Fourth substitution to be allowed at 2019 AFC Asian Cup

Kuala Lumpur, Oct 12: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced that a fourth substitution will be permitted in the extra time of knock-out matches at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.

AFC's Executive Committee on Friday approved the recommendation to align the AFC's national teams competitions with the latest amendments to the Laws of the Game (LOTG) announced by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the Asian football governing body said in a statement.

The new rule states that an extra substitution will be allowed in the event of extra time after 90 minutes have been played, meaning it will only be applicable during the knock-out stage of the competition, reports Xinhua news agency.

"I am confident the new regulations will add to the excitement of Asia's flagship national team competition," AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said in the statement.

Apart from the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, which will be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from January 5 to February 1, the updated regulations will also apply to the upcoming AFC U-19 Championship in Indonesia starting next week, as well as the AFC U-19 Women's Championship 2019 and the AFC U23 Championship Thailand 2020.

The AFC Competitions Committee has also approved the proposal of using a fourth substitution in extra time for next year's AFC Cup and AFC Champions League, the statement said.