Lebanese federation. Today, you have representatives from women's football, and we should support various roles in refereeing, coaching, and player development. We support these programs because we want to see a larger role for women's football in this region, and Lebanon has always been a pioneer in these initiatives, and God willing, we will see a bigger role."
