2019 Asian Cup gets under way with opening ceremony - in pictures

The 2019 Asian Cup got under way in the UAE on Saturday night.

Three of the UAE's biggest stars performed during the opening ceremony at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi.

Emirati singers Hussain Al Jassmi and Eida Al Menhali, along with Yemeni-Emirati singer Balqees Fathi, all performed ahead of the opening match between the hosts UAE and Bahrain.

Among those in attendance were Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid, Crown Prince of Dubai, and Fifa president Gianni Infantino.

There were also plenty of  UAE and Bahrain fans at Zayed Sports City for the Group A match.

The Emirates are hosting the continental showpiece for a second time, look to improve on their third-place finish in Australia four years ago.

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Fans at the start of the first AFC match at Zayed Sports City. Antonie Robertson / The National

The 2019 Asian Cup runs until February 1. There are 24 teams competing in what is the largest staging of the tournament, with matches played at eight stadiums across the Emirates.

Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Al Ain and Sharjah will all host games, with 36 matches taking place in the group stages, which run from January 5 until January 17.

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