In December of last year, Saudi Arabia was officially announced as the host nation for the 2034 FIFA World Cup.

This makes them the fourth country from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to host the tournament—following Japan and South Korea in 2002, and more recently, Qatar in 2022.

What stood out about Saudi Arabia’s selection, though, was the lack of competition—they ended up being the only country to submit a formal bid.

Australia, a fellow AFC member nation had initially expressed interest in hosting the 2034 World Cup, but with Saudi Arabia heavily investing in their bid and momentum clearly shifting in their favor, Australia chose to step back.

Instead, they redirected their focus toward hosting the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup—an event they were awarded in 2024—and the 2029 Club World Cup.

This isn’t the first time Australia has tried to bring the World Cup Down Under. Back in 2010, they launched a bid to host the 2022 tournament.

However, it ended in disappointment—they received just one vote in the first round, while Qatar controversially secured hosting rights under what many described as “suspicious circumstances.”

Now, 15 years after that failed bid, and with Saudi Arabia next in line to host, it seems increasingly unlikely that Australia will get a World Cup anytime soon. And there are several reasons why that might be the case.

Cost Factor

One of the major reasons Australia may not host a men’s FIFA World Cup in the near future is due to the enormous cost involved in staging the tournament.

According to Statista, Qatar spent a staggering $220 billion USD ($342 billion AUD) to host the 2022 World Cup, making it the most expensive edition in the tournament’s history.

This was largely due to Qatar needing to build much of the necessary infrastructure from scratch.

Even so, previous World Cups have still come with hefty price tags.

Russia spent around $11.6 billion USD ($18 billion AUD) to host the 2018 tournament, while Brazil’s 2014 World Cup cost about $15 billion USD ($23 billion AUD).

In fact, the last men’s World Cup to cost under $1 billion USD ($1.56 billion AUD) was the 1994 tournament held in the United States.

In contrast, the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup—co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand—had a far more modest price tag.

According to FIFA’s bid evaluation report, the tournament was expected to cost around $150 million AUD, with just over $100 million AUD contributed by governments.

Not only does the Women’s World Cup cost significantly less to host, but many of the stadiums and infrastructure acceptable for the women’s tournament would fall short of FIFA’s stricter requirements for the men’s event.

To meet those higher standards, Australia would need to make substantial upgrades, adding further to the cost.

Beyond the economic risks, there's also a broader question of national priorities.

Australia may ultimately decide that the billions required to secure and host a men’s World Cup could be better invested elsewhere—into areas that deliver more lasting and equitable benefits for the population.

For example, upgrading the nation’s public health system, affordable housing initiatives, education infrastructure, and climate resilience projects are all pressing needs that demand long-term funding and attention.

Investments in regional transport networks, Indigenous community support, and renewable energy development could arguably provide a stronger return on investment in terms of social and economic outcomes.

Given these competing priorities and the immense cost of hosting, Australia may find that the pursuit of a men’s FIFA World Cup is a luxury it simply can’t justify—at least not in the foreseeable future.

Rival Interest

Rival nations within the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) would play a major role in limiting Australia's chances of hosting a Men’s FIFA World Cup.

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the world, and the competition to host it is incredibly fierce.

Countries go to great lengths to secure hosting rights, especially within the AFC, where Arab nations in particular have been extremely proactive.

One major factor is the concept of sportswashing—the practice of using sports to improve a country’s global image, often as a way to divert attention from human rights issues or political controversies.

This has become especially common in the Middle East over the past decade.

Between early 2021 and mid-2023, Saudi Arabia alone reportedly spent $6.3 billion on sportswashing efforts, including around 300 sponsorship deals.

Their investments span across numerous sports: boxing, motorsport, snooker, golf, ATP tennis, cricket, and even the America’s Cup sailing regatta.

However, football has been their biggest focus.

In recent years, Saudi Arabia's top-tier football league—the Saudi Pro League (SPL)—has emerged as Asia’s most high-profile domestic competition.

This rise in prominence has largely been driven by the league signing world-famous players to extremely lucrative contracts.

The most notable example is Cristiano Ronaldo, arguably the most recognisable athlete on the planet, who joined Al Nassr on a deal reported to be worth around $207 million USD (approximately $322 million AUD) per season.

But Saudi influence in football isn’t limited to their domestic league. They’ve also hosted major international club competitions.

For instance, five of the last six editions of the Supercopa de España—a tournament featuring the top Spanish clubs—have been held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital.

Now it's not just the World Cup, looking at the AFC Asian Cup, the premier men’s international football tournament in Asia, three of the last four editions were hosted by Arab nations.

Qatar alone hosted it twice during that period and Saudi Arabia is also set to host the 2027 edition.

So, Australia faces stiff competition within the AFC for the rights to host a World Cup—particularly from wealthy and politically influential Arab nations that have a proven track record of securing major football events.

The last FIFA World Cup (2022) was held in Qatar, and the next AFC host is Saudi Arabia and based on the current pattern, it wouldn’t be surprising if another Arab nation—such as the UAE—secured the next opportunity after that.

Location

One major factor that could affect Australia’s chances of hosting a men’s FIFA World Cup is its geographical location.

Because Australia is so far from Europe and the Americas—where most of the global football audience is—many matches would air at inconvenient times in those regions, potentially lowering TV viewership.

This issue was already evident during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which was co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

According to FIFA, the final between Spain and England reached 222.02 million viewers.

That’s a noticeable drop compared to the 2019 final in France, where the USA faced the Netherlands and drew 263.62 million viewers.

A decline like this in viewership could make FIFA and its broadcasting partners think twice about holding a men’s World Cup in Australia.

Speaking of broadcasting, broadcast rights are another concern with time zone differences potentially reducing the value of international broadcast deals, since matches wouldn’t air during prime hours in key markets.

In fact, ahead of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, FIFA reportedly missed its target for selling broadcast rights by about $100 million USD ( $155 million AUD), according to the Wall Street Journal.

FIFA had hoped to bring in $300 million USD ($466 million AUD), but only managed around $200 million USD ($310 million AUD).

It even reached a point where FIFA president Gianni Infantino warned of a possible TV blackout across Europe unless broadcasters increased their offers.

All of this shows how Australia’s remote location could seriously impact global viewership and broadcasting revenue, making it a tougher sell as a host for a future men’s World Cup.

Conclusion

So, in light of these financial, geopolitical, and logistical challenges, it’s clear that the odds of Australia hosting a FIFA World Cup remain firmly stacked against them—making another failed bid not just possible, but increasingly probable.

Given the significant financial demands, complex geopolitical dynamics, and substantial logistical hurdles involved, it becomes increasingly evident that Australia faces an uphill battle in its pursuit of hosting a FIFA World Cup.

These compounding challenges not only diminish the likelihood of a successful bid in the near future, but also raise the probability that any renewed attempt could end in yet another disappointment.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) to continue to develop and strengthen the football network in the country.

To sign the MoU, AFC General Secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John and SAFF General Secretary Ibrahim Alkassim marked the deal at the Ritz-Carlton Jeddah Hotel before the AFC Champions League Elite™ Finals Jeddah 2025.

The MoU highlighted several programmes designed to enhance the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's football infrastructure, operational procedure and employees before the nation hosts the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™.

In particular, the MoU seeks to establish a new framework which focuses on education and research via the AFC Academic Centre of Excellence (ACE) to upskill participants' ability to manage and operate footballing institutions.

AFC General Secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John outlined the AFC's dedication to assisting Member Associations.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has embraced Midea in a new global partnership which will see the Chinese white goods company support the AFC's club competitions.

Through the deal, Midea will enter into a multi-year agreement and become a "Global Supporter" of the AFC Champions League Elite™ for the remainder of the current 2024/25 season until the 2028/29 season, and the AFC Champions League Two™ and AFC Women’s Champions League™ across the 2025/26 to 2028/29 period.

In entering the partnership, Midea will hold exclusive rights to advertise its products across all AFC club competitions, giving Midea prime access to billions of consumers across Asia.

AFC General Secretary, Datuk Seri Windsor John explained how the addition of Midea into the AFC family was emblematic of the AFC's immense growth.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President, Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa has celebrated the work of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) in a meeting with the Federation's key leaders.

Speaking with AFF President Major General Khiev Sameth and AFF General Secretary Winston Lee, Shaikh Salman celebrated the AFF's success as one of the leading Regional Associations in the AFC, linking the Federation's strong sense of unity with its ability to effectively achieve shared goals to improve the standard of the game across Asia.

The AFC President also praised the Federation for the triumphant delivery of the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup in January, as well as the AFF's other competitions including the new ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup 2024/25.

In a press release, President Shaikh Salman detailed the importance of the ASEAN Football Federation.

"As a Regional Association, the ASEAN Football Federation are amongst the pioneers in establishing top level competitions for their Member Associations and the fervent fanbase that has rallied so passionately around these regional platforms is indeed testament to the AFF leadership," he said.

“Perhaps most encouraging of all is the expansion of these competitions to also include women’s football, age-group tournaments as well as futsal so it is clear that the beautiful game in ASEAN now has the potential to grow more systemically and holistically, further complementing the shared outcomes that we aspire towards as one Asian football family.

“In every way, under the wise leadership of Major General Sameth, the AFF has emerged as a model RA who have continued to serve as a thriving regional hub for its Member Associations to strengthen their capabilities and the AFC remains ready to assist them in realising their bold ambitions.”

The meeting also saw Major General Khiev Sameth thank the AFC President and Confederation for its assistance. In particular, Sameth highlighted the impact of the AFC Enhance program - a project which will double the Confederation's support for Regional Associations.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has reinforced its desire to protect the sanctity and professionalism of football and to stop doping across Asia through the Confederation's Principles of Clean Sport seminar.

In collaboration with Sportradar's Integrity Service, the webinar attracted more than 120 participants last week. Designed to support the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) yearly online campaign, Play True Day, the seminar explored a number of crucial topics which aimed to protect fair sport.

Head speakers, Niall Murphy, Sportradar Senior Manager for Risk & Investigations, and Dominic Mueser, Sportradar Head of Integrity Partnerships in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region, led conversations on doping, its effects and regulations, and the need for wide-ranging education, legislature and protections for whistleblowers.

Additionally, the seminar explored how to support medical experts and professionals in the sports industry deal with doping.

Dominic Mueser explained why Sportrader was eager to support the AFC.

"We’re committed to supporting organisations like the AFC in their mission to protect clean athletes," he said via press release.

"It’s critical that we give everyone involved in sport a strong understanding of fair play and clean sport values early on, so they’re able to make smart and informed decisions."

Furthermore, the Principles of Clean Sport seminar analysed the leading codes, regulations and rulings of WADA, including: the WADA Code and International Standards, Anti-Doping Rule Violations and current WADA Prohibited List.

Niall Murphy explained why these conversations were so important.

“With the next iteration of the World Anti-Doping Code currently being drafted and due to take effect in 2027, it is vital that all stakeholders including athletes, support personnel, medical professionals and anti-doping practitioners, keep up to date on the latest rules and regulations, and understand the impact doping can have at an individual level and for sports as a whole," he said in a press release.

The program further covered topics surrounding the ethical and cultural issues around doping as well as how to better protect whistleblowers.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has locked in a media rights agreement with sports broadcast giant ESPN, covering the upcoming 2025-2028 period.

The fresh deal sees ESPN continue as the exclusive media partner for top-tier AFC competitions.

Their services will be channelled to the footballing regions of Central and South America, including selective parts of the Caribbean.

Viewers can continue to catch the action across ESPN's platforms, including the Disney+ streaming service.

Covering marquee events like the 2027 Asian Cup and both Champions League Elite and Champions League Two club competitions, the agreement marks a significant boost for international football coverage.

This has come after the ending of the deal between the sports media giant and the AFC starting in 2021.

ESPN have broadcasted the AFC since 1989 and continues to want to deliver the AFC onto the international stage through its media reach.

Michael Walters, Vice President for programming and acquisitions at ESPN International explains how they wish to connect the AFC with the whole international community.

"At ESPN, our main goal is to serve the sports fan with a vast array of sportive events and our experts' analysis," he said via press release.

"We're thrilled to renew this agreement, so that audiences in Latin America, Central America, and the Caribbean can continue to enjoy the AFC's competitions in real time."

AFC General Secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John praised ESPN's commitment, noting they've been playing a crucial role in expanding the confederation's global reach.

"The AFC is delighted to renew our media partnership with ESPN, who have been strong supporters of Asian football and played a key role in expanding the reach of our competitions well beyond the borders of our Continent," he said via press release.

The deal comes hot on the heels of another recent partnership, with the AFC announcing a global support agreement with Chinese financial technology firm Du Xiaoman Technology for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers last week.

This latest media rights renewal underscores the growing international appeal of Asian football and ESPN's strategic approach to sports broadcasting.

With the highlight focus of football centred around Europe it is very important that the AFC can reach all areas of football.

To connect the AFC across the Americas continues to tap into a football region and help elevate the AFC with other international footballing powerhouses.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced a new partnership with Du Xiaoman Technology.

Through the collaboration the Chinese financial technology company will become a Global Supporter of the AFC Asian Qualifiers - Road to 26.

Together, the AFC and Du Xiaoman Technology will aim to expand their individual markets through a combined effort. Du Xiamon Technoloy will bolster the AFC through providing competition activities to engage fans as well as brand new gameday experiences which will excite audiences.

AFC General Secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John welcomed Du Xiamon Technology into the fold.

"The AFC is delighted to welcome Du Xiaoman Technology as a Global Supporter of the AFC Asian Qualifiers™ – Road to 26 and we thank them for showcasing their confidence in the future of the Asian game," he said in a press release.

“The enhanced qualification format has already elevated the levels of anticipation and competition for both our teams and passionate fans and we look forward to partnering with like-minded organisations such as Du Xiaoman Technology to create even more memorable experiences for all our valued stakeholders.”

General Manager of the Brand Marketing Department at Du Xiaoman Technology, Xinxin Cui explained why the deal was enticing to her organisation.

“Football embodies passion and dreams, which naturally align with our company’s philosophy of empowering micro- and small- business development," she said in a press release.

"Moving forward, through the partnership with the AFC, Du Xiaoman Technology will identify breakthrough opportunities where technology enhances the sporting experience. We aim to deliver innovative financial solutions to benefit football fans while strengthening support for China PR’s football development.”

CEO of AFG Patrick Murphy, embraced Du Xioman Technology into the growing network.

“We are proud to welcome Du Xiaoman Technology as a Global Supporter of the Asian Qualifiers™ - Road to 26. We value their trust and collaboration in bringing this partnership to life, as we approach an exciting stage of this competition."

Together the AFC and Du Xiaoman Technology will work to elevate Asian football for fans across the continent.

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Representatives of the Asian Football Confederation met online on Thursday for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Youth Panel. Through the virtual event, Member Association's (MAs) shared their experiences of their youth systems for the 2024-25 term.

The panel was hosted with a key focus on identifying how to improve the developmental programmes of the 16–19-year-old age group. The meeting discussed ways to not just improve technical skill but also strengthen the mental resilience of players and increase the number of competitive matches they are playing.

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The Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) latest AFC Coach Education Panel Meeting reflected the Confederation’s desire to continually strengthen each Member Association (MA).

The meeting was led by AFC Technical Director Andy Roxburgh and took place virtually Thursday last week, featuring technical and coaching experts from across Asia.

With the key focus on finding how to strengthen coaching to boost player development, the meeting saw a range of matters discussed such as the AFC Coaching Convention, the AFC-UEFA Diploma equivalence, and the progress of tutor courses.

Most notably, the panel witnessed an extensive presentation on the pioneering Triple A Project, an all-new AFC programme designed to elevate technical standards and player development across the Confederation.

The name Triple A comes from the founding principles the initiative was built from of Analysis, Advice, Accreditation. To achieve its goals, the Triple A Project will engage with MAs to establish technical summits to effectively deliver unique supports according to each member’s needs.

Roxburgh explained how the Triple A Project would be beneficial for MAs.

“The idea is to hold joint exchanges with MAs, allowing us to analyse global developments and enable the Confederation to provide tailored support, offer advice, and establish guidelines,” he said in a press release.

“This will facilitate greater information exchange and drive further enhancements in technical projects, activities, and initiatives.”

Panellists next reviewed reports of The Hub initiative, a programme in collaboration with the Japan Football Association (JFA) designed to create opportunities for female coaches to gain their AFC Pro-Diploma status.

Panel members were then made aware of the latest endorsements under the AFC Coaching Convention, as well as future events like the upcoming AFC Coach Education Conference 2025.

To finalise the meeting, participants undertook an active QandA session, sharing key insights and learnings while also questioning standard practices to help the Asian Football Confederation and its Member Associations reach their true potential.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is set to launch the AFC Integrity Education Programme 2025, a brand-new world-class initiative designed to boost AFC Member Associations' (MAs) ability to fight match fixing across Asia.

Set to launch on March 10, the programme is designed to bolster the capabilities of Integrity Officers throughout the Confederation's MAs across a six-month long course.

The initiative was built in coordination with Sportsrader, a Swiss sports data company, and aims to provide programme participants with the knowledge to train upcoming officials within their respective organisations to effectively combat corruption and uphold professional footballing standards.

The AFC Integrity Education Programme 2025 will feature seven online sessions, educating participants on key issues such as match-fixing, sports betting, social media and digital integrity, prevention measures, the misuse of inside information and the consequences of breaching integrity standards.

After the online courses, the programme will finish with an in-person assessment for participants to receive their certificate.

AFC General Counsel and Director of Legal Affairs, Andrew Mercer, underlined how important the course would be for Asian football.

“It is our foremost priority to ensure that the Confederation’s competitions conform to the highest ethical standards," he said in a press release.

“We remain resolute in our quest to safeguard the integrity of Asian football, and the AFC Integrity Education Programme will play a significant role in aiding our Integrity Officers by providing tailored support to uphold the principles of good governance.”

Sportradar Executive Vice President of Integrity, Rights Protection and Regulatory Services, Andreas Krannich, expressed Sportsradar's willingness to aid the AFC.

"We are pleased to support this significant educational initiative," he said via press release.

"The programme combines Sportradar’s expertise in sports integrity with the AFC's commitment to good governance, creating a framework for developing the skills of integrity officers across Asia. This collaborative approach represents a crucial step in safeguarding football in the region.”

The AFC integrity Education Programme 2025 will begin March 10 2025. For more information on the programme, contact integrity@the-afc.com.

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In a landmark initiative for women's football, FIFA has unveiled an ambitious strategy aimed at reaching 60 million female players worldwide by 2027.

The comprehensive plan, supported by 13 distinct development programmes, is available to all 211 FIFA Member Associations, marking a significant step forward in the sport's global evolution.

FIFA also took the announcement to highlight the achievements for women’s football in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Oceanic Football Confederation (OFC).

The recently enhanced FIFA Women's Development Programme underscores the organisation's strengthened commitment to expanding the women's game.

The upcoming 2025 calendar promises several groundbreaking developments for women's football.

The Philippines will host the inaugural FIFA Futsal Women's World Cup, while Morocco makes history as the first African nation to stage the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.

The latter tournament sees significant expansion, growing from 16 to 24 teams and shifting to an annual format.

International competition reaches new heights with continental championships scheduled across multiple confederations.

The pathway to the FIFA Women's World Cup Brazil 2027 commences with African qualification matches, while major regional tournaments including the UEFA Women's EURO and OFC Women's Nations Cup will crown new champions.

In a significant advancement for club football, all six confederations will host their respective continental club championships for the first time.

This renewed focus comes amid unprecedented growth in participation rates, particularly evident in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup co-host nations.

New Zealand has reported a remarkable 27 per cent surge in female participation since 2022, with particularly strong growth among Māori and Pasifika communities, showing a 14 per cent increase.

A strategic partnership between New Zealand Football and Māori Football Aotearoa further strengthens grassroots development.

New Zealand Football CEO Andrew Pragnell voiced the federations successful results.

"The expansion of football and futsal in Aotearoa New Zealand has been extraordinary, with the Women's World Cup serving as a genuine catalyst for growth," he explained via official FIFA press release.

Across the Tasman, Football Australia's Growing Football Fund Community Grants programme continues to foster development at the grassroots level.

The latest round of funding benefits 118 recipients, complementing the 121 projects supported in March 2024.

This initiative particularly emphasises regional development, with nearly half the grants allocated to areas outside major metropolitan centres.

The grants provide essential support for women's football development, encompassing coach education, introductory programmes, and vital equipment procurement, further cementing the sport's foundation at the community level.

Also within the AFC, footballing powerhouse Japan has successfully hosted the continent's first female-exclusive Pro Licence coaching course.

A collaborative effort between FIFA, AFC, and the Japan Football Association (JFA), represents a significant milestone in professional football development.

The intensive seven-day course attracted participants from fourteen nations, featuring presents such as AFC Technical Director Andy Roxburgh and Japan men's national team coach Hajime Moriyasu.

Participants gained valuable practical experience through observations of pre-season training sessions at both J.League and Nadeshiko League clubs.

JFA Technical Director Masanaga Kageyama emphasised the programme's strategic importance and inclusivity.

"This course is a joint AFC/JFA initiative to increase the number of top-level, professionally licensed female coaches in Asia. It aims to provide existing talents with additional advice to help them achieve greater success in their current coaching positions and secure future success," Kageyama explained via official FIFA press release.

This initiative aligns with JFA's renowned long-term development philosophy and a significant advancement in creating pathways for women in professional football coaching.

This newly improved strategy at the global scale will hopefully allow for more women in both professional and amateur spaces to get the opportunities they deserve in football.

It also highlight’s that AFC & OFC nations, including Australia, will have a strong place within the growth of women’s football.

Read more on the FIFA Women's Development Program here.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced a partnership renewal with worldwide digital payments service, Visa.

The rejuvenated collaboration will see Visa become the Official Global Supporter of the AFC's crown jewel competitions - the AFC Champions League Elite, AFC Women's Champions League and AFC Champions League Two for both the 2024/25 and 2025/26 seasons, in addition to the AFC Asian Qualifiers - Road to 26.

The partnership between the AFC and Visa first bloomed at the AFC Asan Cup Qatar 2023, and will now work to include more regions and provide a variety of exciting new fan experiences such as:

• The Visa Coin Toss: Selected Visa cardholders will join in the pre-match coin toss with the team captains and officials.
• Final Whistle Experience: Visa winners will be able to watch the final ten minutes of games from the pitch side.
• Visa Player Escort Kids Programme: More than 100 children will be granted the opportunity to lead players onto the field at the AFC Champions League Elite Finals.

AFC General Secretary, Datuk Seri Windsor John, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) reinforced its strong commitment to advancing women’s roles in football with the launch of the AFC Empowering Women in Football Programme (AEWFP), an innovative online initiative highlighting the various contributions women make to the football industry, both on and off the field.

This six-month programme will provide participants with essential knowledge and skills to better understand the global football ecosystem, promote gender equity and inclusion, and identify and tackle industry barriers using ethical, strategic, and diplomatic approaches.

The programme will examine the significant contributions women have made in football’s history across areas like business strategy, advocacy, brand transformation, executive leadership, and other key aspects of the modern game. It will highlight the importance of diversity and inclusion, showcasing their exceptional role in advancing both Asian and global football.

AFC General Secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John talks extensively about the programme.

“The AEWFP is truly a groundbreaking programme that aligns with the AFC’s continuous championing and promotion of gender equity, inclusivity and integrity,” he said via press release.

“From a historical viewpoint to contemporary leadership, women have long played, and are playing, a powerful role in shaping the football industry. This programme not only honours their immense contributions but also empowers the next generation to drive positive, inclusive change and lead the football business into a future of excellence.

“The AFC places the advancement of our MAs, RAs and the Asian football community as key to realising our Vision of becoming the world’s leading Confederation. The AEWFP is in line with our objective, and we strive to ensure it provides our leaders with the knowledge to continue making impactful decisions that keep to the industry’s best practices, for the betterment of their respective organisations and global football as a whole.”

The AEWFP is the newest initiative from the AFC Academic Centre of Excellence (ACE), established in 2021 to enhance the skills of Asian football leaders. It adds to a prestigious line-up of programmes, including the AFC Football Management Certificate, AFC Football Management Diploma, AFC Certificate in Football Leadership, AFC Certificate in Football Administration and Management, AFC Certificate in Child Safeguarding, and AFC Certificate in Strategy and Planning.

The AEWFP, designed for leaders of the AFC Member Associations (MAs), Regional Associations (RAs), and other football stakeholders, consists of seven modules. These modules address topics such as the strategic influence of women in football business, overcoming barriers, driving organisational innovation, and empowering women in executive leadership roles.

These tailored modules are delivered online, combining theoretical insights, practical activities, and real-world case studies. Participants will graduate with the skills to make decisions that enhance inclusivity, diversity, and integrity, while strengthening women’s impact on the global growth of football in an ever-evolving and competitive environment.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) wrapped up the AFC Member Association Anti-Doping Programme webinar on Monday, highlighting the confederation's desire to strengthen the honour and fairness of football in Asia.

With 40 Member Associations (MAs) present, the AFC's webinar was designed to educate MAs on the recently implemented AFC Anti-Doping Activities and Monitoring System, a broad sweeping process aiming to standardise anti-doping practices across the confederation.

Designed to modernise Asian anti-doping practices, the AFC Anti-Doping Activities and Monitoring System is helping to transition MAs from paper-based data collection to digital alternatives. Through this, MAs will be able to observe and record doping activities far easier and will be in compliance with the AFC Anti-Doping Regulations and World Anti-Doping Code.

The AFC Anti-Doping Activities and Monitoring System also includes a number of tools to help boost MAs anti-doping effectivity, such as real-time data submission and secure access controls. Additionally, the system includes provisions to conducting educational programs, recording anti-doping violations, and programme testing.

Saudi Arabian Football Federation Medical Committee Member, Dr. Khalid Awad, outlined the importance of the anti-doping webinar.

“It was a pleasure to be part of the discussions and to learn more about this new system. I feel it has great potential to strengthen collaboration among MAs,” he said in a press release.

“We can use the platform not only to safeguard the integrity of our sport but also to develop more ways to educate ourselves and help our athletes perform at their highest levels.”

Pakistan Football Federation Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Muhd Azam Khan expressed his satisfaction for the AFC's commitment to modernising anti-doping practices in Asia.

“This is an excellent step by the AFC to digitise records. It will serve as a stimulus for the growth and development of MAs," he said via press release.

"Additionally, I am confident it will motivate us to organise more capacity-building initiatives in our respective federations.”

The webinar also allowed the AFC and MAs to share the discoveries of a recent AFC survey, which aimed to discover the unique problems each MA has in regard to doping in football.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) hosted the AFC Regional Associations Workshop for the first time since 2019.

Conducted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from January 15 to 16, the workshop aimed to bolster the aptitude of Regional Associations (RAs) through discovering the best services to assist them, by providing a platform to acknowledge problems and share solutions.

Highlighting the importance of the conference, the General Secretaries of each AFC RA; Winston Lee (ASEAN Football Federation), Ulugbek Karimov (Central Asian Football Association), Yosuke Mihara (East Asian Football Federation), Anwarul Huq (South Asian Football Federation) and Khalil H. Al Salem (West Asian Football Federation), spoke at the event, facilitating a number of conversations around the successes, goals of and threats to each RA.

The first day of the workshop hosted sessions centred around integral programs for the regions, such as the FIFA Forward 3.0 Initiative, AFC Enhance Programme and AFC Academic Centre of Excellence courses.

Additionally, members conversed over the AFC's dedication to social responsibilities such as child safety.

Day two of the forum saw Football Australia President Anter Isaac hold a presentation on creating and maintaining sustainable growth alongside reinforcing RA governance.

Next, the AFC Governance Coordination Unit and AFC Legal Unit held presentations and conversations around desirable governance, and how to become more transparent and resilient.

AFC General Secretary, Datuk Seri Windsor John, outlined the importance of forums like the AFC Regional Associations Workshop.

The AFC will continue to evaluate and explore ways to assist Regional Associations across 2025 and beyond.

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The Asian Football Confederation have confirmed the stadiums and dates for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027, with the tournament announced to take place between January 7 to February 5, 2027, across eight stadiums in three cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar.

In Riyadh, five stadiums will host Asia's best: the King Fahd Sports City Stadium, the King Saud University Stadium, Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud University Stadium, Kingdom Arena and the Al Shabab Stadium.

Jeddah will have the honour of hosting games at two stadiums: the King Abdullah Sports City and the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium.

While Al Khobar will develop a new state of the art purpose-built facility for the tournament.

Chairperson of the Organising Committee for AFC Asian Cup (OCAC) Mariano V. Araneta Jr. outlined the goals of the AFC for the upcoming tournament.

“The record-setting AFC Asian Cup™ in Qatar exceeded all our expectations. In every way, Qatar 2023 has set the benchmark of excellence for all future editions of Asia’s flagship tournament," he said via press release.

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The Asian Football Confederation has looked to the future in the first ever AFC Football eSports Forum.

Hosted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, over two days, the forum reiterated the AFC's dedication to captivate and draw audiences across a range of different multimedia, especially through the hugely popular gaming industry.

The conference brought together key stakeholders such as AFC Member Associations (MAs) and eSports professionals to develop off the triumph of the AFC eAsian Cup, which was launched alongside the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023.

To begin the forum, event attendees participated in an introductory session to understand the AFC's Football eSports strategy.

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On Wednesday, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will ratify Sydney, Perth and the Gold Coast as hosts of the upcoming Women's Asia Cup 2026. Games will be played across Stadium Australia and Western Sydney Stadium, the Perth Rectangular Arena, Perth Stadium, and the Gold Coast Stadium.

While the Women's Asian Cup is a momentous occasion for Australian football, the exclusion of Melbourne stands as a missed opportunity.

Known as the sporting capital of the nation, Melbourne holds an incredibly passionate soccer fanbase and has continually delivered excellence on the pitch.

Zealous and Loyal Fanbase 

Most recently, Melbourne hosted six Women's World Cup games at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, otherwise known as AAMI Park, in 2023 for hungry audiences. Of the six games, five reached over 90% capacity according to AuStadiums, illustrating the desire Melbournians and Victorians have for more football.

Furthermore, Victorians have consistently shown up to support their teams across both the men's and women's A-Leagues. According to AuStadiums, in last year's ALW season, AAMI Park was on average the most attended stadium of the grounds which had hosted 10 or more games, averaging 3,500 people per game. This accomplishment built off of the 22/23 season where AAMI Park had also averaged the largest crowds for stadiums for which had hosted multiple games.

In the men's competition, AAMI Park has been by far the most played at stadium, with more than 30 games played at the stadium each season since the 21/22 season. Through this, AAMI Park has consistently achieved the highest total attendance of any A-League stadium and has additionally maintained strong crowd averages.

AAMI Park was the third most attended ground on average last year for stadiums which had hosted multiple games. Additionally, AAMI Park also appeared the most in the top 10 attended games of the year, hosting four of the largest crowds of the 23/24 season.

To deny such a passionate fanbase the opportunity to see their national team, and other elite Asian teams, locally, would be a travesty. Compounding it, the decision to neglect one of Australia's most beloved, professional and modern stadiums on a global stage is another disappointment.

World Class Facilities

In the latest Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) 2023-24 A-League Men Report insights from players, executive teams and coaches, AAMI Park was one of the highest scoring stadiums across Australia and New Zealand.

In terms of pitch quality, measured by the pace, smoothness, hardness and overall quality of the surface, AAMI Park scored above average. Depending on the hosting team, the stadium was rated between 3.5 stars to 4 stars placing it above the 3.2 average across the league.

Additionally, AAMI Park recorded the best atmosphere leaguewide when Melbourne Victory played, achieving a 4.4-star rating. Nearly half a star higher than the second-best atmospheric stadium.

These sentiments were similarly echoed in the most recent PFA A-League Women Report from the 2023-24 season. The report illustrated AAMI Park as one of the premier stadiums in the country, with the ground achieving a 4-star and near perfect 4.9-star rating, across its two hosts.

Australia's Most Liveable City 

In combination with providing a world class stadium for some of the world's best teams, hosting games at AAMI Park in Melbourne at the Women's Asia Cup would have propelled Australia's image on the global stage by highlighting one of the world's most liveable cities. Ranked fourth in the world for most liveable cities by the Economist Intelligence Unit's Global Liveability Index 2024, Melbourne continues to showcase the very best of Australia.

Travelling fans would get to enjoy the cultural events and sights Melbourne has to offer, while also finding their way to and from games easily due to Melbourne's simple public transport system.

Furthermore, Melbourne would not only highlight the best of Australia to travellers, but to an ever-increasing global audience. With the rise of interest in women's football, the amount of people watching and interacting with games has increased exponentially.

According to FIFA, over two billion people engaged with the Women's World Cup in 2023. Furthermore, the tournament produced over 2.72 billion viewer hours, a 9.2% increase in consumption from the 2019 Women's World Cup. With so many eyes now on women's football, it makes sense to put forth Australia's best.

Conclusion 

Fortunately, as Australia's most loved team, the Matildas will draw crowds wherever they play, having now sold out 16 home games in a row.

Yet the neglect of Melbourne from the Women's Asia Cup will prevent one of the country's most fervent fanbases, which has repeatedly supported the national team and the A-Leagues, from witnessing one of Australia's most important sporting events.

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The Professional Footballers Association (PFA) have released their 2024 Annual A-League Men's report. This analysis has highlighted key successful areas of last season and importantly areas of growth in the league.

This review uses a wide range of data but importantly uses a strong player-based approach.

A key tool for data collection for this report is the A-League Men's end-of-season survey conducted voluntarily online between May 7-31, 2024. This survey received 191 player responses, a record number with at least 13 players from each club.

The survey provides a comprehensive and representative source of player insights for policymakers, offering robust comparisons across the league.

Categorised below are some key factors of the report.

International Benchmarking

The Twenty-First Group's World Super League model provides insights into the A-League Men's (ALM) competitive positioning.

The analysis employed a machine learning approach, rating team strengths based on performance and player movements from ten relevant leagues over six seasons. The ALM ranks eighth among these competitions as a second-tier Asian league.

The salary cap system contributes to the consistent team strengths, with a slight overall decline in score over six years likely attributed to league expansion. Despite this, the ALM's league ranking remained stable.

From a player development perspective, the analysis offers guidance for international transfers to leagues that offer promising development pathways for Australian players looking to progress in their international careers.

Transfer Revenue

The Australian A-League Men (ALM) has experienced a remarkable transformation in its transfer market dynamics as a significant talent production and export market over recent years.

In 2024, ALM clubs received at least $17.5 million in transfer fees, with the total value potentially exceeding $20 million, significantly up from the approx. $10 million in 2023 and the $2.5 million average in past seasons.

This growth represents a fundamental shift in the domestic men's football economy. For the first time, transfer revenue is now surpassing broadcast revenue.

In the context of the broader market, while ALM revenues have grown quickly, they remain a fraction of those in slightly more advanced leagues.

AFC Club Competitions

Previously, AFC competitions were often more costly than beneficial.

However, in the new 3-tier continental club competitions for 2024, the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) qualifying for the eight-match group stage guarantees $1.23m, with an additional $150k per win. Champions can earn at least $18.5m.

The ACL2, Which CC Mariners won last season, provides $462k for group stage participation and $77k per win, with champions potentially earning up to $5m. ALM clubs receive one berth in both the top two tiers.

Under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, players will receive an increasing share of prize money from the Round of 16 onwards.

Player Profiles

The PFA conducted a comprehensive analysis of match minutes across six leagues: A-League Men (ALM), J1 League, K League 1, MLS, Scottish Premiership, and Belgian Pro League.

The analysis revealed that Australian and Belgian leagues stood out, with over 10% of match minutes played by under 20s, compared to less than 5% in the other four competitions.

The introduction of scholarship players outside the salary cap has notably reduced the league's average age, emphasizing its commitment to youth development.

Attendance

Average attendance for regular season matches has increased to 8,076 from 7,553 in 2022-23, but crowds have still not recovered to their pre-COVID levels.

Excluding the lowest attended teams of Western United and Macarthur FC the average attendance last season was 9,232, 14% higher than the 8,076 overall average.

Though the overall bias against crowd attendance can be assumed to be not as prevalent as people think, identifying this can help deal with the situations that hinder attendance.

Competitive balance

Competitive balance overall was strong with 7% of matches featuring a margin of four or more goals and 7% decided by three goals.

There was a tight race for the top 6 and the bottom two teams from 2022-23, Macarthur and Melbourne Victory, both made the finals, demonstrating the strong competitive balance of the ALM across seasons.

CBA Progress

Total player payments were around $57.8m in 2023-24, down slightly from the all-time high of $58.8m the previous season with the average payments per club being around $4.8m. This was well above the salary cap of $2.6m.

The vast majority of exempt payments from the cap were those to Marquee and Designated players. The average spend on Scholarship Players was just under $300k per club.

This report describes how revenues from transfer fees and a more lucrative AFC Champions League present new financial opportunities for our clubs.

Player Perceptions

According to the PFA end-of-season survey, 50% of ALM players were dissatisfied and 27% were very dissatisfied with how APL has performed in its management of the competition.

46% of players had ‘low trust’ in APL regarding developing a vision to improve the league.

The PFA was rated highest by the players, with 91% satisfied with its performance regarding ALM and 64% having high trust in the PFA to develop a vision.

In issues of the league, trajectory players outlined fan core experience as a centre stage with more than half including Broadcast (58%) and Atmosphere (51%) in their top three with Visibility and Branding/Marketing coming in second.

Workplace Safety

The PFA end-of-season survey uncovered concerning findings regarding the safety of ALM players’ workplaces.

11% of ALM players felt their club environment was either physically or psychologically unsafe and one in five players (20%) said they or a team-mate were unwilling to discuss issues with coaching staff and 16% with club management. 7% of players reported instances of players being forced to train alone at their clubs.

Though only a few clubs were reported on this, is still regarded as an industry issue.

Extreme weather

Last season one in six ALM matches was impacted by extreme weather with extreme heat the main culprit. 58% of players indicated the conditions impacted the players’ performances and 9% of player performances were hindered overall.

Club Index

Sydney FC was rated as the league’s best-performing club in the overall Club Performance Index, after placing in the top three for the sub-indices for Operations, Facilities, and Culture.

Pitch and atmosphere ratings

A-League players rated Wellington’s Sky Stadium with perfect marks for its pitch quality also and a four-star average for the match atmosphere.

Adelaide’s Coopers Stadium, AAMI Park, where also highly rated by ALM players with an average around the 4 stars mark. Victory home matches received an average of 4.4 for atmosphere.

The lowest rated were Newcastle’s McDonald Jones Stadium and Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium, averaging just 2.1.

Though other factors are included for pitch quality like other events, Players should still not be subject to substandard and potentially dangerous conditions.

Conclusion

Though the report shows that in many aspects the sport is moving in the right direction, the responses from players on their welfare and on the need for more attendance is a worrying sign for the management.

This assessment is a strong example of the PFA’s dedication towards the sport in Australia and maintaining the strong relationship between the Football industry and the players themselves.

The key points of this report should be central to plans within A-League and Australian Football itself.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has shared valuable medical knowledge with key regions, ASEAN and East, across the five-day Football Emergency Medicine and Anti-Doping Course.

Hosted by The Football Association of Thailand (FA Thailand), the course presented to 20 Member Associations (MAs), from November 23rd to the 26th.

Conducted at the BDMS Rehabilitation Centre in Bangkok, the course was led by Dato' Dr. Gurcharan Singh and assisted by a variety of AFC Instructors.

The course was separated into two segments. The first segment facilitated a number of theoretical sessions and lectures on the most recent developments in football emergency medicine.

While the second segment initiated a variety of active practical sessions. These sessions provided live training on the management of critical medical emergencies on and off the pitch, sessions also covered anti-doping concerns.

Additionally, BDMS Instructors for Advance Life Support trained and assured participants were proficient in on-field emergency management of cardiac arrest, concussion, trauma and other injuries.

Dato’ Dr. Singh outlined the goals of the course.

“The contents of this course is tailored to provide the latest evidence-based practices in management of emergencies on the field in line with those of FIFA," he said via press release.

"The AFC wants to deliver a message, which is ‘unity of doctrine’ – this means that if a sudden cardiac arrest incident occurs, the medical staff will respond in a standardised protocol as implemented in accordance with the FIFA Emergency Action Plan.

“This course is part of the low-cost, high-output educational activities organised within Asia by the AFC and reinforces the AFC’s commitment in maximising the potential of our Member Associations.”

In her opening speech, Mrs Nualphan Lamsam, President of FA Thailand expressed pride for the course.

"Your presence reflects our shared commitment to advancing football across Asia. It is a privilege to host such a distinguished group whose efforts empower athletes and shape the sport’s future on the global stage," she said via press release.

“The AFC Football Emergency Medicine & Anti-Doping Regional Course embodies the strong partnership between the AFC and FA Thailand. This initiative is designed to advance expertise in sports medicine — an indispensable aspect of football, where intensity and physicality define the game.”

The presentation was the second leg of the course, the first had been held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in May, for Western MAs.

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The AFC Women's Football Conference 2024 has heralded a positive future for women's football after a successful three day gathering.

Hosted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the conference welcomed women's national team coaches and technical staff to share insights from November 12 to 14, building off an incredibly prosperous year of women's football.

The opening day of the conference celebrated the achievements of Asian teams, including Australia's semi-final appearance at the Women's World Cup 2023.

AFC General Secretary, Datuk Seri Windsor John, outlined the importance of celebrating these achievements to power women's football.

Day two of the conference provided participants an overview of the upcoming AFC Women's Champions League, the AFC Women's Calendar for 2025-29 and changes to Asian women's competitions.

The final day of the conference presented an analysis of the Women's Olympic Football Tournament 2024's teams and a forum on the future of women's football, featuring Australia U20 women's national team head coach Leah Blayney.

Australia U17 women's national team head coach, Rae Dower, expressed excitement for Australian women's football with the Asian Cup heading down under in 2026.

“The future is so exciting, especially now that we have the dates and venues confirmed for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup™," she said via press release.

"The football fever from the FIFA Women’s World Cup is still very strong with the Matildas continuously selling out stadiums. We can’t wait for the rest of Asia to come and share the experience with us."

The AFC Women's Asian Cup Australia, will begin March 1, 2026, learn more here.

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Football Australia has confirmed the AFC Women's Asian Cup Australia 2026 will run from March 1 to March 21, 2026, and will feature stadiums across NSW, WA and Queensland.

The tournament will feature Asia's best 12 teams at the following five stadiums:

New South Wales

• Stadium Australia
• Western Sydney Stadium

Queensland

• Gold Coast Stadium

Western Australia

• Perth Rectangular Stadium
• Perth Stadium

The confirmation follows recommendations from the 3rd AFC Women's Football Committee meeting, hosted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on November 12.

The decisions still require formal ratification by the AFC Executive Committee, with a confirmation meeting to be held on December 3, this year.

CEO of Football Australia, James Johnson, proclaimed his excitement for the upcoming tournament.

"We are immensely proud to bring the AFC Women’s Asian Cup™ to Australia in 2026. Hosting this premier event reinforces Australia’s commitment to growing women’s football and celebrating the incredible talent within the Asian football community," he said via press release.

"With world-class stadiums in iconic cities and the unwavering support of our state governments, we are set to deliver a tournament that will inspire players and fans alike.

"We extend our gratitude to the governments of New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia, for their commitment to bringing this event to life, and we look forward to welcoming Asia’s top teams for a truly memorable experience on and off the field.”

Federal Minister for Sport, the Hon Anika Wells MP, expressed her government's pride to host the Asian Cup.

"The Albanese Government is proud to bring the AFC Women’s Asian Cup™ to Australia, and with it, another $15 million investment in women’s sport," she said via press release.

"We saw what the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup™ did for our communities – it brought people together, inspired more Australians to be active, and put women’s sport centre stage.

"The Tillies showed us what we can achieve when we rally behind them, and we’re committed to keeping that momentum going.”

The 2026 Women's Asian Cup will mark the second time Women's Asian Cup games are hosted in FIFA World Cup venues, with many of the stadiums announced previously hosting games at the 2023 Women's World Cup in Australia.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has reaffirmed its desire to establish soccer as the most popular sport in Asia at the AFC Grassroots Panel meeting 2024.

Hosted at the InterContinental Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Monday, the panel meeting outlined the organisation's aspiration to connect more people than ever to soccer, regardless of their social, economic or physical disadvantages.

To begin the meeting, panel members reviewed the latest endorsements of the AFC Grassroots Charter. They focused on how to grow and develop the agreement, which currently has 43 Member Associations (MAs).

Through the meeting, members discussed the most recent grassroots objectives, including the standardisation of grassroots data collection systems and registration, and the introduction and reinforcement of mandatory child protection measures.

The panel examined the findings of a recent survey coordinated by the AFC and the Japan Football Association, which aimed to find effective ways to support MA's development of players through gathering information on the landscape of grassroots and youth football in Asia.

Attendees also discussed the importance of a potential training course for grassroots leaders, that would teach topics such as skill development, motivation, and player safety, to help aide community figures.

AFC Technical Director, Andy Roxburgh, spoke about how important it was to reach young people through such courses.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), highlighting their dedication to fortifying football law and to providing multiple sports dispute resolution pathways in Asia.

The MoU, signed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Monday, is a three-year agreement which aims to cultivate greater collaboration between the AFC and AIAC.

The agreement is the latest in a long running partnership for the AFC and AIAC. Since 2015, the organisations have cooperated to host seminars, conferences and training programs, focused on educating the public and officials about sports law and dispute resolution.

AFC General Counsel and Director of Legal Affairs, Andrew Mercer, expressed his excitement for the agreement via press release.

“We are delighted to formalise this important collaboration with the AIAC, who share common interests and values to promote academic and practical training in sports specific alternative dispute resolution in Asia," he said.

AIAC Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Almalena Sharmila Johan, conveyed a similar sentiment.

“As we embark on this partnership, we celebrate the convergence of our expertise, values and dedication to raising the standards of ADR within the sporting community. The ASIAN Sports Arbitration Rules exemplified our commitment to advancing the spirit of justice in the sports industry as a whole, by providing a comprehensive framework for expedient dispute resolution that best preserves fairness and integrity within sports," she said via press release.

This latest agreement will facilitate the AFC's and AIAC's desire to operate a yearly workshop or conference concentrating on sports law.

Both organisations wish to voice a plurality of opinions across Asia to explore conversations about recent sports law trends and developments across the continent and the world.

Additionally, this space would also provide an opportunity to discuss and review best law practices and alternative dispute resolution methods to find new solutions and remedies that will strengthen the future of Asian sports law.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has taken another significant step in safeguarding football in Asia by signing a four-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA).

Under this partnership, the AFC and IBIA will work closely to monitor and detect irregular betting patterns and suspicious activities in football matches across Asia.

Through IBIA’s Monitoring and Alert Platform, real-time data on suspicious betting activity will be shared with the AFC, enhancing its ability to swiftly investigate potential instances of match manipulation.

The AFC General Counsel and Director of Legal Affairs, Andrew Mercer spoke highly of this partnership for the sport's integrity.

“The AFC’s Vision and Mission has outlined our steadfast ambitions to uphold the highest ethical and sporting standards, and we are committed towards preserving our key tenets of fair play and integrity," Mercer said in a statement.

“Leveraging on strong collaborations with the world’s leading organisations is imperative to our fight against match-fixing and this MoU with IBIA further strengthens our ability to ensure football in Asia remains clean for the benefit of our future generation of fans, players and all our valued stakeholders.”

CEO of IBIA, Khalid Ali, expressed a similar sentiment.

“Cooperation is a vital part of any effective integrity monitoring and investigatory framework and IBIA is delighted to be able to strengthen its relationship with the AFC through this important information sharing collaboration," Ali said in a statement.

"For its part, IBIA will seek to safeguard the AFC ecosystem by utilising the monitoring of its members’ global customer account activity, which covers over $300bn in sports betting per annum.”

This follows closely on the heels of the Chinese FA’s decision to impose lifetime bans on 43 individuals, including 38 players and five club officials, after a two-year investigation into match-fixing.

It's also become quite the issue across all sports in Asia, with football still the biggest culprit.

A recent study by Sportradar revealed that Asia experienced the largest increase in match-fixing incidents in 2023. The study, which monitored around 850,000 events and matches across 70 sports, identified 1,329 suspicious matches, with football accounting for the majority of these cases.

This MoU marks a major step forward in the right direction for the AFC in combatting the rising issue of match fixing in Asian football. The hope is to erase this in professional football all together.

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Football Australia (FA) in collaboration with member federations will operate an academy program initiative to nurture youthful Australian talent.

The Football Australia Academy will start its maiden campaign in October 2024. It will collaborate and be subsidised with Football South Australia, Football Tasmania, Football Victoria, and Football West.

The program is a three-tiered system focusing on refining the technical skills, tactical understanding, and high-performance behaviours of promising young male and female players nationwide.

The academy will draw its talent pool from individuals identified through the FIFA Talent Development Scheme (TDS), a joint initiative between Football Australia and FIFA confirmed earlier this year.

Football Australia Chief Football Officer, Ernie Merrick, championed the initiative and its goals for player and coaching prospects.

“We’re delighted to be partnering with the pilot group of Member Federations to bring the Football Australia Academy to life, which marks a significant step forward in our efforts to create a clear pathway to our Subway Socceroos and CommBank Matildas for Australia’s best and brightest young footballers,” he said via press release.

The TDS will broaden the scope for discovering promising players by increasing scouting opportunities and establishing multiple talent 'capture' points throughout the country. By the end of 2024, the TDS aims to have provided up to 3,000 young players the opportunity to be identified from schools, local clubs, and elite programs nationwide.

At the heart of this program is the commitment to provide budding talents with access to highly skilled, qualified, and experienced coaches throughout their developmental journey. The FA collaborates with FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to elevate Australian coaching certifications to globally recognised standards.

This initiative marks a significant step forward in Australian football, promising to create a robust pipeline of skilled players and coaches that could elevate the nation's standing in the global football community.

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Football Australia has appointed two senior leaders to the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026™, enhancing its preparations for the upcoming tournament.

Bill Allen has been appointed as Tournament Director, and Alex Hamilton as Executive General Manager – Event Growth & Experience.

Football Australia’s CEO, James Johnson, voiced confidence in the new appointments and emphasised the key roles they will play in the tournament's success.

“Bill and Alex are outstanding leaders in their fields, and their combined expertise will be pivotal in delivering a world-class AFC Women’s Asian Cup. Their appointments reflect our commitment to excellence as we aim to create a tournament that showcases the very best of women’s football and leaves a lasting legacy for the game in Australia and across Asia,” he said via press release.

“Bill’s operational expertise and track record in major tournaments ensure that every aspect of the event’s delivery will be meticulously planned, while Alex’s vision for fan engagement and growth will amplify the tournament's reach, connecting new audiences and enhancing the overall experience for fans. Together, they bring the capability to deliver an unforgettable event that will not only inspire but also elevate the profile of women's football on a global scale.”

Allen brings a wealth of experience to the LOC from his distinguished career in the sports and events industry. He most recently served as Head of Operations for the highly successful FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ and has also played key roles in organising the AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015™ and the Qatar 2011 tournament.

Allen's expertise in stakeholder management, project and event operations, competition, and venue planning will be vital as preparations continue. Renowned for his leadership and collaborative style, his appointment provides confidence that the tournament will be efficiently and successfully delivered.

Bill Allen expressed his excitement in the appointment and to continue the growth of women’s football.

“I’m excited to join Sarah Walsh and be part of the team bringing the AFC Women’s Asian Cup to Australia,” he said via press release.

“With the momentum of the recent Women’s World Cup behind us, I look forward to continuing the growth of women’s football locally and across Asia, whilst delivering a tournament that will inspire players and fans alike.”

Alex Hamilton brings a fresh and innovative approach to the LOC, with over 12 years of experience in tennis leadership, including her role as Chief Event Officer for the Australian Open.

In her role as Executive General Manager – Event Growth & Experience, she will spearhead initiatives to provide a world-class fan experience and attract new markets, especially within the Asian diaspora, to ensure lasting support for football beyond the tournament.

Alex Hamilton commented she is looking forward to working with her team and Government partners.

“I’m thrilled to bring my experience from tennis into football and help create a truly exceptional event that will leave a lasting impact,” she said via press release.

“I look forward to working closely with the Football Australia team, the Asian Football Confederation and our Government partners to create and deliver an incredible event experience that will resonate with fans across the entire region.”

As preparations for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026™ intensify, the LOC is expanding, with the team diligently working to create an unforgettable experience for players, fans, and communities.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has confirmed Earthlink, a telecommunications provider, as an Official Regional Partner for the AFC Asian Qualifiers Road to 26.

This sponsorship covers key AFC Asian Qualifiers Road to 26 matches in Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Palestine, and Kuwait.

As part of the collaboration, Earthlink will work closely with the AFC to deliver unique fan activations during home matches in Iraq, as the Lions of Mesopotamia strive to secure their place at the global stage.

The partnership was confirmed during a meeting held at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where representatives from Earthlink, including CEO Dr. Alaa Jasim, met with AFC General Secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John.

Both parties emphasised their shared commitment to utilising the partnership to achieve mutual objectives and enhance the fan experience across the MENA region.

AFC General Secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John expressed his excitement about the collaboration.

“The AFC is delighted to welcome Earthlink as an Official Regional Partner of the AFC Asian Qualifiers™ – Road to 26, which is a clear reflection of the world-class appeal and stature of the AFC’s national team competitions," John explained in an AFC statement.

“The expanded and revamped format has undoubtedly paved the way for greater engagement in more territories than ever before and we thank Earthlink for sharing our belief in Asian football, and we look forward to strengthening our ties to create more lasting memories for the passionate fans across the MENA region.”

Earthlink CEO Dr. Alaa Jasim also shared his thoughts on the new partnership.

“We are happy with this partnership, and we are looking forward to continue supporting the Iraqi national team for what it represents for us as Iraqis, which is an icon and symbol that we all rally around and a source of joy in the hearts of the people," Jasim said in a statement.

"Our link-up with the AFC is part of Earthlink’s strategy that aims to support and empower youth in related sectors, including sports. The sponsorship with the AFC complements Earthlink’s initiatives in supporting Iraqi sports, and we have confidence in the team that will continue to represent Iraq in the best way and honour Iraqi football all the way to the World Cup Finals.

“We thank the AFC for being one of our international partners, and I express my gratitude for the warm reception at this great establishment.”

It is always a positive to see a large company partner with a football federation to innovate fan activations and improve the experience during matchdays.

This is certainly a first for the AFC, the Iraq National Team and the MENA region, and the success with Earthlink could spark a new way to connect to fans in stadiums.

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Football Australia has confirmed that Paramount Australia, the parent company of Network 10 and Paramount+, will be the official broadcaster for the CommBank Matildas and Subway Socceroos in Australia. This deal includes the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026™ hosted in Australia and the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™.

Over 100 international matches featuring the Matildas and Socceroos will be broadcast live, with at least 50 available on free-to-air TV.

Paramount has also secured exclusive rights to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027™, in a partnership with IMG.

The agreement extends through 2028, encompassing all CommBank Matildas and Subway Socceroos friendly matches, AFC tournaments, and Australia Cup Finals. This deal, specifically with ING, also consolidates broadcasting rights under a single platform, ensuring extensive coverage across 96% of Australian households.

With the CommBank Young Matildas opener in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Colombia 2024™ kicking off on September 1st, 2024, fans will immediately benefit from this deal.

James Johnson, CEO of Football Australia, remarked: “This landmark agreement with Paramount Australia is a pivotal moment for Australian football. It brings unprecedented exposure to our national teams and provides fans with unparalleled access to the CommBank Matildas and Subway Socceroos.

“Innovation is the cornerstone of our approach to sustaining and expanding the influence of Australian football. Reacquiring the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) National Team rights and securing the broadcast rights to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027™ are strategic moves designed to maximise control over our content, enhance fan accessibility, and unlock new revenue streams.

"These rights are integral to our strategy to secure a transformative broadcast deal that we anticipate will set new benchmarks in the valuation of football media rights in Australia. Bringing as much national team content as possible to a multi-platform partner was a key objective from a fan's perspective, and we are thrilled to achieve this.

"We look forward to our continued partnership with Paramount Australia, a relationship that has been pivotal in delivering high-quality football matches to our fans. This ongoing collaboration will be crucial as we navigate future opportunities and challenges in the dynamic media landscape.

"We also extend our gratitude to the IMG team for their invaluable support in navigating this complex negotiation with all parties involved and our friends at FIFA and AFC for their tremendous support and collaboration," concluded Mr. Johnson.

This agreement reinforces Paramount Australia's commitment to Australian football, which boasts the highest participation rate of club sport in the country and is the leading organized sport for children under 14.

With exclusive coverage of the A-Leagues, Paramount has been involved in Australian football for many years and continue to provide football fans with local broadcasts.

“Australian football fans are the winners here,” said Beverley McGarvey, President of Network 10 and Paramount Australia’s Head of Streaming and Regional Lead.

“Never before have fans had such incredible access to the sport they love, ranging from the A-Leagues all the way through to premium international games broadcast on one free-to-air network and one of Australia’s fastest-growing streaming platforms.

“Perhaps one of the most exciting aspects of the Paramount Australia agreement, which we see as an exciting extension of our coverage of the A-Leagues, is the opportunity for women’s football.

“All CommBank Matildas’ games at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 will be telecast by Network 10 on free-to-air television, as will all Matildas’ games in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026™,” Ms. McGarvey said.

Fans can access the broadcasts via Network 10 and/or Paramount+ subscriptions, exactly like the A-Leagues coverage.

Exclusive behind-the-scenes content, interactive fan engagement opportunities, and social media initiatives will be part of this comprehensive coverage.

The full list of rights included in the agreement are:

• AFC Asian Qualifiers (FIFA World Cup 2026™ Asian Qualifiers Final Round)
  5 Sep 24 - Australia v Bahrain on Network 10, 10 Play, and Paramount+.
  10 Sep 24 - Indonesia v Australia exclusive on Paramount+.
  10 Oct 24 - Australia v China PR on Network 10, 10 Play, and Paramount+.
  15 Oct 24 - Japan v Australia exclusive on Paramount+.
  14 Nov 24 - Australia v Saudi Arabia on Network 10, 10 Play, and Paramount+.
  19 Nov 24 - Bahrain v Australia exclusive on Paramount+.
  20 Mar 25 - Australia v Indonesia on Network 10, 10 Play, and Paramount+.
  25 Mar 25 - China PR v Australia exclusive on Paramount+.
  5 Jun 25 - Australia v Japan on Network 10, 10 Play, and Paramount+.
  10 Jun 25 - Saudi Arabia v Australia exclusive on Paramount+.
• FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027™ (15 matches on Network 10, all matches on Paramount+).
• AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026™ (six matches on Network 10, all matches on Paramount+).
• AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ (all matches exclusively on Paramount+).
• AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026™ and 2028™.
• All CommBank Matildas and Subway Socceroos International Friendlies 2025 to 2028 (15 CommBank Matildas Friendlies on Network 10, all matches on Paramount+ and 10 Subway Socceroos’ Friendlies on Network 10, all matches on Paramount+).
• Australia Cup Finals 2025 to 2028.

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Football Australia has partnered with the Australian Government to support the growth of elite football in the neighbouring Pacific nations.

Through the four-year investment deal delivered by PacificAus Sports, this new partnership will focus primarily on regular international competitions between Australian and Pacific Island international teams.

The outcomes of PacificAus Sports are complemented by the Australian Government’s Team Up program, which focuses on sport for development in the Pacific.

These competitions will include both men’s and women’s teams from all age groups.

The renewed partnership follows a number of successful initiatives involving Pacific nations, starting with the 2019 Pacific Tour to the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Tonga by Australia’s Junior Matildas, before expanding to include Australian age-group men’s and women’s national football teams.

Furthermore, this will include futsal national teams and competitions and allow for regular competitive games for pacific nations against upcoming and experienced Australian teams.

This partnership will also aim to deliver capacity building initiatives for the development of players, officials and administrators in the Pacific.

In conjunction with this, PacificAus Sports also partners with the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) to promote Pacific sport through ABC Television’s ‘That Pacific Sports Show’ and ABC Radio’s ‘Fresh Off the Field’.

Though Australia left the Oceania Football federation (OFC) for the Asian Federation in 2006, due to the geographical proximity of the pacific nations, Football Australia has always tried to maintain a strong and supportive relationship with its island neighbours.

Football Australia’s Chair Anter Issac commented:

“Australian football has many natural connections and intersections with the Pacific through a long-shared history of the game in this region. The surge in interest and inspiration for the game across the Pacific, particularly after our co-hosting of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand™, is undeniable,” he said via media release.

“Our relationship with the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) is a cornerstone of our regional strategy.

“The collaborative efforts between Football Australia and OFC and Member Associations across the region have been critical in strengthening our ties within the Pacific, allowing us to work together towards common objectives and ensuring the continued development of football in the region.”

Australia’s wealth and talent in football is a massive asset for its neighbours and one which they count on for a lot of support.

It will also help to try and bring connection and personal links with the sport and the local communities to help with the growing support of the sport in the region.

Additionally, there is opportunity for investors and sponsors to gain huge benefits form this partnership and its future.

For Australia, this initiative in supporting the Pacific Island’s football both helps develop Pacific footballing quality, and connects the entire region closer.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has confirmed the implementation of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system across its revamped three-tier club structure as well as the inaugural AFC Women’s Champions League for the 2024/25 season.

The newly introduced AFC Champions League Elite, the top club competition in the confederation that comprises 24 of Asia's best teams, will implement VAR from the league stage, which kicks off this September.

Meanwhile, VAR support for match officials in the AFC Champions League Two will be available from the Knockout Stage onwards. The competition, comprising 32 teams, is set to commence in September.

For the AFC Challenge League, which will feature 20 teams, the technology will come into play in the all-important Final in May 2025.

Lastly, the inaugural edition of the landmark AFC Women’s Champions League, which kicks off in October, will see the VAR system made available in the Semi-finals and Final, underscoring the Confederation’s commitment to supporting and developing women’s football on the Continent.

The AFC prepared for this VAR implementation for the 2024/25 season when they conducted the AFC VAR Course in Malaysia in 2023.

This Course consisted of 25 VAR officials across Asia who were taught the in's and outs of the technology, as part of an effort to keep the Confederation’s match officials up to date with the latest technological advancements in refereeing.

Another workshop will be taking place in the coming months to ensure the VAR Information Officer's (VIO) of each AFC country are also kept up to date with the technology.

Earlier this year, the AFC implemented the VAR system across all matches at the AFC Asian Cup for the first time, while also becoming the first Confederation to introduce the Semi-Automated Offside Technology (SAOT) system at the Continental Men’s national team level.

It is clear that the AFC have ambitions to remain a model Confederation that is always open for innovation as well as ensuring the success of its match officials on the biggest stages in world football.

As Asian club football prepares to enter a new era, it is vital that this VAR technology is introduced at all stadiums involved in the three competitions to ensure fairness.

After the Mariners success in the AFC Cup, it will be interesting to see how this new three-tier club structure allows Australian teams to compete further in these tournaments.

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Football Australia have announced that the country has been awarded the hosting rights for the 2026 edition of the AFC Women's Asian Cup.

This decision followed official ratification by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Executive Committee at their meeting on 15 May 2024 - held in Bangkok, Thailand - on the eve of the 34th AFC Congress after lengthy discussions. Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan had expressed interested in hosting but withdrew from the process.

This will be the second time the country has staged the Women’s Asian Cup, having previously hosted the competition in 2006.

This tournament will feature 12 of the qualified AFC nations, placed into three groups of four with matches played in the confirmed host states of New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia.

Australia co-hosted the record-breaking FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023 alongside New Zealand, with the Matildas making it to the semi-finals and have grown the sport exponentially over the past 12 months.

The success of Australian national teams, including the Subway Socceroos and CommBank Matildas, has led to a nationwide increase in football participation, with an overall 12% increase in 2023 and an impressive 20% increase already noted in 2024.

Football Australia is leveraging the AFC Women’s Asian Cup as a platform to further boost participation and develop the sport, aligning with upcoming international events like the Brisbane 2032 Olympics & Paralympics.

AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa explained the exciting decision to reward Australia another major women’s football tournament.

“On behalf of the Asian Football Confederation, I offer our sincere congratulations to Football Australia on being confirmed as hosts of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026,” he said in a statement.

"I am confident that we will see a more vibrant and competitive edition in 2026 in Australia where the unrivalled passion for the women’s game is so palpable and we wish the Local Organising Committee the very best of success in their planning and preparation.

“I know the Asian football family joins me in reinforcing our confidence in Football Australia to elevate the ever-evolving stature and growth of women’s football in Asia.”

Football Australia Chairman Anter Isaac mentioned the benefits this will bring to the game in Australia.

"Securing the AFC Women's Asian Cup is a testament to our nation's dedication to football. It is not only a victory for the sport but for every Australian, offering significant economic and cultural benefits," he added in a statement.

“We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the AFC, its Executive Committee, the Secretariat, and our fellow member associations for entrusting us with the privilege of hosting this prestigious tournament. We are committed to advancing the exceptional initiatives already established and delivered by the AFC and the broader Asian football community in women's football."

Football Australia confirmed its intention to launch a hosting bid in September 2022 and now expects the Women’s Asian Cup to generate up to $260 million in economic output and create over 1,000 jobs for the host states.

These states were chosen after discussions with state governments to ensure they are fully prepared to support the successful delivery of the tournament.

Football Australia CEO James Johnson expressed his excitement for the winning bid and upcoming tournament being played on home soil.

"We are profoundly honoured to host the 2026 edition of the AFC Women's Asian Cup. This decision reflects the global football community's confidence in our capability to deliver outstanding events. Following the resounding success of last year's FIFA Women’s World Cup™, we are eager to create another tournament that celebrates women's football and inspires a new generation," he stated.

The tournament dates in 2026 will be confirmed with the AFC in due course and training and venue inspections will occur in the coming months.

It remains an extremely exciting time for women's football in Australia, with the Matildas consistently selling out large stadiums, the growth of the Liberty A-League and now another major tournament on the horizon that is sure to boost the grassroots game as well.

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Socceroos' Head Coach Graham Arnold addressed the 3rd Asian Football Confederation (AFC) National Coaches Conference on Thursday, 9 May in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The three-day conference reflects on insights gained from the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, while also considering the forthcoming expanded FIFA World Cup in 2026.

It gave Graham Arnold and other AFC associated coaches a chance to exchange ideas and share information in a bid to help improve and inspire each other as Round Three of World Cup Qualification approaches.

Arnold was selected by the AFC and spoke amongst other eminent coaches from across the Confederation including former Manchester City legend Yaya Toure.

After a memorable 2022 World Cup campaign and over three decades of coaching within the confederation, it’s no surprise that Graham Arnold is held in such high regard, and this represents a step forward for Football Australia.

Football Australia CEO, James Johnson spoke on how important it was for Graham Arnold to speak at such an event.

“Arnie’s record and reputation within international football speaks for itself, and his leadership of the Subway Socceroos has been exceptional over the last six years,” Johnson said in an statement for Football Australia.

“His contribution to Australian football as a player and coach extends almost three decades, and he possesses a wealth of knowledge that can help assist the development of our game throughout Asia.

“Arnie is held in high esteem not just here in Australia, but throughout the Confederation and we’re extremely proud to see him playing such a key role in a conference of this significance."

Socceroos’ Head Coach, Graham Arnold spoke about how honoured he was to be involved in the AFC National Coaches Conference.

“It’s a privilege to be sharing the room with so many fantastic coaches and I’m looking forward to sharing some of my experience with the group,” Arnold said at the event.

“We’ve all taken different journeys into coaching and bring varied perspectives which I think can be really valuable to discuss in this type of environment.

“I’m sure we’ll all walk away with something to take back and share with our respective teams – it's a great initiative from the AFC."

It is always positive to see top Australian coaches share and learn critical ideas from other successful names within the Asian football space as the country continues to underscore is commitment to advancing coaching quality.

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The AFC Technical Committee had its second meeting last weekend in Doha, Qatar on the eve of the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024 Final between Japan and Uzbekistan.

The official AFC meeting outlines new initiatives on awarding development and solidifying supportive structures.

In conjunction with the overall rise in Women's football within the AFC’s associations and the wider FIFA football community, The AFC has decided to unveil the new accolade of the AFC Women's International Player of the Year Award.

The eligibility criteria include that applicants:

• Must be Asian
• Playing in the leagues of other Confederations
• Have recorded significant achievements for country or club

There has also been an adapted criteria for the existing AFC Women's Player of the Year. Similarly, they must be Asian and a regular national team player, specifically in the AFC competitions, and any of the AFC's Member Associations (MAs) leagues.

The goalkeeper position has also been given due recognition with the Goalkeeper of the Tournament Award in the revamped AFC Champions League Elite - Final Stage, which commences from the 2024/25 season.

These initiatives are important for the AFC acknowledging crucial technical roles in the footballing scene. These individual awards give the incentive for further support for women and goalkeeping by officially elevating their status in the AFC.

Also, there was the support of structured initiatives within the AFC, including the ‘Positive Play’ campaign - promoting attractive football for players, coaches and supporters endorsing the expectation of positive future playing styles. This is especially prominent in the upcoming AFC youth competition with the winning team receiving a certificate of achievement.

On the topic of youth and growth, the AFC Elite Youth Scheme and AFC grassroots charter have also received updates and growing drive, including importantly newly updated regulations for the AFC Coaching Convention.

However, these decisions need to be further ratified by the AFC Executive Committee. This is a promising statement that the AFC Technical Committee is strategising large investments in increasing standards throughout all levels of the AFC’s MAs.

This meeting should also intrigue keen investors, shareholders and clubs in the AFC Technical Committees objective to encourage development means they are willing to reward. financially and strategically. This supports their aim to achieve higher standards and results on and off the field.

It’s an encouraging sign of evolution in the Asian football schedule and an ambitious push by the AFC.

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Football Australia has confirmed that New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia have been chosen as the host states put forward for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026.

The selection of candidate host states underscores Australia's position as the exclusive bidder for the event, supported by a recommendation from the AFC Women’s Football Committee in March and also the withdrawal of Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan’s applications.

The final decision on hosting rights is anticipated to be approved by the AFC Executive Committee in May.

Building on the incredible triumph of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023, this bid seeks to maintain and amplify the economic and social benefits of significant women’s football tournaments. The event is forecasted to yield up to $260 million in economic output and foster the creation of over 1,000 job opportunities.

Football Australia CEO James Johnson highlighted the significance of staging the tournament said via press release:

“Hosting the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 offers a golden opportunity to continue the dynamic growth and popularity of women’s football in Australia,” he said.

“Last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup laid a robust foundation, and we are eager to build upon this legacy to further enhance our football landscape both nationally and regionally.”

Johnson underlines the power of government backing.

“The backing from all levels of government is crucial as we tackle the surge in participation and the urgent need for improved facilities, this support is essential to maintain the momentum and ensure the continuous development of the sport across this country,” he added via media release.

“The Federal Government’s ‘Play Our Way’ Grants program is a welcomed initiative to address the community facilities gap.”

The achievements of Australian national teams, such as the Subway Socceroos and CommBank Matildas, have spurred a nationwide surge in football involvement. There was a notable 12% rise in 2023, and an impressive 20% increase has already been observed in 2024.

Football Australia is capitalizing on the AFC Women’s Asian Cup as an opportunity to elevate participation rates and advance the sport, aligning its efforts with upcoming international events like the Brisbane 2032 Olympics & Paralympics.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has welcomed Pepperstone as Official Regional Partner for the ongoing Asian Cup tournament in Qatar.

The regional deal covers China, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

Pepperstone have a clear goal with this partnership to push their brand onto Asian countries that they haven't previously dealt with before. As mentioned in statements, both parties have a clear goal to expand their brand reach and Pepperstone's large impact in the trading industry - collaborating with Asia's biggest sporting tournament - is a terrific way to boost the reach.

Pepperstone was founded in 2010 in Australia and quickly grew to become one of the largest forex brokers in the world. The company provides Contract for Difference (CFD) and Forex trading, and their headquarters are based in Melbourne.

The company's mission is to create a world of tech-enabled trading where ambitious traders can embrace the challenge and opportunity of global markets.

Pepperstone have been heavily involved in the sports industry over the past few years, signing a mega deal with the Tennis ATP Tour for ranking naming rights. The company also partnered recently with AFL club Geelong Cats and BBL team Adelaide Strikers.

AFC General Secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John expressed his excitement with the decision to partner with a big company like Pepperstone.

“The AFC is pleased to welcome Pepperstone as a regional partner of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023. This partnership underscores the ever-growing prestige of the continent’s most prestigious men’s tournament, and we thank Pepperstone for their belief in Asian soccer.” he said in an AFC release statement.

Pepperstone Chief Executive Tamas Szabo highlighted the alignment in ambition between the two parties.

“We are thrilled to join forces with the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, an event that resonates with millions across the region," Szabo added in a statement.

“At Pepperstone, we choose to partner with like-minded organizations focused on a shared drive and commitment for success.”

This partnership is expected to significantly boost Pepperstone’s brand presence in Asia, leveraging the AFC Asian Cup’s prestige.

The association with a major sporting event like this will certainly increase Pepperstone’s market reach and customer engagement in the Asian region and it is overall a smart business move from the Online broker.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has named Visit Saudi as an Official Global Partner till December 2024. The collaboration will help Visit Saudi's efforts to promote Saudi Arabia's rising tourism options to Asian football enthusiasts throughout the world, as well as the expansion of football and sports in the Kingdom.

Beginning with the highly anticipated AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, the AFC will offer Visit Saudi with a new, world-class platform to promote Saudi Arabia to millions of enthusiastic Asian football fans across the world.

The agreement covers major AFC National Team competitions such as Asia's flagship competition - the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 - as well as the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024, the AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament (Final Round) for Paris 2024, the AFC U20 Women's Asian Cup 2024, the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup 2024, and the AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2024.

The AFC General Secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John spoke on the deal and how the impact will reach different audiences.

“The AFC is pleased to welcome Visit Saudi as our latest Official Global Partner, which once again reiterates the ever-growing stature and profound impact of the AFC’s world-class national teams’ competitions in reaching audiences across the globe,” he stated via press release.

“We are grateful to Visit Saudi for underlining their belief in Asian football and we look forward to working together to create more milestone moments for all our stakeholders.”

The partnership will pave the road for the AFC and Visit Saudi Arabia to create a slew of remarkable activations and promotional initiatives across AFC National Team tournaments that will inform, engage, and delight Asian football fans.

The collaboration includes efforts within Saudi Arabia, during AFC events, and on other platforms around Asia to highlight the finest of Asian football and Saudi Arabia's diverse and exciting sports and tourist offers.

Asia Football Group (AFG), the AFC's commercial agency for 2023-2028, will administer this cooperation agreement.

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Aurelio Vidmar sees the impending reduction of Australian qualifying slots in the Asian Champions League as a ‘real disappointment’, but still believes Aussie sides can have a big impact on the competition.

Vidmar is as qualified to speak on the ACL as anyone in Australia, and to the shifting face of football in the region broadly; manager of Adelaide United’s ground-breaking run to the final in 2008 and follow-up trip to the Round of 16 in 2010, he more recently helped Thailand’s BG Pathum United to the knockout stage for the first time in their history in 2021.

13 wins from 25 matches has him only behind Tony Popovic as the most successful Australian in Asian football’s pinnacle club tournament, but chances for compatriots to replicate their feats appear bleak. From 2024/25 the ACL’s two-tier structure will split into three, with participants at the top level cut from 40 to 24. At most, Australia will have just one guaranteed top-flight entrant, as the AFC looks to redistribute revenue among participant clubs.

“It’s disappointing. I think Australian teams can still go there and have a big impact, but losing the second automatic spot and a playoff spot is not ideal. Results over the past three-to-four years haven’t been great and that’s probably why they’ve reduced our slots,” Vidmar told Soccerscene from his home in Adelaide, where he’s returned since leaving True Bangkok United in December.

“For a country like Australia, we should have two automatic slots. Our league needs to grow - if you look at Thailand they have four divisions, with 16-18 teams in each. So there’s competition for places, within the league itself, and we need to grow to that stage.”

Vidmar is well placed to give credence or otherwise to the general Australian notion that nations such as Thailand or Vietnam, sometimes patronised as ‘developing’ or ‘second-tier’ regarding football, are set to grow and engulf the stagnant Australian system.

The expansion of the World Cup means this is now unlikely to play out in the international arena. But Vidmar believes the shift is undeniably afoot in club football; through two stints as manager of BG Pathum (formerly Bangkok Glass) and one with Singapore’s Lion City Sailors, he’s seen how investment can accelerate a club, while watching Australian club performances wane from afar.

“The Champions League has changed a lot. In 2007/08 only the top team qualified [from the group], most teams were only getting $25,000 to help with travel on away legs. Prize Money was not much for the winner or runners up, but that’s increased as well ($US600,000 in 2008 to $US4million in 2023),” he explained.

“Now the top two sides qualify [until the change from 2024/25], not that it makes it easier - I was at Melbourne City when they played Pathum and didn’t qualify with a very good team. That tells you the strength of the competition now.”

Vidmar’s introduction to Asian football came late in his playing career, aged 31. In mid-1998 he became the third Australian to sign at Sanfrecce Hiroshima under the man who’d managed him through the bulk of his Socceroos career, Scottish manager Eddie Thomson.

A hardened attacker who graduated through a golden age at Adelaide City, Vidmar carved a highly-successful career in Belgium, that peaked in winning the 1994/95 League golden boot with Standard Liége. But stints in Switzerland and Spain didn’t bring the same rewards, and he was only too happy to draw the curtain on Europe.

“At the time I was in Spain at Tenerife, but hadn’t been playing in my second year there. I got a call from the late Eddie Thomson and it wasn’t long before I said yes. Sanfrecce were a great club and Japanese football at that stage had boomed, with the J1 League starting in 1993,” he shared.

“But by 1997-99 it was in a bit of a lull. We were playing at the Arch Stadium, a 36,000 seater with only 15-16,000 there, so it had dropped off a hell of a lot. At the time Tony Popovic and Hayden Foxe were the two Aussies there, two top guys and top athletes, so we had a great time.”

A return to Adelaide followed as his career wound down in the dying days of the NSL, firstly with City and finally in the foundation years of United. By the time Vidmar ascended to the managerial top job after a year as John Kosmina’s assistant, Australia had achieved its long-held goal of shifting federations from Oceania to Asia.

The Socceroos had the first opportunity to make a mark for Australian football in its new home, but disappointed in exiting the 2007 Asian Cup at the quarter-final stage. Instead it was Vidmar’s Reds, in driving to the final of the 2008 Champions League, that made the first big inroads.

“It was an awesome period for the club. The first year we were in it, 2007 under Kossie, we didn’t qualify [out of the group stage], although we did well and learnt a hell of a lot from that first foray. No one, including supporters, really knew too much about it, but it really grew legs the following year because we did so well.”

Hindmarsh routinely drew sell-out crowds of 17,000 as Cassio, Travis Dodd & Sasa Ognenovski et al. topped their group, moved past Kashima Antlers and Karavchi (now Bunyodkor) through the knockouts, and ultimately met Gamba Osaka in the final. Few remember the 5-0 aggregate scoreline by which they lost, but many remember what a rollicking, if somewhat naïve, run it was.

“Every game was the old cliche, one at a time. We played against top quality opposition, had a little bit of luck, had good structures. We did the damage at the right time and got there in the end,” Vidmar said.

But for all this, Vidmar still didn’t envision he’d go on to spend the majority of his managerial career to this point in the eclectic environment of Asian football.

“It wasn’t a love of the region. We loved what we were doing, the profession is very difficult as we know, so just being involved in it and trying to give some sort of impact was really why we are in it  - the impact of doing well as a club or helping player’s careers, that's why we’re in it. But you really don't know which way your career is going to go.”

Vidmar managed United until the end of the 2011/12, before moving back to the familiarity of the national team as boss of the Under 20’s and senior assistant to Holger Osiek. Incidentally, he oversaw a 3-0 win over Canada between Osiek’s sacking and Ange Postecoglou’s appointment, in October 2013.

Vidmar was 46 and had spent his life in Australian football. A 53-cap Socceroo who’d lived the heartbreak of repeated World-Cup near-misses, he’d finished playing as a well-travelled professional and had grown into an experienced domestic manager.

But you never stop learning, and ahead was a plunge back into the unknown. Vidmar had seen the pinnacle of Asian football as a player and manager, but now loomed an education in the unpredictability and politics of the game further down the chain. 

“I’d finished with the national team and got a call from Bangkok Glass one day and to be honest, I didn’t know much about them. We knew Thailand had some talented national players but I didn’t know much about the Thai First Division,” he reflected.

“I went there, met them, and… it was very strange. As I’m talking to the owners and the board, the Chairman steps up and says to my agent he wanted to speak to him outside. The interview had only been going five minutes, so I thought ‘s**t, this has either gone very well or very poorly!’

“So I’m sitting there with the rest of the board, s**t talking, small talk, they come back in within two minutes and the Chairman taps his hand on the table and says ‘let’s just get this deal done.

“I had a really good time there but learnt very quickly that, especially in Thailand, they’re very passionate but also emotional and sometimes irrational - and that’s exactly how it panned out. I finished the last ten games of 2016/17 and went back for 2017/18, but it ended poorly.

“We had not a bad team, but weren’t the best because we were spending significantly less than Muangthong, Buriram, Chiangrai… when I got sacked we were sitting third. I was sacked as I wasn’t listening to what the Chairman wanted, doing my own thing. They couldn’t accept that, so I was shown the door.”

18 months later he signed as manager of one of Asia’s most ambitious clubs, Singapore’s Home United, on the verge of an influx of funding from incoming Chairman and Singaporean billionaire Forrest Li.

“I had no interest in going to Singapore but sometimes, right from the beginning, it’s what you’re looking for. There was synergy, people with the same ideas, the same direction. Within a week we’d agreed on a deal,” he explained.

“I knew the competition wasn’t the highest standard in South-East Asia, but they were just about to be bought by Li. We played one season, then he changed the name to Lion City Sailors. Not just the colours, but the whole fabric shifted; he spent over $15 million on buying a first team, academy, training centre. They’re miles and miles ahead of the rest in Singapore. 

“I was happy, doing our thing… and then out of the blue the Bangkok Glass Chairman rings me. He starts chatting away and says ‘look, I made a mistake, you’re the best coach we’ve had and I shouldn’t have done what I did. We want you back.’ I thought ‘Jesus Christ’, given the timing of everything!

“I was very honest with Forrest Li. He said he’d never stand in the way of me wanting to improve myself and coaching at a higher level. The Champions League was also very attractive to me - it was the first time Pathum United (rebranded from Bangkok Glass), as they were now called, had been there.”

Vidmar picked up where he’d left off, helping the side through a group that included the formidable Ulsan Hyundai, and onto a Round of 16 clash with Jeonbuk Motors. Domestically the side also lifted the Thailand Champions Cup, but Covid-complications meant Vidmar handed the reins to an assistant for the trip to South Korea.

“They did really well, got knocked out on penalties, the club never expected them to get that far. I do love the Champions League, it's a great competition and I’ve had a great deal of fortune.”

If Australian sides are to return to the halcyon days of Adelaide’s 2008 run to the finals, or the Wanderers 2014 triumph, Vidmar sees the development of the domestic league, and an increase in competitiveness, as the means.

“I don’t know the mechanics of a ‘B-League’... but even in smaller South-East Asian leagues, it’s not a given that you’re in the top division. We really need to get to that stage.”

Football Australia’s progress towards a National Second Division continues gradually, and whether that will be stitched into the A-League remains a far-flung reality - ‘although it’s romantic, if I was an owner or chair I wouldn’t rush to jump in’, but there really is no time to delay as investment continues to flood into the broader region. In the short-term, increasing familiarity remains an option.

“I think the player market is still untapped. We’ve got a couple of good Japanese players in the League but places like Vietnam, Thailand… There are a hell of a lot of good players out there. They earn good money at home and that’s probably part of the reason why they won’t come out, but those sorts of regions need to be looked at.”

Next season Melbourne City will play in the Champions League, with no Australian sides afforded a play-off spot; by comparison, Japan and South Korea each have three sides guaranteed and one play-off spot, Thailand and China two and two. That the Central Coast Mariners and Macarthur Bulls will play in the second-tier AFC Cup says much about Australia’s slide in the region.

Unless changes are made, these nations will continue to shine on the Champions League stage at Australia’s expense. The trend is not irreversible, but the task needs to be fully embraced - take it from someone who knows what it is to break new ground in the region.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has expanded its media collaboration with Sportdigital to showcase the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

The current deal with AFC has shown live coverage of the U23 Asian Cup back in June and will cover the tournament again in 2024, as well as all the AFC men’s youth competitions, the AFC Cup and every game of the Futsal men’s national team competitions.

With the partnership now expanded, it will include AFC’s flagship men’s national team competition - AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023.

Sportdigital FUSSBALL is the first pay channel for international live football games showing leagues from 22 competitions across six continents such as the CONCACAF Champions League, Primeira Liga in Portugal and CAF World Cup Qualifier.

Managing Director of Sportdigital Fussball, Gisbert Wundram, said in a statement:

“The passion for football is continually on the rise, so we are confident that the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 will be widely celebrated as a football spectacle, boasting world-class arenas with highly attractive teams and talents, we are very proud to be the only broadcaster of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 in the German-speaking part of the world, providing comprehensive and exclusive coverage of this great competition.”

AFC General Secretary, Datuk Seri Windsor John, added via press release:

“Each edition of the AFC Asian Cup has reached new records in TV viewership and digital engagement and this partnership is yet another fine example of the ever-expanding stature of Asia’s crown jewel.”

Board Member and CEO at Football Marketing Asia, Patrick Murphy, said via press release:

“We are delighted to expand our partnership with Sportdigital in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. We look forward to working closely with Sportdigital to bring the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™, Asia’s premier men’s national team football competition to audiences in these territories through Sportdigital’s premium broadcast services.”

To find more information on Sportdigital FUSSBALL, click here.

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The Association of South East Nations (ASEAN) Football Federation (AFF) Council has re-elected Football Australia Chair Chris Nikou on a four-year term between 2022 and 2026.

The AFF consists of the national football associations of Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The AFF Elections took place during the AFF Ordinary Congress 2022 in Siem Reap, Cambodia, with Nikou in attendance.

The AFF Elections held were for the positions of President, four Vice Presidents, five Council Members and one female council member.

Nikou was successfully elected unopposed as a Council Member with a term of four (4) years and was pleased with his election and Australia’s continued efforts to enhance relationships within the ASEAN region.

“I would first like to thank my colleagues across ASEAN for entrusting me with the responsibility that a position on the AFF Council entails,” Nikou said. “Recognising that responsibility, I am committed to working hard to ensure Australia supports the development of this beautiful game across the South East Asian region,” Nikou said in a statement.

“Since being admitted to AFF as a full member in 2013, Australia has only continued to increase its football engagement with the region, and my renewed position on the AFF Council provides an opportunity to continue driving this strong relationship.

“Australia is proud to be a part of ASEAN, and with a combined population of 650 million football-loving people, this region presents tremendous opportunities to grow and develop the game for the benefit of many, and to bring nations together through a common love of football.

“Through the AFF, and together with our fellow AFF Member Associations, Football Australia will continue to work in partnership to ensure AFC’s vision of becoming the world’s leading football confederation is achieved.”

The AFF Ordinary Congress 2022 in Siem Reap closely followed Cambodia’s hosting of the ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, which was attended by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

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The future of Asian football is set to be lit up in success and betterment with Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, along with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, joining forces in a project of a new AFC Stadium.

The modern stadium will be built approximately 30km from the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The AFC Stadium in Putrajaya is the federal administrative capital of Malaysia, which will be built on an area that spans 15.43 acres, featuring a grandstand, spectators boulevard and atrium, with administrative offices and an underground carpark.

The state of the art football boutique stadium will be financially backed by FIFA Forward programme and will further increase the AFC’s ambitious vision and mission to support its Member Associations (MAs) and Regional Associations (RAs) with immense effectiveness, also the Football Association of Malaysia and the Malaysian Government will be providing logistical assistance for the design of the enterprise.

Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said via a statement:

“The AFC House has been the focal point of football development through numerous courses, workshops and seminars in the areas of Technical and Refereeing and now with this new AFC Stadium, we have the potential to do so much more.”

Gianni Infantino said via a statement:

“It is a great project, and l am really proud and happy that we are teaming up through this AFC and FIFA stadium which can mark a new step in the whole very important part of the Asian region.”

The area of the stadium floor is round about 580,000 square feet with a capacity of 10,000 and features a high-ranking quality FIFA football pitch, amongst others it will include key characteristics such as a leading-edge media tribune, a room specific for commentators and a vibrant water feature to be created at the entrance of the stadium.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) recently announced a new partnership with global flooring group Gerflor, ahead of the AFC Futsal competitions in 2022 and 2023.

Gerflor will become an Official Tournament Supporter for AFC Futsal competitions, covering the upcoming AFC Futsal Asian Cup Kuwait 2022 and the AFC Futsal Club Championship 2023.

Gerflor will play a key role in the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Kuwait 2022, employing their global expertise to provide Futsal pitch flooring solutions for the competition. The partnership stems from the AFC and Gerflor’s commitment to ensuring the optimum playing and safety standards for the benefit of all players, teams and match officials.

Gerflor are a leading global flooring solutions brand, with 85 years of experience in creating, manufacturing, and marketing innovative, decorative and sustainable flooring solutions and wall finishes to clients across the world. Since 1947, Gerflor have established themselves as a leading brand in global sports with their renowned sports flooring brand Taraflex.

Datuk Seri Windsor John, the AFC General Secretary, said in a statement:

“The AFC is pleased to enter into this partnership with Gerflor as our Official Tournament Supporter for the AFC’s Futsal competitions.

“Gerflor are well known for their experience and expertise in providing global flooring solutions and their commitment to providing an unparalleled futsal environment fits in well with the AFC’s Vision of ensuring our players and teams shine in our world-class competitions.”

Lionel Arlin, Sport Federations and Events Manager at Gerflor, added via press release:

“Gerflor is proud to pursue the journey with the AFC for another term and to provide all futsal players, from beginners to seasoned professionals, with the highest standards in safety and performance. Gerflor's innovative and state-of-the-art futsal flooring provides the best playing conditions for the athletes at the highest AFC futsal events in 2022 and 2023 (AFC Futsal Asian Cup Kuwait 2022TM and the AFC Futsal Club Championship 2023TM).”

Patrick Murphy, Board Member and CEO at FMA, said via AFC:

“We are pleased to have Gerflor on board as an Official Tournament Supporter for AFC Futsal competitions. Gerflor have demonstrated their commitment to establishing the highest standards of safety and quality in providing sports solutions for venues across the world, and we look forward to working with them to bolster our offering to players and fans alike across the AFC Futsal competitions.”

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With Asian football’s ever-growing reach continuing to leave a profound and significant impact across the continent, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Social Responsibility Committee held its fourth meeting to develop the region further.

Introducing the meeting was Chairperson Zaw Zaw, who praised the depth and breadth of the AFC’s social responsibility efforts, particularly the partnerships approach undertaken with its Member Associations (MAs) and Regional Associations (RAs), as the Committee approved six new programmes.

Among the MAs and RA poised to benefit include the Bhutan Football Federation (BFF), the Chinese Taipei Football Association (CTFA), the Kyrgyz Football Union (KFU), the Lebanese Football Association (LFA), the Mongolian Football Federation (MFF) and the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF).

The BFF is planning to empower an estimated 140 disadvantaged young people from five remote schools over five days during the summer and winter breaks.

Aimed at enriching the youth by strengthening their football and communications skills in a safe and fun environment tailormade for those with special needs, the BFF’s #bridgingthegap programme will be centred on the key areas of integration, education, development, creating meaningful experiences, enabling motivation and fun learning.

Members were also briefed on the CTFA’s collaboration with the Global Workers Organization (GWO), who are working in partnership to deliver a programme in Chinese Taipei aimed at demonstrating the value of football in promoting equality by integrating migrant workers with the local community.

The programme will consist of three main activities; the Migrant Workers’ World Cup Tournament which will involve 12 football clubs consisting of six migrant workers’ clubs and six multinational clubs with players from over 20 different nationalities within Chinese Taipei; the Summer Football Camp which will be organised for up to 20 school students ranging from the ages of 13 to 19.

In collaboration with the National Human Rights Museum, the camp aims to help participants understand human rights and the diversity and culture of migrant workers; and finally, Fanchant, an online multilingual awareness campaign aimed at promoting multiculturalism in Chinese Taipei during the Migrant Workers’ World Cup Tournament.

Additionally, members of the Committee also approved the KFU’s capacity-building programme for physical education teachers and orphanages, which is scheduled to take place from February to July 2023 and will target 60 educators from 30 schools and orphanages and focus on the AFC’s three social responsibility pillars – Child Safeguarding, Education and Social Inclusion.

A total of 600 boys and girls are expected to participate in the five-month programme through football tournaments and festival activities, with an estimated 30,000 children and youth expected to benefit from the initiative in the long-term.

Meanwhile, the LFA plans to implement a sport for development programme for adolescents and youth in Lebanon who have been impacted by the devastating effects of the pandemic.

Commencing in January 2023, the four-month programme will reach eight areas and 50 football clubs in Lebanon and aims to equip 1,000 Lebanese children with life skills and support through sports to enhance their adaptability to their ever-evolving circumstances.

The MFF in collaboration with the Mongolian Blind Football Federation have developed the MFF Blind Football Camp programme which will provide 3,000 to 4,000 visually impaired persons, particularly children, with the opportunity to develop a healthy body and mind while developing life skills through football.

Commencing in March 2023, the programme, which aims to promote inclusion and facilitate integration within a safe environment, will see the construction of a blind football camp consisting of three traditional Mongolian Ger.

Lastly, WAFF, in collaboration with Para Football, have developed the West Asia #FootballForAll Festival programme to provide inclusive football participation opportunities for children and youth with disabilities while supporting WAFF MAs to develop football for persons with disabilities in their respective countries.

Scheduled to be held on December 2 and 3, 2022, the programme, which coincides with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, aims to target 98 players aged between 12-18 years and will follow a pan-disability format where players of different disabilities, from each WAFF MA, participate in an informal small-sided competition.

All six MA programmes will now be presented to the AFC Dream Asia Foundation Board of Trustees for further funding approvals.

The Committee also acknowledged the imminent impact of the newly launched AFC Social Responsibility Strategic Plan 2023-2027, which will serve as a key operational blueprint to enable the AFC in the effective and efficient management, administration and delivery of social responsibility initiatives, activities, and programmes over the next four years.

Members were also briefed on the rapid development established in child safeguarding, recognising the rising number of MAs and RAs appointing dedicated Child Safeguarding Officers (CSGO).

The Committee was also updated on the upcoming, ongoing, and completed projects since its last meeting, which include the United Nations’ Football for the Goals (FFTG) initiative, the upscaling of five Blind Football Centres in India, the Korea FA Football Love Project 2021, the AFC–All Nepal FA–Shelter Ashraya Nepal Prison Football Social Responsibility and the Indochina Starfish Foundation – Young Coaches Development programmes.

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The Asian Football Confederation’s incremental rise of brand and competitions – alongside the growing passion for Asian football – was lauded by the AFC Marketing Committee at its fourth meeting held virtually last Thursday.

In his opening address, Chairperson Dasho Ugen Tsechup hailed the growing commercial appeal and consumption of the AFC’s competitions which have continued to set new benchmarks in TV viewership, sponsorship activation returns and social media engagement.

Members of the Committee were unanimous in noting the position of the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar as one of the most valuable competitions in world football. The competition consistently reached an audience of just over 100 million across each match-day, showcasing the powerful platform it holds for brands looking to connect with fans across Asia.

Transmitted across 210 countries and territories by 44 media partners globally, more than 345 million unique linear viewers tuned in as Asia’s top 12 sides battled for their places at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

In addition, sponsors’ brand exposure for the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar garnered over $568 million AUD in global media value and as much as 213.9 million impressions were generated by sponsors’ specific social media posts.

Meanwhile, the Committee also noted the similar ground-breaking impact that was achieved in the Continent’s flagship women’s tournament – the AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022 – with 156 million unique viewers tuning in, marking a 63% increase from the last edition in 2018.

Distributed by 40 media partners and broadcast across 186 countries and territories, the thrilling final between China PR and Korea Republic alone generated an audience of 36.3 million as the Steel Roses marched to their record ninth title.

Similarly, sponsors’ brand exposure for Asia’s premier women’s tournament generated over $156 million AUD in global media value, with sponsors’ specific social media posts reaching over 52.2 million impressions.

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The AFC Club Licensing Task Force has complimented the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)’s Member Associations (MAs) for their commitment to adapting their Club Licensing Systems to the changes in the new AFC club competition season at its fourth meeting.

The updated AFC Club Licensing Regulations (2022 Edition) came into force on July 29, 2022 and incorporated several important updates that are applicable when granting licences to participating clubs in the AFC Club Competitions from the 2023/2024 season onwards.

In his opening address, Chairperson Hamad Mohamed Aljneibi recognised the efforts of some MAs towards implementing the new adjustments based on the updated regulations.

Aljneibi said in a statement released by AFC:

“I would like to acknowledge our collective efforts to raise professionalism in Asian club football despite the challenges. Club licensing was introduced in Asia more than a decade ago and it continues to play an integral role in uplifting the standards of our sport on the Continent."

“The AFC’s MAs have received strong support throughout this period of change and I am certain that these latest developments will steer Asian football in the right direction and reaffirm the AFC’s position as a model Confederation.”

The Task Force reviewed several Club Licensing Quality standard requirements of the Licensors in implementing the Club Licensing system and decided to remove the suspension imposed on the Tajikistan Football Federation’s Club Licensing Administration after they rectified most of the defects.

Further, the Task Force agreed to uphold the suspension of the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Club Licensing Administration until all defects have been addressed and rectified to the satisfaction of the AFC General Secretariat.

Taking into consideration the effects of the pandemic on most MAs and the transitioning to the new AFC club competition season, the Task Force decided to extend the implementation of the Futsal Club Licensing from 2024 to 2025.

The Task Force also received updates on the progress of the Women’s Club Licensing Regulations, launched earlier with the aim of elevating the development of the women’s game on the Continent.

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The AFC Women’s Football Committee’s commitment towards strengthening the foundations of the women’s club game was further underlined at its fifth meeting held in Chonburi, Thailand on Saturday.

Chaired by Mahfuza Akhter Kiron, the Committee praised the continued efforts of the AFC’s Member Associations in developing women’s club football against the backdrop of the ongoing AFC Women's Club Championship 2022 - Pilot Tournament.

For the first time in the history of Asian football, the AFC Women's Club Championship 2022 - Pilot Tournament witnessed the participation of teams from both the East and West regions, with the former reaching its decisive final match day in Thailand.

The Committee also held in-depth discussions on the impending launch of the AFC Women’s Champions League in 2024, which will be a significant game-changer for women’s football, agreeing on the overall considerations, as well as the entry and calendar principles with more information on the format and final details to be confirmed and communicated in 2023.

The Committee reviewed the Asian Qualifiers format for the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament 2024, featuring 33 teams in entry. Necessary adjustments were made to the first two rounds in order to minimise the logistical challenges for the participating teams.

Additionally, members of the Committee approved the proposed dates of the AFC Women’s Youth Competitions in 2025 and 2026, namely the Qualifiers and Finals of the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup 2026™ and the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup™ 2026, while providing the Administration the mandate to revise the dates where necessary.

The AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup 2026™ Qualifiers Rounds 1 and 2 will be held from March 8 to 16, 2025 and August 11 to 17, 2025 respectively while the Finals is scheduled to be staged from March 23 to April 4, 2026.

Meanwhile, the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup 2026™ Qualifiers Rounds 1 and 2 are set to take place from April 26 to May 4, 2025, and September 22 to 28, 2025, with the Finals planned for April 27 to May 10, 2026.

The Committee also approved the Competitions Regulations for the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2024™ and the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup Indonesia 2024™, and noted the completion of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup™ History Book.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Executive Committee has approved a renewed qualification format for Asia’s Road to the FIFA World Cup 2026 and for the AFC Asian Cup 2027.

The announcement made by the AFC comes as a direct result of the eight direct spots and single Intercontinental Playoff slot allocated to the AFC by FIFA following the expansion of the FIFA World Cup 2026 to 48 teams.

The new qualification format has been established after several consultation and dialogue sessions with the AFC Member Associations (MAs), briefings with the AFC Competitions Committee, as well as the Confederation’s key stakeholders.

It was decided that the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification tournament will comprise four rounds:

• Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1: 22 teams, ranked 26 to 47, will be drawn to face off in a home and away format, where the 11 winners will progress to the Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2.
• Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2: 36 teams – teams ranked from 1 to 25 as well as the 11 winners from the first round – will be divided into nine groups of four teams each, who will each compete in a round robin, home and away format, where the top two teams from each group – 18 in total – will advance to the AFC Asian Qualifiers.
• AFC Asian Qualifiers: Subsequently, the 18 teams, who also qualify automatically for the AFC Asian Cup™ 2027, will be divided into three groups of six teams each, competing in a round robin, home and away format, with the top two teams from each group – six in total – qualifying directly to the FIFA World Cup 2026.
• Asian Playoff: The final round will consist of the third and fourth placed teams from all groups of the AFC Asian Qualifiers – six teams in total. The six teams will be drawn into two groups of three teams each, competing in a single round robin format.
• The two first placed teams from the Asian Playoff groups will advance to the FIFA World Cup 2026. The second-placed teams from both groups will compete in a playoff match to determine the side that will represent the AFC in the Intercontinental Playoff.

The AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers will continue from the Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1 and Round 2, in parallel with the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification competition:

• AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers Playoff: The 10 losing teams from the Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1 will be drawn to compete in a home and away format, where the five winners will advance to the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers Final Round.
• AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers Final Round: 24 teams in total – 1 best ranked losing team from the Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1, 18 third and fourth placed teams from each group of the Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2 and the five winners from the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers Playoff – will be divided into six groups of four teams each, where only the first placed team of each group will qualify to the AFC Asian Cup 2027.

The format above is based on the entry of all 47 Member Associations and is subject to change depending on the final number of entries.

Additionally, the AFC Executive Committee also approved the proposal of the competitions’ (national teams, futsal and beach soccer) calendar for 2023/2024 which is tabled below and at the same time, provided the Administration with the mandate to alter the Match Days (MD) where necessary.

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The AFC U23 Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2022 reached new milestones in engaging football fans, with the AFC’s social media channels witnessing staggering impressions of nearly 340 million – an increase of 193.8% from the fourth edition in Thailand two years ago.

As underlined in the AFC’s Vision and Mission, effective utilisation of social media to further excite football fans in the continent and beyond is seen as critical to growing the Asian game.

Asia’s top 16 teams competed for 19 days across 32 matches in the cities of Tashkent and Qarshi, with Saudi Arabia eventually becoming the fifth team in as many editions to clinch the coveted crown after the West Asians defeated hosts Uzbekistan 2-0 in a captivating decider.

The biggest increase was observed through the highly entertaining video content which received 46.9 million views on the AFC’s digital platforms, an astonishing rise of 1,066% from the 2020 edition, while the newly launched AFC TikTok account also garnered 9.3 million views with close to a million engagements.

The AFC’s Twitter account generated the highest improvement in impressions with a 217% increase from 2020 to 33 million in Uzbekistan, followed by Instagram, which received 115.65 million impressions or an increase of 119% while the AFC’s Facebook impressions rose by 80% to nearly 110 million.

At the same time, engagement on the AFC’s social media channels grew by 141.2% from 7.3 million in 2020 to a commendable 17.68 million in 2022 thanks to the multi-lingual approach through the AFC’s language-based platforms in English, Arabic, Farsi, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Thai and Vietnamese.

The AFC’s Facebook account saw the highest uptake with nearly 10 million engagements, 315% higher than the last edition, with the Confederation’s Twitter account increasing by 84% to 1.6 million engagements while Instagram rose 61% to 6 million engagements.

On the pitch, the Continent’s attacking prowess was also palpable with a total of 81 goals scored across the 32 matches, averaging approximately 2.53 goal per match, as the young Green Falcons became the first side in the tournament’s history to maintain an unblemished defensive record across all six matches in their impressive march to the title.

The tournament also saw spectator attendance records rewritten on several occasions, with 28,670 fans gathering at the Pakhtakor Stadium when hosts Uzbekistan opened their campaign against Turkmenistan before a notable 32,268 supporters attended the thrilling final between the host nation and Saudi Arabia.

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For the first time in World Cup history, a tournament will play host to a record six teams from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The achievement follows on from Russia 2018, where the previous record was set by the five Asian teams (Iran, South Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia and Australia) who qualified for that year’s tournament.

On a surface level it appears that the qualification of six teams to Qatar 2022 wholly reflects the region’s growing stature within world football. However when viewed in the context that Qatar is obviously assured a spot as hosts and that Australia’s result on penalties against Peru glosses over what was undoubtedly a campaign dominated by pragmatic thinking over possible effective utilisation, one must ponder the impact Asian teams as a whole will have on the tournament, particularly when looking at past editions.

According to Soccerment, an analytics platform focusing on accelerating the adoption of data analytics by a wider audience of football fans, Asian teams struggled most with shot accuracy (15% against a 29% tournament average) in Russia four years ago. In addition, it appeared Asian teams valued long balls the most of any continent in the tournament as well as hitting a collective average top speed of 27.7 - the lowest at the tournament that year.

Of course, one has to comparatively look at the squad composition, subsequent utilisation and ultimate effectiveness of these five sides versus the teams in their respective groups. Furthermore, the flaws and generational situation of their opponents and the consequential effect has to be taken into account (exemplified best by South Korea toppling a regressing Germany). It is fair to even potentially play down Japan’s progression to the Round of 16 due to accruing fewer yellow cards than Senegal, but as a whole, teams from Asia fared far better in 2018 than in 2014 where they accumulated a total three points out of a possible 36 between four teams in the group stage (Japan, South Korea, Iran and Australia). By contrast in 2018 Asian teams secured 15 from of a potential 45 points, an 18% increase in points amassed.

Furthermore, viewing the Russia 2018 results through the context of where these teams are at ahead of Qatar 2022 is arguably ignoring the impact of the changes that have been made since. Of the six teams to have qualified only one side have retained the same coach across qualification campaigns, this being the tournament hosts Qatar, who have kept Félix Sánchez ever since his taking over the side when they were last in their qualifying group for Russia 2018 and who went on to win the 2019 Asian Cup on home soil.

The current ‘big six’ of Asia have qualified for the tournament, and perhaps it is just reward for Asian football’s increased investment into the sport over the past few decades. In saying that, a set of countries’ ambitious development efforts does not necessarily reflect a whole region’s shared emphasis. For some nations, the development, alignment and tailoring of resources serves as a challenge they’re unwilling to take - irrespective of the passionate and parochial fan base of some club teams. When one looks at Indonesian side Persib Bandung’s nearly 20 million total followers across social media platforms and impressive crowd numbers matching the likes of mammoth Iranian sides like Tractor S.C, it feels like more could be done to improve Indonesia's international standing as a footballing nation.

In terms of the development of top-tier players in domestic Asian leagues, the infrastructural foundations need to be laid outside of the likes of South Korea and especially Japan, where for example J-League sides select youth players from age 11, a factor which has hugely contributed to their consistent youth production line.

Often the determinative factor of a region’s influence on football is the number of names plying their trade in top-level overseas – mainly European leagues. And by this measurement, Asian football is at an all-time high with representatives from across the continent making a name for themselves at the top level of the game. When considering that 92% of the teams that reached the quarter-finals in the last three editions of the FIFA World Cup were from Europe and South America, it will be interesting to see if an Asian team pushes beyond the Round of 16 with the greater base of players based in Europe especially.

From the 2026 World Cup onwards, an increase from four to eight direct slots alongside an extra spot via the intercontinental playoffs affords Asian teams a greater chance to shine on the world stage. It is more likely than that the jointly hosted 2026 edition will provide greater evidence of Asia’s elevated levels of competitiveness when facing far better developed footballing nations.

The reality is we simply do not know how the Asian confederation’s representatives will fare until the 2022 World Cup in Qatar plays out. But nonetheless, the strides being taken by sections of the AFC region to improve their infrastructure and to foster a distinct identity will have massive long-term benefits in a manner quite possibly akin to Japan in terms of youth development. Time, as always, will tell.

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Football Australia have confirmed they are considering a late bid to host the AFC Asian Cup from June to July next year, which would provide an extraordinary opening act to a packed winter of football that already features the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

The Asian Cup is scheduled to start on June 16, 2023, with the final to be played a month later. Just four days beyond that, New Zealand’s Football Ferns and the Matildas will kick off their group stage matches at Eden Park and the Sydney Football Stadium respectively.

Football Australia has until June 30 to submit a bid to the AFC for the continental tournament, which requires relocation after China’s withdrawal last month citing their zero-covid policy and ongoing issues relating to the pandemic.

South Korea appears the most likely candidate to host what would be their first Asian Cup since 1960, after their FA formally announced last week that they would meet the AFC’s submission deadline. Last month, South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol mandated his sports minister to bid for the event after dining with the playing squad.

But they may now meet competition from Australia, who famously lifted the title as hosts in 2015 before a crowd of over 76,000 at Sydney’s Olympic Park. Coincidentally it was South Korea they defeated in the final, having reversed the result from their group stage meeting.

"We are making enquiries and having parallel discussions with the Asian Football Confederation and Governments to determine the possibilities for Australia to host this tournament," an FA Spokesperson said.

The 32-match tournament hosted by Australia drew an average of over 20,000 fans, boosted by the Socceroos drawing an average of 44,500 across their six games. Matches were hosted in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra and Newcastle.

That edition of the tournament featured sixteen teams; the 2023 edition will be the second under the AFC’s expanded format, meaning any successful Australian bid would need to house 24 nations across 51 games.

Qualification for the tournament was completed last month, with Tajikistan to feature for the first time. Hong Kong have qualified for the first time since 1968, and 2007 hosts Malaysia have qualified on merit for the first time since 1980.

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The AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar Final Round was the most engaging in history, surpassing all previous editions of Asia’s FIFA World Cup qualifying tournaments with more than 788 million impressions observed on the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)’s digital channels.

Held across 10 Match Days from September 2, 2021, to March 29, 2022, as well as last week’s AFC Asian Qualifiers - Road to Qatar Playoff between eventual winners Australia and the United Arab Emirates, Asia’s top 12 sides battled across 61 matches with the Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Korea Republic and Saudi Arabia eventually clinching the Continent’s four automatic places, before the Socceroos claimed a record sixth AFC spot to join hosts Qatar.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the lead up to the qualifiers to be postponed on several occasions, but the necessary interruptions did little to dampen the appetite for and consumption of Asian football as passionate fans from across the globe continued to engage in record numbers.

Further underlining the fervour for the Asian game, the 788 million impressions was an astonishing 2,108% increase from the 2016-2017 campaign. At the same time, engagements on the AFC’s social media channels rose immensely across the two editions surging by 2,350% from 2.8 million to 70 million.

The AFC’s YouTube and Instagram platforms led the way in galvanising football fans from all corners of the globe, with 290.9 million and 212.3 million impressions, while Twitter received impressions of 46.3 million and Facebook gathered 142 million.

There was also a stunning 12,530% increase in video views on YouTube, as viewership rose from 1 million in 2016-2017 to 134.6 million in the recently concluded campaign, where nearly 2 million hours of watch time was recorded.

The introduction of several language platforms also contributed to the staggering increase with the newly introduced Mandarin-based channels attaining close to 100 million impressions as the AFC’s Weibo, Toutiao, and Douyin channels garnered 42.6 million, 18.2 million and 35.4 million impressions respectively.

Meanwhile, the world’s most reliable information and coverage hub of Asian football – the-AFC.com – witnessed a notable 155% increase in page views and a 136% increase in users.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC)’s Vision and Mission to leverage on the beautiful game to strengthen communities through the AFC Dream Asia Foundation continued its game-changing impact with the launch of the “Prison Football, Rehabilitation Through Football” programme, in partnership with the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) and Shelter Ashraya Nepal (SAN).

Aimed at rehabilitating past offenders and reducing reoffending, the year-long project is spread across two phases and supported by the nation’s Home Ministry and the Prison Department of Nepal.

The capacity building initiative will offer different skill-based courses, namely, coaching, referee, and football training. The skill course offered to the inmates will depend on their age, interest and serving period.

Upon completion of their respective courses, coaches will receive a D licence while those training in refereeing will earn a Category IV certificate.

The ANFA and the SAN will provide participation certificates for those undergoing football training and will also assist them in securing opportunities to be employed in the local football ecosystem upon completion of their time served, paving the way for them to be reintegrated into the community as rehabilitated and respectable citizens.

Inmates who have less remaining time to serve will be given preference to ensure they are provided with the best conditions to benefit from the programme at the time of their release.

The ANFA is spear-heading this project with the aid of various local bodies such as the non-profit organisation SAN. They will work closely with the government while choosing the prison that will be the site for the pilot edition.

Giving ex-offenders a chance to engage in physical activities and team sports is integral to their overall physical and mental well-being.

Therefore, for those offenders who are not eligible to be part of the enterprise, a parallel “Football for Fun” project has been proposed by which the inmates can still be included through football matches and counselling sessions, among other activities.

The latest initiative further underlines the long-standing and meaningful impact of the partnership between the AFC, ANFA and SAN following the successful launch of the ‘Feed the Hungry’ programme in 2021 during the height of the pandemic.

The ‘Prison Football, Rehabilitation Through Football’ represents another excellent model that upholds the AFC’s belief that football truly belongs to everyone and anyone can develop lifelong values through the sport.

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The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) have officially secured the rights to the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) competitions via an exclusive media rights partnership.

With the 2021-2024 rights cycle now acquired together with 10 ViacomCBS, the APL have the opportunity to extensively cover the AFC Champions League, as well as the AFC’s club competitions, inclusive of the AFC Cup, AFC Futsal Club Championship Finals and all matches featuring Australian club teams on 10, 10 Bold and Paramount+.

AFC General Secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John:

"The AFC is delighted to enter into this partnership with the Australian Professional Leagues to broadcast the AFC’s world-class club competitions in Australia," he said.

"The AFC has outlined its ambitions to ensure football remains the Continent’s number one sport and this agreement with the APL will further strengthen the popularity of our club competitions and grow the passion for the Asian game among Australia’s passionate fanbase."

APL Chief Commercial Officer Ant Hearne:

"We’re proud to work in partnership with 10 ViacomCBS and the AFC to bring even more football to Australia. There is an increasing appetite for top quality international football and this partnership enables our fans to experience some of the best in the region," he said.

Board Member and CEO at Football Marketing Asia, Patrick Murphy:

"We are very pleased to welcome the APL to the AFC family of partners. Since its inception, the APL has embarked on an ambitious journey to drive fan engagement with club football in Australia, and we are delighted that the AFC club competitions form an integral part of their vision," he said.

"We are confident that the APL and its broadcast partner will strengthen the presence of high-quality Asian club football in Australia, and look forward to this exciting partnership."

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Battle lines are being drawn between FIFA and key stakeholders, as it remains to be seen whether Australia will support the push for a two-year World Cup cycle.

FIFA's minutes from the 71st Congress, where Saudi Arabia put forward the motion to study the viability of a two-year cycle, doesn't include what member federations voted for in the motion.

Football Australia hasn't stated publicly whether they were one of the 166 nations who voted for the motion, or whether they support the plans.

Football Australia is instead adopting a wait-and-see approach, to avoid taking a position before any proposal for changes are put forward after the viability study is completed.

Two-time A-League Coach of the Year Ernie Merrick believes the push from FIFA for a two-year World Cup cycle is because of business and money.

"It's about profit and loss. It's not about the people in the sport really, and FIFA are always competing with their confederations, of which there are six, and FIFA only have one event where they make substantial money from revenue and that's every four years," Merrick said.

"So in effect FIFA loses money for three years, and then the fourth year and makes massive profits mainly from broadcast, ticket sales, and sponsorship from a World Cup."

The majority of FIFA's $8.7 billion in revenue between 2015-2018 came from the 2018 Men's tournament.

The commercial value of another World Cup every four years is incredibly attractive to the governing body as a way to boost its already full coffers.

Australian football will struggle to keep up with other countries if the World Cup is hosted every two years, according to Merrick.

"At the same time a lot of countries, including Asian countries, are spending an enormous amount of money on facilities and preparation setups for national competition. We all know of England's setup, which is huge at St George's Park, and here we don't have a designated specific setup to prepare national teams," he said.

"There's a lot of infrastructure that will have to change to give Australia a chance to qualify on a regular basis. We certainly have good players and good coaches – and we can compete with anyone regarding players, coaching and strategy – but when it comes to the sort of money involved in preparing a national team, friendly games, and the amount of travel involved, Australia is really going to suffer."

Michael Valkanis – former A-League coach, player and current Greece assistant coach – believes that without aligning with FIFA international dates, it means the A-League will struggle to adapt to a two-year World Cup cycle.

"We saw the effects of the Socceroos going away to play, and it always makes it difficult on A-League coaches and teams to support that." Valkanis said.

"You can see the effects it can have on finals games, and we've been crying out for a long time that we become parallel with the rest of the world with international dates."

Some of Australia's biggest competitors in the AFC are showing ambivalence towards the concept.

"It would depend on how it would all be organised," a Korean FA official told Deutsche Welle.

"If we want to have consistent success then we need to play as many competitive games against South American and European teams as possible. At the moment, we play one or two games every four years if we qualify. It's not enough."

While the viability of a two-year World Cup cycle is being studied, it is unclear how determined FIFA is to implement such a radical change to the football calendar against intense opposition from some of its members.

Merrick believes the end result could be FIFA demanding a portion of the confederation's revenue.

"I think four years is probably a better situation at the moment – maybe three years down the track – but I think confederations will have to come to an arrangement with FIFA, and FIFA will want to take some of their revenue somehow through licensing," Merrick said.

Those involved in international football already believe that the best model is the one we have currently, something that Valkanis is a strong fan of.

"I am a traditionalist. I think the World Cup is something special that stands out from any other competition in the world," he said.

"The only other event that comes close is the Olympic Games, and to change the format so we see it every two years instead of four, I don't think it leaves it the same. It is special the way it is."

Football Australia CEO James Johnson will have a challenge on his hands navigating what a change in the World Cup's schedule means for Australian football, as FIFA continues to push for increased revenue from the game.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have launched their first ever AFC Academic Centre of Excellence (ACE).

The virtual initiative is aimed at developing the skill sets and expertise of the future leaders of Asian Football. In addition, the ACE reaffirms the AFC’s commitment to enhancing the capabilities of its Member and Regional Associations.

The AFC Academic Centre of Excellence will commence with the delivery of two main programmes – the AFC Football Management Certificate (FMC) and the AFC Football Management Diploma (FMD).

Both the FMC and FMD are open to all 47 AFC Member Associations (MAs) and five Regional Associations (RAs), Asian football and independent stakeholders, each designed in partnership with the AFC’s academic partner – the renowned Football Business Academy (FBA) based in Switzerland.

AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa spoke in a message to prospective participants.

“Success on-the-pitch is only guaranteed by our dedicated work off-the-pitch; and all our work off the pitch is guaranteed by the professionalism and pursuit of excellence of each individual involved in our beautiful game," he said.

“With the launch of the AFC Academic Centre of Excellence, the AFC is committed to nurturing the future leaders of Asian football by placing a strong emphasis on interactive learning, with a vision and mission to enable football professionals to acquire the knowledge and skills relating to analysis, problem-solving, creativity and decision-making required in today’s dynamic world of football business.”

The FMC and FMD will provide a dynamic and comprehensive curriculum while nurturing football-specific skill sets and industry knowledge to enable future leaders to plan, execute and monitor the day-to-day operations in all aspects of football management.

The programmes will offer insightful modules which include the Organisation of World Football, International Sports Federations, Strategic Management, Financial Management, Income Generation, Media and Communications, Event Management, Operational Management, Human Resource Management, Child Safeguarding, Social Responsibility, Sports Law and Club Licensing.

The FMC will be held over five months, comprising five live online sessions with participants undertaking 290 hours of study across nine core modules, while the FMD will be conducted over 13 months, consisting of five live online sessions over 12 core modules held over 460 hours of study.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is home to a litany of successful, transformative and triumphant coaches, many of whom have left an indelible mark on the region for years to come. However, the extensive measures put in place by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) leave these coaches facing a monumental effort in their attempt to progress their career - coaching amongst the elite of European club football.

The documented challenges faced by Socceroos Asian Cup winning coach Ange Postecoglou in taking on the managerial role at Scottish powerhouse Celtic FC is a significant example recently. Postecoglou’s Australian Pro coaching license – which is the highest level of coaching qualification in Asia – was not recognised as an equivalent to UEFA’s Pro coaching licence, a requirement for coaches in the continent.

In Postecoglou’s case, the appointed Celtic Head Coach was recognised by the UEFA Coaching Convention for his prior experience and success and pro diploma in the AFC, with the clutch that he had to undergo a Recognition of Confidence procedure to determine his aptitude. Following this UEFA convention process he received a ‘certificate of competency’ that now allows him to coach Celtic parallel to completing his UEFA Pro licence.

Such a process is no doubt unnecessarily extensive, particularly for a coach of Postecoglou’s calibre. Moreover, it is an even greater toil of a process for AFC coaches who lack Postecoglou’s years of experience. As even though an AFC Pro Diploma relates to the UEFA A License, it is not the UEFA equivalent.

FIFA’s efforts to establish a cross-confederation recognition of coaching licences have gained little traction within the UEFA confederation to date.

Coaches with non-UEFA credentials are forced to undergo a process whereby they are assessed by a bureau of the Jira Panel – the body responsible for the developing and fostering of coaching and coach education across Europe – on a case-by-case basis and on request. There is no official agreement between UEFA and other confederations regarding the mutual recognition of coaching qualifications.

An initiative led by Head of Football Education Services at UEFA, Frank K. Ludolph in October 2019, represents the most recent effort to amend the UEFA Coaching Convention in support of non-UEFA coaches seeking recognition of their respective confederation’s pro licence by UEFA.

Among other recommendations, the initiative suggested that for recognition of non-UEFA coaching qualifications to be considered, the coach would need to have at least five years’ experience coaching a team of the club or the national team of a FIFA member association at the relevant training level and the relevant coaching qualification which meets UEFA’s minimum criteria.

“The procedure determines whether these competences are ‘recognised’. This means coaches will need to compile supporting documents for the procedure, go through the assessment and convince the assessors (expert panel) that they possess the required competences,” Ludolph stated in his letter address to the Jira Panel.

“If the assessment is successful, the coach will receive an official UEFA Recognition of Competence certificate, not a UEFA diploma/licence. This certificate will be valid for three years and will be renewed if the coach in question completes 15 hours of further education with a UEFA member association in that time, in accordance with the further education requirements applicable to UEFA licence holders. Recognitions of competence will remain transferable between UEFA member associations that are parties to the UEFA Coaching Convention.”

Postecoglou and many Australian coaches - including Bristol City's Tanya Oxtoby and the recently announced Juventus coach Joe Montemurro - befit the aforementioned recommendations, however change has been a slow and laborious process with little eventuating from these recommendations.

The challenging circumstances that Australian coaches have found themselves in overseas have been well-documented, but it is often out of a sheer desire to make the step up that leaves coaches trapped in complicated and indefinite contracts.

Speaking at a Football Coaches Australia (FCA) webinar last year were international lawyers Josep Vandellos and Susanah Ng and Australian lawyer Peter Paleogolos. Their inclusion in the webinar was essential in shedding light on the at times vague and difficult contract situations faced by coaches overseas.

FCA CEO Glenn Warry, who facilitated the webinar, said that the following key issues emanated from the experts’ presentations that focused on how a coach’s role can be defined within their coaching contract overseas according to their qualifications.

“Ensure your role as coach and other appointments such as football director and head of football are clearly defined in the contract," he said.

“Only football coaches and clubs will have the standing to stay in proceedings before the FIFA legal bodies. Therefore, it is crucial that the designation of a 'coach' is included on the Contract (and that the job scope at the very least refers to some coaching duties) if the coach is to be appointed in a dual role.

“The object of contract represents the work that the coach engages to render in favour of the club. It is important to make sure the job for which the coach is recruited is accurately defined as: Head Coach, Assistant Coach or Goalkeeper Coach."

The struggles experienced by Australian and Asian coaches in attempting to progress their career are inherently stifled by guidelines that appear to act as a preventative, rather than as a method to ‘upskill’ coaches who would no doubt be capable of matching it against the very best if given the role. Warry elaborated further by stating: “Australian coaches who wish to coach in Europe should carefully plan their professional development and coach education pathway. For Australian players who play in Europe, or coaches with dual nationality, the UEFA Coach Accreditation pathway may be more appropriate.

The appointment of Postecoglou and Montemurro to the Celtic and Juventus roles respectively is pivotal for not just the recognition of Australian coaches, but coaching professionals right across the AFC. And, dependant on the success that comes Montemurro's and Postecoglou’s way, it may be the instigator of change that the region is crying out for.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have announced a commercial agreement with sports media giants Dentsu which will see the agency become the exclusive marketer of the AFC’s commercial properties in Japan.

Dentsu Inc. is the number one advertising and media agency headquartered in Japan with a far-reaching global network that provides support for marketing, business DX and growth strategy formulation to the biggest brands around the world and in football.

The agreement comprises the AFC’s major national team and club competitions, including Asia’s flagship competitions national team competitions – the AFC Asian Qualifiers – the road to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the AFC Asian Cup China 2023, the AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022 and the continent’s premier club competition – The AFC Champions League.

A new deal being struck continues the long and successful relationship between the AFC and Dentsu Inc., who have represented the AFC and managed its commercial rights exclusively in Japan over the last two decades.

AFC General Secretary Dato' Windsor John acknowledged the exciting opportunities that the continued agreement offers the AFC.

“The AFC is delighted to welcome Dentsu Inc. to the ever-growing family of commercial partners for the 2021-24 period, as our exclusive commercial agency in Japan," he said.

“Japan are one of the most successful footballing nations in both the men’s and women’s game, not only in Asia, but also across the globe. This is a significant agreement that paves the way for millions of passionate fans in Japan to access and engage with the AFC’s world-class competitions.

“We are thankful to Dentsu Inc. for their continued investment in Asian football, and with their extensive background and long history in marketing football in Asia and Japan, we are confident that they will play a pivotal role in driving the interest and consumption of Asia’s finest competitions amongst one of the most passionate fan bases across the Continent.”

Football Marketing Asia (FMA) remains the AFC’s exclusive agency for all commercial rights worldwide, excluding Japan and (in relation to the sale of media rights) the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

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The rapid circulation of smartphone usage in Asia, parallel to the rollout of 5G networks, has resulted in a massive upsurge of sport consumption via the use of mobile phones.

In this age of continual digital advancement, it has been uncovered that 19% of fans globally use mobile applications to watch sport across the world.

The news comes from a recently published report from research and data analytics firm YouGov who discovered that consumers in Asia are increasingly utilising mobile apps in order to follow and watch sport.

Vietnamese consumption of mobile sports has proven especially popular, with nearly half (48%) of the country’s sporting legion watching their sports on mobile devices, with the only minor variation occurring among age groups.

It was found also that India has a significant share of fans (44%) who watch sport via the use of mobile apps. The report cited India’s low data rates and the large number of domestic service providers as the major contributing factors in the increase of mobile streaming use in the country.

Viewership in Thailand (33%), South Korea (28%) and the Philippines (28%) was also higher than the global average of 19% of sports fans who conduct their viewing via mobile apps.

Taiwan and Japan are the notable Asian outliers in the report, as both countries recorded some of the lowest rates globally at 7% and 6% respectively.

Comparatively, the research revealed that mobile sports consumption in the United States and in Europe is low. The United Kingdom reported figures of just 12% of consumers using mobile apps to watch sport, whilst Spain had the highest rate of usage in Europe with 18% and the United States were reported to have had just 13%.

Undoubtedly, the next generation of mobile devices will see further migration towards mobile sports consumption (particularly with high-speed, low latency 5G made available across the world) as the value-for-money will be an enticing proposition for sports fans, with access to replays, custom camera angles and virtual reality just some of the opportunities presented going forward.

The new era of sports consumption will be significant for the sporting landscape, whilst providing telecom companies a lucrative chance to recoup from a heavy investment in the next-gen network.

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In an effort to grow domestic football, the Singaporean Government have announced the intended rollout of their ‘Unleash The Roar’ plan across the nation.

By aligning with the Football Association of Singapore’s (FAS) ultimate aspiration of qualifying for the 2034 World Cup, the Singaporean Government is seeking to create better opportunities for the country’s youths in order to undergo consistent and focused high-quality football development training.

As the most participated team sport in Singapore, football has the advantage of being engrained in Singaporean culture and interest.

Singapore’s Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong confirmed the plan in Singapore’s Parliament meeting on Monday, citing a need for unity in the pursuit of a plan to sustain the nation’s growth of football.

"It has to be all of us, working together, united, pulling in the same direction, for this project to have a chance," Tong said.

The plan has been arranged by eight distinct pillars, each signifying a step towards building the foundations of an effective footballing infrastructure. Namely, Pillar One is entitled ‘Let Them Play’, desired to establish a football curriculum in schools throughout the country.

By developing a multitude of pathways towards elite football for the nation’s youth, the Singaporean Government’s introduction of the ‘Unleash The Roar’ plan is intended to be fundamentally holistic.

This announcement follows the appointment of former Singaporean international Stephen Ng Heng Seng as head coach of the country’s women’s national side.

Currently sitting at 158^th in FIFA’s rankings, Singapore men’s national team have been relatively successful within their own province, winning a third of the ASEAN Football Federation Championships since the tournament’s inauguration in 1996.

By contrast, Singapore women’s national team are viewed as relative minnows in the region. With both sides having never qualified for a World Cup and the men’s side only reaching the group stage of the Asian Cup once, it is hoped by the Singaporean Government & the FAS that their ‘Unleash The Roar’ plan is a positive step that's necessary to head in the right direction for football in the nation.

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The All India Football Federation (AIFF) have expressed their interest in hosting the Asian Champions League Group E (West Zone) fixtures later this year, according to Goal.

If the country does get the nod to host the matches, Goa and Kolkata will likely be the host venues.

West Region matches in the Champions League are set to be played between April 14-30 of this year, with East Region games scheduled for April 21 - May 7.

The final of the tournament will be played over two legs on November 21 and 27.

It was announced at the end of last month that the competition was set to be played at centralised locations.

Dato’ Windsor John, the AFC General Secretary, speaking of the developments at the time said: “The AFC is most grateful for the support of the AFC Competitions Committee, the Member Associations and the participating clubs in producing this schedule for the biggest and most inclusive AFC Champions League in history.

“Once again, the AFC will put the safety and welfare of all its stakeholders as its overriding priority, but we demonstrated with the successful AFC Champions League in 2020 that the unity, solidarity and strong leadership of the AFC can deliver its club competitions in the most challenging of times.”

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The AFC have confirmed that the 2022 Women’s Asian Cup in India will take place from January 20 to February 6.

12 teams will compete in the upcoming tournament, an increase from the eight who battled it out in the 2018 edition in Jordan.

The competition will be contested in three groups of four, with a quarter-finals stage to be introduced for the first time ever.

The Women’s Asian Cup in India will also serve as the qualifiers for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, which will be hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

AFC General Secretary Dato’ Windsor John said in a statement: “Women’s football in Asia is world class and with the next FIFA Women’s World Cup to be staged in Australia and New Zealand, there has never been a more exciting time for women’s football in the Continent.

“India has seen incredible growth in recent years, in both the men’s and women’s game and we are confident that the AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022 will present another historic step in the incredible journey of Indian football – one that will strengthen the passion for the game and leave a lasting impact for future generations of women footballers and passionate fans.

“The announcement highlights the great steps that are being made in terms of development, planning and execution by the Local Organising Committee and we are confident that Asian and global football will witness a truly unforgettable spectacle.”

India, as the hosts, have already qualified for the 2022 tournament, alongside Japan, Australia and China, who were the three highest placed sides in the 2018 Women’s Asian Cup.

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The groups for the 2021 AFC Cup have been revealed at a group stage draw in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

After the 2020 AFC Cup was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 edition is set to begin with preliminary stage and play-off matches in April and May.

Group stage matches are then scheduled to kick off on May 14 – while the final of the tournament will be played on November 26.

“The 2021 AFC Cup Group Stage will see 39 clubs competing - an increase of three from 2019 - with a newly-introduced Group for the Central Zone,” the AFC said.

“This edition will also award the winning team a place in the preliminary stage of the 2022 AFC Champions League.”

Group A (West Zone) features 2019 AFC Cup Champions Al Ahed FC from Lebanon alongside Al Hidd from Bahrain, Al Wahda from Syria and Al Nasr of Oman.

Jordan's Al Salt, Palestine's Balata Center, Lebanon's Al Ansar and Jordan's Muharraq make up Group B (West Zone).

Group C (West Zone) includes Tishreen from Syria, Al Seeb of Oman, Al Faisaly from Jordan and a play-off winner.

Group D (South Zone) is made up of ATK Mohun Bagan of India, Bangladesh's Bashundhara Kings, Maziya S&RC of the Maldives and a winner from the play-offs.

Tajikistan's Ravshan, FC Dordoi of Kyrgyz Republic and Ahal FC of Turkmenistan are in Group E (Central Zone).

The second central zone group, Group F, features FC AGMK or FC Nasaf from Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan's Altyn Aysr, FC Khujand of Tajikistan and Kyrgyz Republic's FC Alay.

Group G (ASEAN Zone) comprises of Hanoi FC of Vietnam, Indonesia's Bali United, Boeung Ket of Cambodia plus a play-off winner.

Malaysia's Kedah Darul Aman, Lion City Sailors of Singapore, Vietnam's Saigon FC and a play-off winner will be placed into Group H (ASEAN Zone).

The third ASEAN Zone - Group I, features Kaya FC-Iloilo of the Philippines, Myanmar's Shan United or Ayeyawady United, Terengganu FC of Malaysia and Geylang International FC of Singapore.

Eastern Long Lions of Hong Kong, Tainan City of Chinese Taipei, Mongolia's Athletic 220 and Hong Kong's Lee Man will play against each in Group J (East Zone).

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The Asian Football Confederation have confirmed the 18^th edition of the AFC Asian Cup will be played in June and July of 2023.

The competition will be spread across 10 different cities in China and is scheduled to begin on June 16 2023, with the final to be played a month later on July 16.

The Socceroos will automatically qualify for the tournament in 2023, if they finish top of their current World Cup Qualifying Group.

At this stage, Australia sits above Kuwait and Jordan in the group with 12 points after winning all of their first four games.

AFC General Secretary Dato’ Windsor John said of the recent announcement: “The AFC Asian Cup continues to grow in stature and in prestige, with each edition surpassing all expectations and we are confident that the upcoming tournament in China PR will be the biggest and greatest in Asian football history.

“We know that the Local Organising Committee (LOC) and the Chinese Football Association will deliver a truly historic tournament in 2023. Already, we have seen the LOC make incredible progress in terms of infrastructure development despite the challenges we have seen across the world.

“We applaud them for their commitment and hard work, and we are pleased to confirm the tournament dates, which represent another important milestone in our journey and plans to engage with more fans than ever before.”

Shi Qiang, the General Secretary of the LOC said: “With the confirmation of the competition dates, the LOC will be able to organise the preparatory work precisely and systematically. Now the preparatory work, including professional football stadium construction, competition organisation, event support, volunteers’ programme, is proceeding well as scheduled. We will work together with the AFC, to host a wonderful tournament."

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Here are the top stories in the Asian football industry over the past week.

Qatar to participate in UEFA Qualifying Group for 2022 World Cup

Hosts of the 2022 World Cup, Qatar, will be placed in Group A of the UEFA Qualifying Group which begins in March of next year.

"Qatar will join Group A alongside Portugal, Serbia, Republic of Ireland, Luxembourg and Azerbaijan," the Qatar Football Association (QFA) said in a statement.

"As the next FIFA World Cup host nation, Qatar has already qualified for the tournament -meaning any results involving Qatar will not count towards qualification.

"Qatar will play its 'home' matches in Europe in order to allow short travel times for their opponents,” the QFA concluded.

Qatar will play the side with a rest day in each round of matches.

The decision was made on the basis that it would give the Asian country match preparation for the upcoming World Cup in November, 2022.

The Maroons have previously joined competitions that are staged outside of their own federation (AFC), including the Copa America last year.

Migu to share 2022 World Cup rights with CCTV

Migu, a subsidiary of Chinese telecommunications group China Mobile, has secured a deal to share the rights to air live and on-demand coverage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The streaming platform will share the digital coverage of events with Chinese broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV), with Migu having also struck a sub-licensed deal with the company to show next year’s UEFA EURO tournament.

The acquisition of the rights continues the company’s recent strategic investment into sporting content.

Last month, Migu signed a four-year deal with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), which includes the right to showcase the 2023 Asian Cup, the 2022 World Qualifiers, the AFC Champions League and more on their streaming service.

A similar sub-licensing deal between Migu and CCTV was organised for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Northern Mariana Islands become 47^th full Member Association of the AFC

During the AFC Congress held during the week, Northern Mariana Islands were voted in as a full member of the Asian Football Confederation.

President of the AFC, Shaikh Salman, stated at the congress: “We are proud to welcome the Northern Mariana Islands Football Association as the newest ordinary member of the AFC family. Under the leadership of NMIFA President Jerry Tan, I have no doubts that the game will continue to scale greater heights.”

AFC competitions to be broadcast for the first-time in South Eastern Europe

The AFC announced throughout the week that United Media Sàrl will be their new media partner in Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2021-2024.

The deal will cover the AFC’s major national team and club competitions such as the Champions League and the 2023 Asian Cup.

United Media Sàrl is part of the United Media Group, which is a leading media company in South Eastern Europe.

The company’s Sportklub channels will showcase the wide selection of Asian matches.

Dato’ Windsor John, the AFC General Secretary, said of the deal: “We are pleased with this exclusive partnership which brings the AFC Competitions to Southeast Europe for the first time. We are confident that Sportklub will bring AFC competitions closer to millions of fans in the region. This deal demonstrates the value of the AFC’s competitions not only in Asia but beyond and we thank United Media Sàrl for the confidence they show in the future of Asian football by entering into this agreement.”

Nemanja Simeunovic, CEO of the Sportklub channel operation stated: “I am enthusiastic about the addition of the AFC competitions to our portfolio of rights. The AFC competitions will fit perfectly in the outstanding programme line up within the three main pillars of programming: football, basketball and tennis.

“The AFC competitions will be taken very seriously as all our programmes have extensive promotion, professional and sports-fanatic commentators with fantastic news studios several times per day.”

Patrick Murphy, Board Member and CEO at Football Marketing Asia, said: “We are delighted to bring in United Media Sàrl as another valued media partner in Europe. We are confident that United Media Sàrl will further strengthen the presence of high-quality Asian football in Europe with its partner’s top-notched services.”

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The AFC has confirmed new competition dates for the rest of the Asian Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

The second round of the Asian Qualifiers is intended to be completed by June 15, 2021. Match Days 7 and 8 will take place in March 2021 while Match Days 9 and 10 will be played in June. The final round of qualifiers will then begin in September 2021.

Both the AFC and FIFA agreed that the final round of Asian Qualifiers should be finished by the end of March 2022. The Asian and Inter-Continental Play-offs are then slated for May/June 2022.

The new dates were approved by the AFC Competitions Committee.

A bidding process for the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2022 was also agreed upon. The hosting rights will be open to member associations in the West region of the AFC.

China was set to be the host for AFC U23 Asian Cup 2022, however the Chinese Football Association has told the AFC that it will be unable to stage the tournament. China is also due to host the AFC Asian Cup 2023.

The AFC said that it intends for the AFC U23 Asian Cup (in non-Olympic years) to be hosted by the country staging the next AFC Asian Cup. The AFC U23 Asian Cup will act as a preparatory competition for the host nation.

During the meeting the Chair of the AFC Competitions Committee, Dr. Tran Quoc Tuan thanked Qatar and the Qatar FA for successfully hosting the recent AFC Champions League (West) and for its preparations for the upcoming AFC Champions League (East).

“We have successfully completed the AFC Champions League in the West and in just a few days, we will kick-off the competition for the East region clubs. Our sincere thanks go to the Qatar Football Association and the Qatar Government as well as our congratulations to the AFC Administration,”.

“They have done an excellent job. I am sure they will build on their expertise to stage an outstanding tournament, including the Final on December 19. At all times the safety and health of all the players, teams and officials have been and remain our priority.”

The AFC Competitions Committee also confirmed that the AFC U-19 Championship, which was due to take place in Uzbekistan in October 2020 will now be played from March 3 to 20, 2021.

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The AFC further outlined its commitment to confirm football as the continent’s number one sport, through an expanded 'fan-first' digital strategy.

The AFC Media and Communications Committee recently held their second meeting for the term of 2019-2023, with engagement figures of the AFC’s digital platforms in 2020 surpassing those of the previous year.

Chairperson of the committee, Ganbaatar Amgalanbaatar, said: “As you know, COVID-19 has disrupted our competitions and fixtures, but I am pleased to note that it has not affected our ability to engage with Asia’s passionate fans.

“We should be proud that the engagement numbers in 2020 has surpassed 2019, which was an AFC Asian Cup year. We have seen a 202% increase on our English sites and 876% on the Arabic website. We have also seen 91% of our traffic coming via mobile devices and a really impressive 30% of female engagement.

“This is the result of the ‘fan-first’ digital strategy that was approved by this Committee at our first meeting and congratulations to you all. We must continue to ensure that we deliver the best outcome for our Member Associations, the AFC as well as to our fans and importantly, potential commercial partners.”

To build on the momentum and reach of its fan-first approach, the committee approved the AFC’s social media strategy for 2021-2024.

The strategy looks to engage Asia’s passionate fans through quality content on appropriate platforms, with the aim of benefitting AFC and its Member Associations.

The committee also agreed on the creation of the Editorial Board for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in China, with members from both the AFC and the Local Organising Committee.

The members in the Editorial Board will play a significant role in delivering an integrated digital fan engagement strategy, for the upcoming tournament.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced that the AFC Champions League Final will be played in Doha, Qatar on December 19.

Qatar recently held the group and knock-out stages of AFC Champions League 2020 (West) and will also host the rest of the AFC Champions League 2020 (East) matches next month.

The AFC said that Doha was chosen as the Qatar Football Association (QFA) met the hosting capability and capacity requirements, including medical infrastructure to host the match.

AFC General Secretary Dato’ Windsor John, said that the QFA’s ability to successfully hold the West region matches was a testament to the capability of the association.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly made the decision on the venue for this year’s Final more complex particularly in these uncertain times of travel and health restrictions,” Dato’ Windsor John, said in a statement on the AFC’s website.

“In addition to the numerous restrictions, the AFC also wanted to protect the important principle of sporting fair play. This will be, unlike previous years, a one-off final and we therefore needed to ensure that there was no unfair advantage to one team or the other.

“The safety and wellbeing of all participating clubs as well as the protection of all stakeholders has been crucial to the AFC so we must thank the Qatar Football Association and the Qatar Local Authorities and Ministries for putting in place the necessary health measures and effective medical protocols.

In deciding the venue for the final the AFC also considered technical arrangements for Video Assistant Referee, along with medical requirements and commercial obligations.

“Given the success of hosting the centralised West region matches in close collaboration with the AFC, and the preparation for the centralised East matches next month, we are confident that we will be able to deliver an outstanding AFC Champions League Final,” QFA Secretary General Mansoor Mohammed Al-Ansari, said about the announcement.

“Qatar wishes to reiterate our commitment to provide world-class sporting infrastructure and operational and health and safety expertise and we look forward towards working hand-in-hand with the AFC to offer Asia’s best clubs with the ultimate stage in December.”

The group stage of the East region of the AFC Champions League Final starts on November 18. The winner of the East region will then play Iranian club Persepolis FC in the final in Doha on December 19.

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The Asian Football Confederation will today use Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in the Asian Champions League for the first time.

The AFC Champions League Quarter-finals match between Saudi Arabian clubs Al Nassr and Al Ahli FC at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar will be the first game where VAR has been used in an AFC Club Competition.

VAR was first used in an AFC competition for the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 – VAR was used from the Quarter-final stage onwards. The Asian Champions League is now the third AFC competition to use VAR.

The AFC U23 Championship Thailand 2020 earlier this year was the first AFC competition to use VAR for all 32 matches.

“Asian referees are already among the best in the world, but we must continue to set higher standards to ensure the AFC continues to be leaders in world refereeing,” AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said in a statement.

“So much has gone into the successful and safe restart of the AFC Champions League in the West region and the introduction of the VAR system from the Quarter-final stage reinforces the AFC’s Vision to provide the ultimate stage for our players, teams and match officials to showcase their undeniable talent.

“The AFC has a proven track record in the implementation of the VAR system and I would like to thank FIFA, IFAB, our technology partners, our host association - the Qatar Football Association and all our stakeholders for ensuring our matches are delivered to the highest standards possible.”

Match officials have completed various courses and seminars in order to be prepared to use VAR. The AFC’s first ever AFC VAR course was held online last month and was attended by 104 officials from 19 different member associations.

The AFC said that it had a commitment to make sure that match officials were equipped with the latest developments for VAR.

An AFC VAR Information Officer (VIO) Workshop 2020 was also organised on August 26. This ensured that VIOs understand the technical requirements of the VAR system.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has reached several milestones for its digital platforms, achieving a high amount of growth despite the suspension of fixtures.

The AFC had implemented a ‘fan-first’ digital strategy which proved to be successful, the 2020 figures so far have surpassed the number of engagements the AFC’S website and social platforms received in 2019.

Traffic on the AFC website increased by 185.5% between the last AFC Champions League match before lockdown on March 4 and the restart of the tournament on September 14.

The Arabic website of the AFC saw a 410.9% increase in traffic while over 10 million people engage with AFC polls across social media.

The AFC said that traffic had been strong in Vietnam, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, Indonesia and Lebanon.

“Keeping our fans engaged with Asian football during the time when the AFC Competitions were postponed was a key objective and I am delighted to see the growth that the AFC has achieved,” Dato’ Windsor John, the AFC General Secretary, said in a statement.

“Now that our club competitions are beginning to return, we believe that the mix of live content alongside the very popular fan focused content of the last six months will drive the continued expansion of the AFC’s digital properties.”

On Wednesday, the AFC also thanked the Qatar Football Association and Qatari authorities for their efforts in hosting the opening match days of the AFC Champions League (West) group.

“The experience of all the participants – teams, officials, match officials and staff - has been outstanding from a world leading airport, to smooth and efficient immigration, to some of the best hotels in Asia, to cutting edge training facilities and now matches have been played in state-of-the-art stadiums with the very latest technology,” the AFC said in a statement.

“The medical support provided by the Qatari authorities in safeguarding the health and welfare of all the participants during this difficult time of the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that Qatar’s non-football care is also exceptional.”

Qatar will host the FIFA World Cup in 2022. Three stadiums will be used for the FIFA World Cup - Khalifa International Stadium, Al Janoub Stadium and the Education City Stadium were used for the AFC Champions League.

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The AFC have announced multiple changes to its competitions calendar for the rest of this year.

Matches in the AFC Champions League East Zone are now scheduled to be played between November 15 and December 13, rather than the slated October return date.

This affects the three Australian teams left in the competition, Melbourne Victory, Perth Glory and Sydney FC.

The AFC’s Executive Committee also agreed the final of the AFC Champions League will be played in the West Zone on December 19 of this year, in a singular match.

Matches in the AFC Champions League West Zone are set to resume later today.

AFC President Shaikh Salman said: “A huge amount of work has been undertaken to ensure these matches can kick off on September 14 and the AFC has been extremely professional in ensuring that the matches can go ahead and go ahead safely.

“These matches will be dedicated to our frontline health and care workers who have been the real stars in recent months. The return of football is something to celebrate and so is the contribution of the frontline workers.

“It gives some hope to see football back and there has been great work in putting in place the necessary protocols and procedures to keep everyone safe, so we are taking the first steps. We will also work closely with all the stakeholders in Asia and with FIFA to ensure that football continues.”

In addition, the AFC Futsal Championship will now be held in Kuwait and will begin one month later than planned, in December.

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The AFC have confirmed the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system will be used from the quarter-final stage of the 2020 Asian Champions League.

This will be the first time the VAR has been introduced in the AFC’s club competitions.

The technology made its debut in Asian football at last year’s Asian Cup, when it was used for the quarter-finals of the tournament in the UAE.

The system was then successfully implemented across all 32 matches at the AFC U23 Championship in Thailand, earlier this year.

To further strengthen the AFC’s capabilities in the VAR System application in the Asian Champions League, a virtual AFC VAR Information Officer (VIO) Workshop will be organised on August 26 to ensure VIO’s are across all of the latest VAR developments.

The VAR system, which aims to provide minimum interference with maximum benefit, is limited to four game-changing decisions or incidents: a goal or no goal, penalty-kicks, direct red cards and mistaken identity decisions, AFC said.

The Asian Champions League, Asia’s elite club competition, was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March of this year.

The competition will resume in the West Asia hub of Qatar on September 14, with the East Asia hub of Malaysia to restart on October 16.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have announced Saran Media International will be their new media partner in Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan from 2021-2024.

The exclusive deal covers the AFC’s major national team and club competitions.

This includes the final round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, the Asian Champions League, the AFC Cup from 2021, the 2023 Asian Cup and the AFC U23 Championship Finals in 2022 and 2024.

Saran Media International will provide their own OTT offerings, as well as high quality broadcasting services through outlets such as their pan-regional TV channel Alma Sport.

Dato’ Windsor John, the AFC General Secretary, said: “We are delighted with this exclusive partnership in Central Asia, a region with a rapidly growing passion for Asia’s number one sport. We are confident that Saran Media International will bring AFC competitions closer to the millions of fans in the region.

“Once again the AFC thanks them for the confidence they have shown in the future of Asian football. We look forward to sharing some historic moments with the region’s football-loving viewers as the game in Asia moves into a new era.”

“Despite the unprecedented turbulent times due to the global pandemic, this deal further confirms our commitment to the long-term business strategy in Central Asia. We are excited to add this valuable inventory into our existing extensive portfolio of premium sports,” said Selim Usta, Head of Sports at Saran Media International.

Patrick Murphy, Board Member and CEO at Football Marketing Asia, stated: “We are delighted to bring in Saran Media International as our valued media partner. We are confident that Saran Media International will further strengthen the presence of high-quality Asian football in the region with its top-notched services.”

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FFA have announced that it has partnered with Cessnock City Council in a bid to host the AFC women’s football qualification fixtures in Australia, in 2021.

The governing body hopes to host a round one qualification group for the 2022 AFC-U17 Women’s Championship.

If the bid is successful, Cessnock, in the Hunter region of New South Wales, would host the Junior Matildas’ qualification pool in April of next year.

Up to ten fixtures would take place at Cessnock’s Baddeley Park, a facility which is likely to be used as a base camp for the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

“We are delighted to be working with the proactive Cessnock City Council to submit a bid to host elite Asian women’s football qualifiers in Australia in 2021,” FFA CEO James Johnson said.

“On the back of the recent announcement that Australia, together with New Zealand, will co-host the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023, this is precisely the type of content we need to bring to our shores. This type of activity will help ensure FFA can fulfil its mission to become the centre of women’s football in Asia-Pacific and continue to grow interest and participation in the women’s game.

“It is also a priority for FFA to host more national team matches on home soil, so the prospect of earning the right to host this qualification group and taking fixtures of national and international importance to a regional centre eager to invest in Australian football is something we are thrilled with,” Johnson said.

The FFA CEO understands the difficulties the current COVID-19 pandemic presents.

“We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation nationally and internationally,” he added.

“With these games to be held in 2021, it was important that we submitted our bid for the qualifiers now in accordance to the timelines set by the AFC. The submission has taken place in the hope and expectation that the situation will have improved by April next year.

“We will put the health and wellbeing of the prospective host community, players, officials, and fans first should we be successful in earning the right to host the qualifiers.”

The AFC will award the hosting rights for the first-round qualification fixtures in the coming months.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced the creation of an Independent Working Group to protect the commercial rights of the confederation.

On Friday, the AFC said that it was important to guard its competitions such as the AFC Champions League, men’s and women’s Asian Cups and the AFC Cup among other competitions.

The new body will work with and advise the AFC’s commercial and legal departments.

“The AFC recognises the challenges that all our partners are facing in these uncertain times and that makes it especially important that the AFC protects the value and exclusivity of all our rights both now and in the coming years,” AFC President, Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said.

“The Confederation remains most grateful for the loyalty and understanding of all its partners and we know that this move, involving people of such outstanding experience and quality, will show everyone how seriously we are taking our responsibilities in this area.”

AFC’s Executive Committee appointed Tom Liston, Dan Harrington, and Marco Villiger to the Independent Working Group on the Protection of Commercial Rights.

Tom Liston is a former Managing Director of Team Marketing, who are based in Zurich and are an international sports marketing agency. Team Marketing has worked with the Union of European Football Associations for over 25 years.

Liston has worked with the AFC before, helping to advise on sponsorship deals in 2018.

Dan Harrington is a commercial lawyer with experience in dealing with domestic and international sports rights sales. Harington is also a partner at Level Law, a London based firm who focus on media, entertainment, technology, and sport.

Marco Villager has previously worked at FIFA as the Deputy Secretary General and General Counsel. Villager also oversaw FIFA’s legal, finance, commercial and HR divisions and now owns MV Sports Consulting.

In 2018, the AFC and DDMC Fortis (now called Football Marketing Asia) signed an eight year commercial rights deal covering the 2021-2024 and 2025-2028 rights cycles. The deal was believed to be worth more than five and a half million Australian dollars.

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The Asian Football Confederation last week announced the five bidders in the running to host the 2027 Asian Cup.

Saudi Arabia, Qatar, India, Iran and Uzbekistan are the listed countries who have expressed their interest in hosting the continental tournament in 2027.

The AFC intends to make a decision on the host of the 2027 Asian Cup by next year, after assessing each bid proposal in the coming months.

AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, said: “The AFC Asian Cup is the pinnacle stage for Asia’s finest and the record breaking and biggest-ever edition in the United Arab Emirates in 2019 laid the foundations for Asian football to strengthen this legacy and we have no doubts that China PR will not only match but also surpass all our expectations in 2023.

“On behalf of the Asian football family, I would like to thank all our Member Associations for stepping forward to express their desire and for sharing our ambitions to host a world-class stage for our players, teams, officials and fans and I wish all of them the very best in the bidding process,” he concluded.

Reigning champions Qatar and Iran have both hosted the tournament twice before.

Iran are the only nation in Asian football to have won the competition on home soil twice, in 1968 and 1976 respectively.

Qatar, who will host the 2022 World Cup, hosted the Asian Cup in 1988 and 2011.

Saudi Arabia, India and Uzbekistan are all vying to host the Asian Cup for the first time.

India was recently awarded the hosting rights to the 2022 Women’s Asian Cup, with Uzbekistan hosting this year’s edition of the AFC U-19 Championship.

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Japan have withdrawn their bid to host the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, in a boost for the joint Australian and New Zealand entry.

In a statement on Monday, the Japan Football Association (JFA) confirmed their withdrawal from the bidding process and will now throw their support behind the Australasian bid.

"The decision to withdraw from the bid was taken after careful and thorough consideration in the Japan Bid Committee as well as the JFA Executive Committee," JFA president Kohzo Tashima said.

"Now, we can show the solidarity of (the) Asian football family, to lead to a successful bid.

"Japan will cooperate with FIFA and the host nation(s) to ensure women's football in the world continues to advance, expand and ascend to a higher level."

Colombia is the only remaining challenger to the Australia-New Zealand bid, however, in a recent technical evaluation by FIFA, the South Americans didn’t score favourably.

The Colombian bid scored 2.8 out of five according to FIFA’s report, with the Australasian entry ranked the best with 4.1 points.

AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa fully backed the Australia-New Zealand bid on Monday.

“On behalf of the AFC – and the Asian football family – I will be supporting the Australia/New Zealand bid to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023 - and am sure that I will be supported by all the AFC’s FIFA Council Members,” he said.

“The FIFA Evaluation report could not have been clearer on the outstanding sporting infrastructure that will allow the players to perform at their optimum level and are in keeping with the ever-growing profile of this world-class competition."

“Add to this, the unique nature of the cross-Confederation bid, the fact that this is the first time the Southern Hemisphere will have hosted the tournament and the benefits for the development of the women’s game in Asia-Pacific that this united bid would unlock, then the proposition looks to be the only available choice.”

The FIFA Council will announce the hosts of the tournament on June 25.

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Optus Sport has announced they have acquired the broadcast rights in Australia to show South Korea’s K League in 2020.

The deal follows on from their opening foray into the Asian football market, after the telco secured the domestic J.League rights in February.

The premier football competition in South Korea gets underway tonight, with Suwon Samsung Bluewings taking on reigning champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors at 8pm (AEST).

Socceroos pair Adam Taggart and Terry Antonis will feature in the contest for the Bluewings.

Optus Sport will be airing two matches every round, live and on demand.

“I know I’m not the only one who’s been staring longingly out the window waiting for live sport to return, so to bring the K League to viewers in such a friendly time zone from this weekend is something we’re really excited about," said Richard Bayliss, Optus director of sport.

“In light of COVID-19, we have faith in South Korea’s capability to start the K League while respecting societal requirements to keep players and the wider community safe."

Other Australians playing in the league include Brandon O’Neill (Pohang Steelers), Jason Davidson (Ulsan Hyundai) and Rashid Mahazi (Incheon United).

Despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Optus Sport reported their active subscription base has only decreased by 0.5% from the start of March to the end of April.

The telco currently has 820,000 activated subscriptions.

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Organised by the AFC Referees Department, the online courses have comprised various topics including laws of the game, video tests, discussion based on case studies and match analysis. Six Referee Technical Educators (RTE), Suresh Srinivasan, Cheung Yim Yau, Niu Huijun, Etsuko Fukano, Awni Hassouneh and Vladislav Tseytlin, have been assigned to lead these online courses in designated zones in Asia.

“It is not a normal period, as most of the activities are postponed in Asia. During this critical period where most people are under lockdown procedure, AFC Referees Department decided to organise the online activities to keep the referees engaged in football," Ali Al Traifi, the RTE Coordinator, said.

“This is a good opportunity to refresh their memories on the laws of the game and to get them thinking on their interpretation of match incidents. It is also important to conduct some activities for the new elite referees and women referees as well during this restricted movement period.”

The AFC Referee Academy courses are also ongoing with academy educators Farkhad Abdullaev, Hakan Anaz, Sachiko Yamagishi conducting the technical sessions online with academy members from 2017, 2018 and 2019 respectively while instructors Alejo Perez Leguizamon and Ravichandran Chappanimutu manage the fitness sessions.

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Australian Socceroos and Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper Mathew Ryan, along with China PR’s women’s team captain Wu Haiyan and India and Kerala Blasters’ defender Sandesh Jhingan, are the latest names featured in the new #BreakTheChain video.

#BreakTheChain is the campaign that has continued to highlight the need to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Millions of fans have been engaged through the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) series since its launch on 26th March 2020, with close to 100 Asian players and officials offering messages of solidarity in the public awareness campaign and ensuring we stand by the World Health Organisation’s guidelines.

“All of us need to show strength in these difficult times. We have all seen how this outbreak has impacted so many lives, but all of us have it within ourselves to break the chain," said Mat Ryan - one of Asia’s finest goalkeepers who has featured in the last two editions of the FIFA World Cup for the Socceroos and part of the AFC Asian Cup title on home soil in 2015.

“Our healthcare professionals are our greatest source of inspiration at the moment and we must continue to support them.

“This is a crucial time for the world to unite, to showcase the best of humanity and ensure the safety and wellbeing of our families, our neighbours, our communities and our future generations by preventing the spread of this virus.”

Wu Haiyan, who skippered the Steel Roses in the Canada 2015 and France 2019 editions of the FIFA Women’s World Cup is another player who has shared her message.

“Football has changed my whole life. As all footballers, we miss the days when football was around. We are facing unprecedented and difficult times, but there are still many heroes working around the clock in service to others, so we need to offer our strength towards assisting them," she said.

“I am glad to offer my voice as one of the Asian footballers. Not only for ourselves and our families, but for the football world, follow the advice of medical experts and local medical authorities. We need to be united and defeat our common opponent. Let’s break the chain together!”

The AFC’s #BreakTheChain campaign has brought together some of Asia’s finest from all across the continent. It proves there's a huge wave of support and generosity demonstrated by the ever-growing initiatives undertaken by the AFC Member Associations, NGOs and various stakeholders in Asian football.

You can find a link to the latest #BreakTheChain video here: https://www.the-afc.com/videos/afc-s-breakthechain-campaign-x7895

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has united with some of the biggest names in Asian football to launch a new campaign that encourages people from around the world to play their role in the fight to stop the spread of COVID-19.

#BreakTheChain carries the message of solidarity in these difficult times and promotes the guidelines put in place by the World Health Organisation (WHO), focusing on good personal hygiene practices, social distancing and respecting the rules of self-quarantine.

The first instalment features eight of Asian football’s finest including 2018 AFC Women’s Player of the Year, Wang Shuang from China PR, Suwon Samsung Bluewings duo Terry Antonis and Doneil Henry as well as Korea Republic and Chelsea FC star Ji So-yun. The quartet are just some of Asian football’s stars who are doing their part to support communities across Asia.

It is part of the AFC’s continued commitment to its Member Associations and the Asian football family.

“In these unprecedented and challenging times, the AFC extends its wish that all members of the Asian football community remain safe and healthy," said AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa.

“Football will have an important role to play in the weeks and months ahead as the world returns to normality, but now our focus is firmly on protecting the well-being of all those who are involved in our great game.”

He also praised the AFC Member Associations for their cooperation and valuable feedback following the AFC’s decision to postpone several competitions, matches and events as part of efforts to ensure the safety and wellbeing of teams, players, fans and all stakeholders.

“These changes to our calendar were aimed at ensuring the safety and health of our Members, their officials, their players, their staff and, of course, the millions of fans who engage with football in Asia each year," he added.

“Their health is, and always will be, our priority and that is why it is important that the AFC and all our Member and Regional Associations work with Governments and Health Agencies to curtail the threat of this virus and that everyone should take all precautions.

“The AFC strongly urges all its Members to follow the advice of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to exercise the highest levels of hygiene and are pleased to note that some Members have also declared a 'work from home' initiative.

“The AFC has built its strong foundations on unity and solidarity – particularly in the face of adversity – during the last six years and this situation is another challenge which we will take on together to protect not only our communities but also the future of our game.

“Of course, the AFC will take a strong lead and will, as always, be on hand to offer advice and assistance to any of our Member and Regional Associations in these uncertain times.”

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Socceroos legend Tim Cahill has been unveiled as an official ambassador for the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

Alongside footballing greats Xavi, Sameul Eto’o and Cafu, Cahill will be a part of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy for the 2022 event.

The committee hopes to execute various 'legacy projects' after the completion of the 2022 tournament, as well as creating positive social change across the region.

Controversy has surrounded the award process for the 2022 World Cup, with Qatari officials accused of bribery and corruption.

Cahill spoke of his delight at being involved with the program, at his announcement ceremony.

“I think joining the SC family was a natural progression for me,” he said. “I’ve been traveling to Qatar since 2008, so have developed a close relationship [with the country] over the years, so to be part of it, and to share the story of Qatar 2022 is pretty special.”

At the ceremony, SC Secretary General H.E. Hassan Al Thawadi added: “We are delighted to welcome Tim Cahill to our ever-expanding family of renowned ambassadors. Tim’s credentials as a player are indisputable. To have appeared at four separate World Cups puts him in an elite group – one which Xavi, Eto’o and Cafu are also part of. This makes him, and them, a perfect fit for our SC family.”

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Football Federation Australia (FFA) has told the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) that Australian teams will be unable to host Chinese teams in Asian Champions League matches next week.

The federal government announced a ban on Saturday on foreigners entering Australia if they were travelling from China, due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Perth Glory were expected to host Shanghai Shenhua in their first ever Asian Champions League match on February 11, whilst Sydney FC were to face Shanghai SIPG a day later.

FFA yesterday confirmed that the AFC has called for a meeting to discuss solutions for the matter at hand.

The meeting will be held on Tuesday in Kuala Lumpur at AFC headquarters, with FFA head of leagues Greg O’Rourke attending on behalf of FFA and the Australian clubs.

The news comes after the Matildas Olympic qualifiers were once again rescheduled, following continuing complications.

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Football Federation Australia (FFA) have announced that Group B of the 2020 AFC Women’s Olympic Qualification Tournament will be held in Sydney, Australia.

The Matildas will now play games against Chinese Taipei, Thailand and China PR on home soil, with the tournament set to begin next week.

The Asian Football Confederation decided to change the location of the tournament, following the outbreak of the coronavirus in the original host city of Wuhan.

FFA Chairman Chris Nikou is looking forward to hosting the tournament in Australia, despite the circumstances of the decision.

“FFA is happy and willing to organise this Olympic Qualification Tournament, and we look forward to hosting the women’s senior national teams from China PR, Thailand and Chinese Taipei in February.

“The safety of all players, officials and fans is of paramount importance to Football Federation Australia and the Asian Football Confederation, and we are confident we will host a successful tournament here in Sydney.

“I would also like to acknowledge the support of the Australian Government in enabling FFA to host this event at short notice.”

The tournament will be watched closely by FIFA, who is set to make a decision on the host of the 2023 Women’s World Cup in the coming months.

Australia is bidding to co-host the 2023 tournament with New Zealand, with Japan, Brazil and Colombia also still in the running.

Further details on the scheduling of the matches for the qualification tournament will be announced this week.

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Graham Arnold’s recent comments on ABC Grandstand in regards to the lack of funding and support given to Australian football’s junior national teams, were laced with frustration.

He should know.

The Socceroos boss is currently fulfilling his second most important job and attempting to guide the Olyroos to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics via the AFC U-23 Championships in Thailand. It would be an impressive achievement should the former Sydney FC manager pull it off, with Australia having failed to qualify for the previous two games and only ever twice advancing beyond the group stage.

That reality is a far cry from the Olyroos inaugural appearance in 1992, where a creditable fourth place was achieved in Barcelona. Since, things have been lean. Until now that is.

Watching potentially the best crop of youthful talent we have seen for some time advance to the semi-finals has been thrilling.

Al Hassan Toure’s extra-time goal against Syria sent Australia into the final four, with all remaining countries well aware that there are only three spots up for grabs due to Japan’s automatic qualification as hosts.

Draws with Iraq and Bahrain, along with an absorbing win over Thailand in the group stage, preceded the victory over Syria. Now South Korea becomes the next target, with Arnold’s men confident and more assured as they move within one victory of a ticket to an Olympic experience.

Arnold’s frustration around the money and support given to Australia’s best young footballers stems from his immense experience as a domestic and international player, championship winning A-League manager and his current role as the mentor of both the Olyroos and Socceroos.

The 56-year-old made it abundantly clear of his dissatisfaction at having just two of his Olyroos with experience in and around the Socceroos squad; gaining experience and knowledge.

Opposition teams in Thailand are nurturing their youth, exposing them at the top level and preparing for the next generation of footballers. They do so by investing money and resources that in turn create more matches and tournaments within which their national team competes. That allows for developmental players to enjoy a taste of what potentially lies ahead in their careers; creating a fluid link between the U-23 squad and the full national team.

Both Bahrain and Jordan arrived in Thailand with six players having already been granted full national caps. Arnold’s disappointment lies in the fact that of his squad, Thomas Deng has just the solitary appearance for the Socceroos, whilst Alex Gersbach has played six times in full national colours.

Sadly, without further investment and subsequent opportunity, Arnold’s Socceroo teams will continue to be picked with limited developmental intention. The current reality for the Socceroos is World Cup qualification and Asian Cup play or bust, with an absence of further friendlies or tournaments for the manager to see the next wave of Socceroos perform.

When combined with the fact that many of Australia’s best young players are given only limited opportunity abroad with their clubs, it could be suggested that Australia’s talented youth is playing less football than many of their counterparts across the globe.

Despite Arnold’s concerns and the need to address the current structures and level of investment, the squad has taken a typically Australian approach to its work in Thailand, punching well above its weight and now seeming capable of winning the event.

Even without the recently returned from injury Daniel Arzani and the suspended quartet of Lachlan Wales, Nathaniel Atkinson, Brandon Wilson and Riley McGree, the team has gelled under Arnold. Nicholas D’Agostino, Reno Piscopo and Toure have announced themselves to the football world.

Tom Glover looks a goal keeper of immense promise, whilst Dennis Genreau and Connor Metcalfe appear to have a kit bag of tools that should one day seem them as important members of the Socceroos. With McGree permitted to play in Tokyo should Australia qualify, Arzani back into calculations and Arnold keen to increase the opportunities for a selected group of Olyroo players with a trip to the Copa America this winter, the future holds much promise.

No doubt Arnold will remain frustrated in the near future; desperately keen to see more of what appears to be an exciting wave of talent appearing in Australia. Vast sums to invest are simply not available in the current climate and shrewd management of resources is required to ensure that these young emerging stars fulfil their potential.

As for now, let’s hope they keep punching well above their weight, despite the challenges, and find their way to the Olympics for the adventure of a lifetime.

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Former Socceroo manager Ange Postecoglou stands just 90 minutes away from potentially the most significant achievement by an Australian football coach.
For the past two seasons, the 54-year-old has been at the helm of J-League club Yokohama F Marinos. With a three point lead on the ladder heading into the final round of play and a comfortable seven goal advantage in the tie-breaking for and against column, Postecoglou’s men appear sure things; a done deal and J-League champions.

Barring some sort of bizarre final day flake out or the most stunning of all victories by their opponent this weekend and second placed FC Tokyo, an Australian manager will for the first time, have his hands on one of the most valuable pieces of silverware in Asian football.

The club is emerging as a potential Japanese powerhouse, with the City Football Group investing in a minority share in 2014. It had an obvious eye towards leading the club back to J-League success after what had been a ten year stretch of disappointment.

Not that the club could ever have been described as a minnow of Japanese football. Three league championships and a J-League Cup in 2001 are testament to its success. However, aside from a second place finish in the league in 2013, Yokohama has recently done little more than sniff around the fringes of the top rungs.

It’s most proud achievement is quite probably the fact they have played in the top flight of Japanese football since its inception. Never suffering relegation and always being competitive.

The involvement of the City Football Group usually signifies immediate change, thanks the increased investment and resourcing undertaken at the clubs with which they become involved. There are now eight such clubs across the globe, with trophies and more trophies a clear motivation for the owners.

A key part of the new investment in Yokohama and a potential change in fortune was to find the right mentor and Postecoglou, after successfully qualifying Australia for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, accepted the challenge laid out before him. He would follow in the footsteps of the now Melbourne City manager Erick Mombaerts in Japan, who was unable to produce the results which City Football Group demanded.

For the Aussie, it required a forgoing of another trip to the world’s biggest football tournament, something for which Postecoglou took much criticism. Many believed there was a sense of desertion. However, the manager had been explicit that his term was to only ever cover the four year period for which he had signed. When family ramifications, an attempt to sure up his long term future and his continued development as a manger were also considered, Postecoglou had a simple choice to make.

Yokohama it was to be and after moments of promise in 2018, his first season saw the club finish in 12th place on the J-League ladder. In truth, there were moments late in the season where they appeared a far better team than that result indicated.

Consistent with his past, Postecoglou was content to experience two steps backwards to eventually take a commanding three forward. It has long been his approach. Postecoglou has a plan, vision and philosophy about football. The chances of him stepping into a role and continuing with the style and methodologies of the previous boss are slim and none.

It was the approach he took with Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory in the A-League. It brought about multiple championships. At the helm of the Socceroos he took the same approach, starting from scratch and trialling a vast number of players before settling on the men he knew had completely bought into his way of thinking and could best execute his plan on the big stage.

Such an approach will potentially be the greatest legacy he leaves when the clip board is eventually shelved and his career is done and dusted.  An Australian with the confidence to back his own systems and without the need to replicate the approaches of managers at the helm of some of the biggest European and South American clubs, is a new phenomenon.

Postecoglou never sought the tick of approval from those whose methods are supposedly the ‘right’ and ‘tested’ way to approach the game. He always had a clear plan and had the courage to back it no matter the outcome, fallout or any personal criticism that may come his way because of it.

Even Postecoglou’s critics, and there were many at times, would applaud him for having the courage of his convictions.

Now the Greek born manager will have a rather impressive J-League title to add to his resume. In a week where Soccerscene’s own Philip Panas’ interview with Phil Moss as Australian football coaches deserve better explored some of the challenges faced by domestic coaches, Postecoglou’s success is timely.

With Moss correctly identifying the limited opportunities presented to Australian coaches and the need for a solid support network to aid them in their development and growth, Ange Postecoglou has once again set the bar, broken the glass ceiling and pioneered the way forward.

It is a success most Australian football fans will celebrate, whilst a few doubters may be forced to eat a rather large piece of humble pie.

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Kanya Keomany of Laos will be the first woman to take charge of an AFC Cup final, after being appointed the match commissioner for the encounter.

The final between DPR Korea’s 4.25 SC and Lebanon’s Al Ahed will take place today in Kuala Lumpur.

Keomany is a current AFC Executive Committee Member, who was also chosen as one of four female match commissioners for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and AFC Asian Cup 2023 joint qualifiers.

After managing the Asian Qualifiers match between Singapore and Uzbekistan a couple of weeks ago, she will now turn her attention to the cup final.

“It is an honour to be appointed in the AFC Cup final as a match commissioner from Laos. This clearly shows that the AFC gives everyone an opportunity regardless of gender as long as you are capable of delivering the best results,” said Keomany.

“I’m proud to be part of this generation of women who continue to break the barriers in Asian football, which has seen several women match officials and commissioners being appointed in men’s football competitions this year. This is definitely a step in the right direction for all women working in the sport.”

Keomany has been an AFC match commissioner in AFC club competitions since 2008. She credits her success to the opportunities that have been presented to her by the AFC and FIFA.

“I have received many good opportunities in the last few years and I have learned so much by working with people from the AFC and FIFA. I really value the experience and I must thank the AFC for believing, supporting and giving me these great opportunities,” said Keomany.

Korea Republic’s Kim Se-in, Nguyen Thanh Ha of Vietnam and Lau Cheuk Chi of Hong Kong were the other female match commissioners selected by FIFA for the Asian Qualifiers.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have confirmed they have extended their partnership with Indonesian broadcaster MNC.

The new deal will run between the period of 2021-2024 and will include all major AFC national team and club competitions. Tournaments such as the AFC Asian Cup China 2023 and the AFC Champions League will be shown by the broadcaster.

MNC will provide viewers with extensive coverage of the Indonesian national team and club matches through various channels and digital platforms. Neutral matches played in AFC’s key competitions will be also be aired across MNC’s network.

The extended partnership will not only benefit Indonesian fans, with MNC broadcasting matches into Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea.

Dato’ Windsor John, the AFC General Secretary, stated: “Indonesia is home to some of Asia’s most dedicated football fans and this partnership underlines not only the passion that exists in that country for Asian football but also the confidence that the broadcasters have in the AFC’s competitions.

“We are delighted to have extended our very successful relationship with MNC and look forward to sharing some historic moments with their millions of football-loving viewers as the game in Asia moves into a new era.”

Hary Tanoesoedibjo, Group Chairman of the MNC Group, said about the deal: "We are delighted to announce that we have secured the most prestigious football competitions in Asia from 2021-2024. Football is the most popular sport in the country, and we are proud to establish this venture to bring fans a wide range of sports entertainment.

“The addition of various AFC competitions will further strengthen MNC's position as a ‘must see’ FTA network for any football fan. Millions of people in Indonesia will have the opportunity to enjoy and support Indonesian national team football as well as club football on an international scale.”

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With the Joeys currently involved in the FIFA U-17’s World Cup, some of Australia’s best young footballers are on show for the first time on the world stage. It is one of the rare opportunities for them to be so. Promising Australian talent is often well and truly distanced from public attention, with few tournaments available for them to show their wares.

All bar one of the U-17’s squad are contracted to professional clubs, with the majority honing their skills at youth level and biding their time before receiving a crack at top flight professional play.

Brisbane Roar’s Izaack Powell and Melbourne Victory’s Birkan Kirdar have both had a taste of the top level, yet for most it is something of a waiting game. That waiting builds frustration and a footballing anxiety to impress.

Such has appeared to be the case for the Joeys in both of their group matches thus far. Jumped early and stunned in the headlights by Ecuador, the young Australians were two goals behind after just nine minutes. There was something of a revival, plenty of possession and a late goal, yet it was a disappointing start to the tournament.

Things began in much the same way against Hungary yesterday. This time it took a little longer, 20 minutes in fact, for a two goal deficit to be established, but the Aussies were once again frantic and energetic without being poised and polished.

Prior to Hungary’s opener in the 14th minute, the Joeys had looked good, really good; seeking to make amends for their opening fixture. However, as soon as the Hungarians found their rhythm, the gaps began to appear and anxiety levels in the Joey’s squad appeared to increase.

What followed was the most stirring of second half comebacks from Australia. A penalty was followed by an equaliser in the 69th and 74th minutes and the Joeys should have won it late. Sadly, the winner did not come and it was to be just a lone point to keep hopes alive in the event.

It appeared clear that the Joey’s lack of experience and competitive opportunities affected their starts to both matches. Once they settled, particularly against Hungary, they looked just fine and the early swagger and confidence prior to going behind returned.

Just three members of the squad ply their trade overseas, with the remainder domestically based and involved in youth structures at A-League or NPL club level.

That essentially equates to players remaining in their home state/city and playing against opposition they know well and on a consistent basis.

A national competition similar to the FFA’s Y-League is required for them to improve, however the financial ramifications would be insurmountable for the clubs. The U-23 League can muster just eight competitive matches for its players; with clubs pooled into regions to restrain costs.

It is an unfortunate curse from which the wide brown land suffers, with airfares, accommodation and equipment expenses making extended national competitions at junior level nigh impossible.

Perhaps the answer lies in FFA supported and federation funded inter-state football, where representative teams from the eight states and territories compete for a national youth championship. School Sport Australia run such tournaments at U-16 and U-18 levels with great success.

Youth level championships would showcase the best young talent available and provide scouts with a centralised venue in which to witness that talent on show. It would expose players to all clubs across the Asian Confederation, something that is becoming increasingly important as the region grows at a rapid speed.

It is a concept that could be implemented across a range of age groups, potentially even as an extension of the U-23 Y-League concept.

It's fundamental goal would be to have young football talent in Australia playing more often against the best opposition available; beyond club land. Forging further corporate connections, streaming inter-state matches and broadening Australia’s reach across Asia are also potential benefits.

As it stands, Australia’s youth squads are blessed with immense talent, yet appear poorly prepared for the rigours of international football. Increasing their domestic opportunities against elite opposition could go some way to improving performances on the world stage.

Of course, organising and funding such opportunities is another thing altogether.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Executive Committee meeting for the first time in Vietnam today endorsed the roadmap for Indian football as a plan to grow the sport in the world’s second biggest country.
The endorsement comes shortly after the AFC held a summit in Kuala Lumpur on October 14 and involved representatives of both the Indian Super League (ISL) and the I-League as well as the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and IMG-Reliance.

The roadmap for the reform process is for the club game in the country – with the ISL being recognised as the top league in India starting from this 2019-2020 season.

The ISL League winners would also be entitled to a play-off place in the AFC Champions League and the I-League champions would take a place in the AFC Cup in ‘a package that takes into consideration the recommendations of the FIFA/AFC report of 2017.’

The AFC Executive Committee, at their meeting in Da Nang, noted the impressive start for the ISL in Kochi on Friday where the TV audience doubled after the game was shown in seven languages on 20 channels across the nation.

Following the AFC Executive Committee decision, the roadmap includes:

• In season 2019-20, the ISL will attain the status of premiere league competition in Indian football.

• The AFC will allow the winning ISL club to represent India in the AFC Champions League play-offs, and the I-League winner will get to play in the AFC Cup play-off.

• Another key recommendation by the AFC is to open a pathway for two I-League clubs’ entry into the ISL by the end of the 2020-21 season, subject to the criteria being fulfilled.

• In addition, starting with the 2022-23 and 2023-2024 season, the winner of the I-League will stand a chance to be promoted to the ISL with no participation fee, basis fulfilling sporting merit and the national club licensing criteria to be set out by the AIFF. There will be no relegation in the ISL at this time.

• In its recommendation for 2024-25, it is agreed to fully implement promotion and relegation into the top league, and abolition of two parallel leagues.

The document will now be distributed to all stakeholders for their information and future reference.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have announced they will increase the number of teams in the AFC Champions League and AFC Women's Asian Cup.

After an AFC executive committee meeting for the 2019-2023 cycle, it was decided further investment would be made in these two competitions.

Starting in 2021, the AFC Champions League will be expanded to include 40 teams in the continental competition. Eight more clubs will be included in the tournament, with four more sides added in both of the East and West zones.

The expansion will occur without any change to the existing slots for the best six Member Associations.

The AFC Women’s Asian Cup will expand to 12 teams in 2022, up from the eight teams who participated in the tournament last year in Jordan. The AFC still have to decide who will host the 2022 tournament, with countries including Chinese Taipei, India and Uzbekistan all submitting proposals.

“As you know we have always looked to grow the women’s game in Asia with new initiatives and that has been rewarded by world champions in FIFA competitions at every level,” AFC Vice President Saoud Al Mohannadi told committee members.

“We were the first Confederation to have at least five women ExCo Members and one of the few to appoint a woman referee to men’s competitions in the AFC Cup.

“And one of our Executive Members, Kanya Keomany, will be the first female match commissioner to be appointed for a men’s club competition final - the AFC Cup final at the start of next month.

“The start of the new Commercial cycle, with our exclusive partners, DDMC Fortis, is the perfect time to launch this new era in Asian football. It will be an era of excellence and inclusiveness.”

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Football Victoria have congratulated four Victorians who have been called up to play for the Young Matildas in the AFC U-19 Women’s Championship.

Claudia Mihocic, Teresa Morrissey, Kyra Cooney-Cross and Chelsea Blissett will represent Australia in the tournament which runs from October 27 - November 9 in Chonburi, Thailand.

16-year-old Mihocic was chosen after an excellent performance in the AFC U-16 Women’s Championship with the Junior Matildas in September.

All players from Victoria progressed through the state’s NTC program and/or the local NPLW.

The top two teams in each group will progress to the semi-finals, with the top three sides in the tournament earning one of the Asian qualification slots for the 2020 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.

The Young Matildas arrived in Thailand yesterday after a brief four-day camp in Sydney.

Coach Leah Blayney believes the team she has chosen will push for qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup next year.

“We believe that with the squad we have going to this tournament we are a strong chance of earning Australia qualification for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup for the first time since 2006.”

Australia will play against DPR Korea, Thailand and Vietnam in Group A with their first game on Sunday.

The squad and match details are listed below.

Westfield Young Matildas 23-Player Squad | 2019 AFC U-19 Women’s Championship

Westfield Young Matildas Upcoming Matches for 2019 AFC U-19 Women’s Championship

DPR Korea v Westfield Young Matildas
Date: Sunday, 27 October 2019
Location: IPE Stadium, Chonburi, Thailand
Kick-off: 4.00pm (local); 8.00pm (AEDT)

Westfield Young Matildas v Thailand
Date: Wednesday, 30 October 2019
Location: Chonburi Stadium, Chonburi, Thailand
Kick-off: 7.00pm (local); 11.00pm (AEDT)

Westfield Young Matildas v Vietnam
Date: Saturday, 2 November 2019
Location: IPE Chonburi Stadium, Chonburi, Thailand
Kick-off: 4.00pm (local); 8.00pm (AEDT)

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The battle for the final two spots to join hosts and reigning Asian champions Japan, at the Women’s Football Tournament at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 will be decided in a new and innovative qualifying tournament.

The Continent’s remaining women’s sides will learn their fate in the Asian Qualifiers Final Round Draw at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The revamped qualifying format for the 2020 edition will see the eight remaining teams divided into two groups, with the top two sides advancing to the two-legged play-offs to decide the final two Asian qualifiers.

This will give the Continent’s elite teams the opportunity to play their most significant matches in front of their home fans.

After two qualifying rounds of captivating action, the initial cast of 18 was whittled down to three with Myanmar, Vietnam and Chinese Taipei joining Australia, China PR, DPR Korea, Korea Republic and Thailand who reached the final round automatically as the highest ranked teams during the first round of qualifiers.

Following the outcome of the latest FIFA Ranking released on September 27, 2019, the Continent’s top-ranked sides Australia and DPR Korea will be placed in Pot 1, joint hosts for the final round, China PR and Korea Republic are in Pot 2, followed by Vietnam and Thailand in Pot 3 and Chinese Taipei and Myanmar confirming their places in the final pot.

The Asian Qualifiers Final Round will take place from February 3 to 9, 2020 with the two-legged play-off scheduled to take place on March 6 and 11, 2020.

Football at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics will commence with the women’s matches on July 22 – two days before the Games' official opening ceremony – with the men’s competition to begin on July 23. The 12-team women’s tournament will conclude on August 7, with the men’s tournament to conclude the following day.

Asian teams have established a long and proud tradition at the Olympic Games, with China PR (1996) and Japan (2012) winning silver in the women’s tournament, while Japan (1968) and Korea Republic (2012) clinched the bronze medals in the men’s competition.

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In a report from the AFC, the power brokers at the ISL (Indian Super League) will be looking to revamp the league system to try and improve the sport in India.

This news comes as it was recently revealed that the ISL champions would enter a play-off place in the Asian Champions League competition.

It is nice to see that India is trying to move forward and introduce a competent system with promotion and relegation, in a bid to be recognised as a soccer nation.

Australia has had similar problems over the years and the similarities are hard to miss.

Let's hope that like us Aussies, the Indians can start building towards a new era.

Full release below:

Kuala Lumpur: Indian football today was presented with a roadmap for the reform process for the club game in the country – with the Indian Super League (ISL) being recognised as the top league in India starting from this 2019-2020 season.

The ISL champions would also be entitled to a play-off place in the AFC Champions League and the I-League champions would take a place in the AFC Cup in ‘a package that takes into consideration the recommendations of FIFA/AFC report of 2017.’

Dato’ Windsor John, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) General Secretary, said at a meeting convened in Kuala Lumpur: “Everyone has to put the good of Indian football at the forefront and take the best decisions to develop Indian club football. The AFC will be very much involved to ensure the growth of the game to the next level with the pathway to a single league.

“Every point of this package – and it is a package – has been thought-out extremely carefully and it is aimed simply at providing the best chance to develop Indian club football. We have informed AIFF that 10-12 teams are not enough for the top League – it must be bigger.

“Everyone has contributed to the development of the Indian club game - ISL, I-League clubs, the AIFF and the AFC – and I am sure that if this roadmap is considered further then Indian football will see the benefits for the game. We are now all working together to deliver the best future.”

All India Football Federation (AIFF) General Secretary Kushal Das, added: “We now have a roadmap which provides the best opportunity for Indian club football. I would like to thank the AFC – and its General Secretary – for their contribution in proposing a solution to this unique problem. India is an important country for football in Asia.

“We have to be financially sustainable and take into consideration all commercial and contractual aspects of this plan because commerce is key to football not only in India but across the world of football. We must be cognisant of that fact of football life, that footballing legacy and investment are equally important for the development of Indian football.”

The proposal will now be presented to the AFC Executive Committee and the AIFF Executive Committee. The roadmap is:

• In season 2019-20, the ISL will attain the status of premiere league competition in Indian football.
• As a special compensation to India, the AFC will allow the winning ISL club to represent India in the AFC Champions League play-offs, and the I-League winner will get to play the AFC Cup play-off.
• Another key recommendation by the AFC is to open a pathway for two I-League clubs’ entry into the ISL by the end of the 2020-21 season, subject to the criteria being fulfilled.
• In addition, starting with the 2022-23 season, the winner of I-League will stand a chance to be promoted to the ISL with no participation fee, basis fulfilling sporting merit and the national club licensing criteria to be set out by the AIFF. There will be no relegation in the ISL at this time.
• In its recommendation for 2024-25, it is agreed to fully implement promotion and relegation into the top league, and abolition of two parallel leagues.

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2016 and 2018 AFC Referee of the Year Alireza Faghani will officiate his first match in the A-League this Saturday, when the Wanderers play Central Coast.

The Iranian recently migrated to Australia for family reasons and was offered a contract by the FFA to referee in the A-League.

The addition of Faghani coincides with A-League bosses investing $150,000 in new Hawkeye technology, as the league tries to minimise errors and focus on further improving refereeing standards.

The last two A-League grand finals have both had VAR errors and could be a reason why many are disenchanted with the league at the moment.

A man of Faghani’s experience and respectability worldwide may lead to less reliance on the technology.

The 41-year-old recently refereed in two matches at the AFC Asian Cup 2019, as well as being in charge for four matches at last year’s FIFA World Cup. These games included the Round of 16 match between France and Argentina and the third-place play-off match between Belgium and England.

This won’t be the first time Australian fans will have seen the Iranian official, as he was the man in the middle when the Socceroos beat the Korea Republic in the AFC Asian Cup 2015 final.

Other honours include officiating two matches in the 2017 Confederations Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games gold medal match between Germany and Brazil.

Faghani will join Shaun Evans, Alex King and Chris Beath as the full-time referees for the 2019/20 A-League season.

Alireza recently spoke of his excitement about his new experience.

“Once my family made the decision to move to Australia, it was fantastic that the opportunity to referee in the Hyundai A-League came about,” said Faghani.

“It was a very big decision to leave our home country, but I am extremely thankful that I am still able to referee professionally in one of the top domestic leagues in Asia and also continue my career as an international match official.

“I have refereed many times in Australia and with Australian clubs so I am very familiar with the players and venues.”

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CIES have joined forces to create a new scholarship scheme to generously offer five young professionals the chance to study on the International MA in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport, better known as the FIFA Master which is spread across three prestigious universities in Europe.
This scholarship scheme was successfully implemented for the first time this year and five lucky beneficiaries will start their FIFA Master 20th edition journey on 17th September at De Montfort University in Leicester, England, for a 3-month module on the Humanities of Sport at the university’s renowned International Centre for Sports History and Culture (Kevin Goco, Philippines; Rishab Kapur, India; Mahmoud Qaraqra, Palestine; Tyson Scott, Australia; Han Bits Yi, South Korea).

[caption id="attachment_2352" align="alignnone" width="431"] Australian Tyson Scott amongst the five candidates selected[/caption]

In January, the class will then move to Italy to study Sports Management at Milan’s SDA Bocconi School of Management. Following the completion of this module, the class will finally transfer to Switzerland where they will be taught Sports Law at the University of Neuchâtel for the final module of the year.

The scholarships are part of the AFC’s commitment to enhance the capability of staff from the AFC’s Member Associations and were announced by the AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa at the 28th AFC Congress in Kuala Lumpur last October.

Shaikh Salman said: “The AFC is determined to raise standards in the game across Asia and that includes those who work so tirelessly off the field as well as those who compete on the pitch. Not only does Asia require outstanding players in the future but we also have a duty to deliver top class administrators.”

CIES is delighted to have joined forces with the AFC and as explained by CIES Director, Professor Denis Oswald, this new scholarship scheme “will ensure that more candidates will be able to participate in our programme which is excellent news as, sometimes, very good candidates cannot take the course because they are not in a position to fund their participation.”

The fruitful co-operation is set to continue as the AFC recently announced that five new scholarships will again be offered to Asian football staff keen to take part in the 21st edition of the Master.

The application process for the 21st edition (2020-2021) will open on October 1st, 2019 and will close in mid-January 2020.

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The Asian Football Confederation’s commitment to protect the welfare and safety of children across the Continent marked a significant milestone with the first-ever AFC Child Safeguarding Seminar 2019 which concluded today in Chonburi, Thailand.

Held in conjunction with the ongoing AFC U-16 Women’s Championship Thailand 2019, the objective of the seminar was to expand the reach of the new FIFA Child Safeguarding Programme and Toolkit – FIFA Guardians - a major initiative launched by the world governing body in July this year aimed at assisting Member Associations and Confederations around the world to introduce stronger child safeguarding measures in football.

Organised in collaboration with the Football Association of Thailand (FA Thailand), more than 30 participants, including representatives from the eight participating Member Associations, local non-governmental organisations as well as clubs and academies were given the opportunity to widen their knowledge on the industry’s best practices from UNICEF Thailand.

AFC General Secretary, Dato’ Windsor John said: “Our children, our youth represent our future. The AFC has underlined our ambitions to use the power of football as a force for social development and to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to cultivate a lifelong passion for the game in the best possible environment.

“Our success relies significantly on embarking on a shared journey together and I must thank FIFA, FA Thailand, UNICEF, our participating members and valued partners for their commitment towards strengthening the systems, structures and building a better, brighter, and above all, safer environment for our future generation of players.”

Containing practical guidance and support materials, the FIFA Guardians toolkit is based on “five principles and five steps” that are underpinned by internationally recognised standards in child safeguarding across sports.

Child safeguarding encompasses the prevention of physical, sexual and emotional abuse, neglect and maltreatment of children by everyone in the football ecosystem, including contractors, business partners, visitors to premises and volunteers.

Ms. Miyazaki Etsuko, Manager, Coach Education Group for the Japan Football Association (JFA) said: “Grassroots and youth football is growing rapidly in Japan, which ultimately raises the demand for JFA to ensure that the security and interest of our players are always protected.

“Today’s seminar has provided an excellent platform not only to gain insights from international experts, but as guardians of the game, it has also strengthened our resolve as one family to ensure child protection is given a louder voice and greater focus.”

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Asia’s top competitions – the AFC Asian Cup and the AFC Champions League – were discussed by the top coaches at the fourth AFC Elite Club Coaches’ Seminar which was held again in Shanghai, China PR during the last two days.

Gerard Houllier, the former France and Liverpool coach, joined the coaching talent which included former AFC Asian Cup winning coach Ange Postecoglou, who won the 2015 AFC Asian Cup with Australia and now coaches Yokohama F Marinos in Japan.

Last year’s beaten finalist AFC Champions League with Persepolis, Branko Ivankovic, (now with Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli), Iceland’s Heimir Hallgrimsson who coaches Al-Arabi in Qatar and Gabriel Calderon, now Persepolis in the Islamic Republic of Iran, represented the West.

Another former Liverpool coach Rafael Benitez, who has just joined Dalian Yifang from Newcastle, was among a strong contingent of coaches from China PR – Luis Garcia (Beijing Renhe), Li Xiaopeng (Shandong Luneng Taishan), Bruno Genesio (Beijing Sinobo Guoan), Wang Baoshan (Henan Jianye) and ACL East zone semi-finalist Vitor Pereira with Shanghai SIPG.

Sydney FC’s Stephen Corica and former Melbourne Victory coach Kevin Muscat, an ever-present at all four forums, were joined by Korea’s Kim Do-hoon (Ulsan Hyundai) and Jose Morais (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors) as well as Tomohiro Katanosaka from Japan’s Oita Trinita.

Sun Wen the former China PR women’s captain, coach of the local Shanghai women’s team, and now Chinese FA Vice President, was among the audience at an event opened by Gao Hongbo, a former Chinese national player and coach.

Mr Gao said: “The Chinese FA are delighted at the trust the AFC places in us every year by hosting this important event in Shanghai. It is important that the CFA and Chinese football learns from the best practice that is available in Asia.”

Andy Roxburgh, the AFC Technical Director, added: “We thank not only the CFA but all the clubs and coaches who have given their support for this vital event. In the last four years we have gathered the finest minds in not only Asian but also world football.

“People like Gerard Houllier, Fabio Capello, Sven Goran Eriksson and Rafa Benitez have freely shared their experience with some of the younger coaches and this can only be good for the development of the coaching talent and competitions in Asia.”

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On Monday, the AFC announced that its nominees for the 2019 AFC Dream Asia Awards were announced.

The Dream Asia Foundation was set up in 2017 as a way using football to bring people together, mainly those who are disadvantaged.

The AFC's vision is to make soccer more accessible to everyone and there are many nominees in many different categories. Which is great to see. Soccer is a great way of uniting people and it's fantastic to see the AFC finding success with this Foundation.

Monday's press release can be found below:

The power of football as a platform for social development continues to gain momentum with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Dream Asia Awards 2019 compiling a record 26 shortlist from Member Associations and many other organisations.

Leading the way in the Inspiring Member Associations category, which was introduced in 2018, are the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan Football Association, Football Association of Malaysia, Uzbekistan Football Association and the Chinese Football Association.

Bangladesh Football Federation, Hong Kong Football Association, Jordan Football Association, Myanmar Football Federation and the Football Association of Singapore have submitted their nominations for the Developing category.

Guam Football Association, Mongolian Football Federation and the Palestine Football Association complete the line-up in the Aspiring category.

The Non-Government Organisation (NGO) category is the most competitive with eight nominations received namely, Shanghai Adream Foundation and Shanghai Love and Grace Sports Club from China PR, Global Workers' Organisation from Chinese Taipei, Persepolis FC Fan Club from the Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan Inclusive FF, Dignity for Children from Malaysia as well as Childreach Nepal and Shelter Ashraya Nepal.

Volkswagen Group from China, Sun Ai Carpet from IR Iran and Qatar’s SHELL have been nominated in the Corporate category with Iranian international Alireza Beiranvand and veteran journalist Bhojraj Bhat from Nepal vying for the Individual category.

The winners for this year’s awards will be announced on October 30, 2019 at the annual AFC Social Responsibility Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Winning Member Associations will receive a prize of USD$15,000 to reinvest in social projects and the winners in the other categories will receive USD$10,000.

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In a statement made earlier today. the AFC have announced that South Korean Kim Se-in will become the first ever match commissioner in their history.

The news comes as female match commissioners were announced for the 2022 World Cup and the 2023 Asian Cup. Stephanie Frappart was also named as the first female referee for a men's major UEFA event.

https://twitter.com/OptusSport/status/1161382416801398784

Clearly, the AFC want to stay up to date and frankly, we couldn't be happier to see it.

Full statement below:

Korea Republic’s Kim Se-in will make Asian football history by becoming the first female match commissioner to take charge of the Asian Qualifiers Round 2 game between Guam and Maldives after FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirmed her appointment.

Kim will be joined by three other female match commissioners in the Asian Qualifiers - Nguyen Thanh Ha of Vietnam, Lau Cheuk Chi of Hong Kong and AFC Executive Committee member Kanya Keomany of Laos – who were confirmed by FIFA after being nominated by the AFC.

The appointment of the female match commissioners for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023 Joint Qualifiers underlines the AFC’s steadfast commitment to promote women in Asian football.

AFC General Secretary Dato’ Windsor John said: “The Asian football family is proud to have four female match commissioners appointed to manage the Asian Qualifiers. The AFC values the contribution of women in the sport and we will continue to support women in the workforce.

“The AFC encourages more women to take up the varied roles in football and we hope more will follow in the footsteps of all the women who have - and continue - to play pivotal roles in the success and development of the sport.”

It will be a proud day for the experienced Kim when she oversees the Guam and Maldives tie which will be played at the Guam FA Field on September 5 as 40 Asian countries begin their journey to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023.

The other female match commissioners will also play their part in future Asian Qualifier matches.

Kim, who is the Head of Public Relations for the Korea Football Association (KFA), said: “I’m surprised but also proud to be given this opportunity by FIFA and the AFC. I have experience of being a match commissioner in women’s competition, but I can expect a big difference between a men’s and women’s tournament, in terms of size and scale, so I’m excited with this opportunity. Although it is bit different but the fundamentals are still the same because it is all about football.

“In the past, there were no female match commissioners in Korea Republic, and that motivated me to be the first female match commissioner in my country. I’ve surpassed my expectations and it is great to see other women going for the match commissioner exams this year. I’m also happy to hear that some of our national players are also considering to become match commissioners after seeing how I achieved this.

“People need to believe that it doesn’t matter if you are female or male – you just need the proper talent and knowledge to be selected for a job. We must do our best and be willing to go beyond our comfort zones,” she added.

Kim has been involved in football for many years and has been a match commissioner in AFC women’s competition since 2017. She was also the team manager and head of administration for the Korea Republic women’s national teams.

She also served as a Media Officer in international competitions and in 2018 was appointed by the KFA as a general coordinator for Men’s A matches in Korea Republic.

In May, the trio of Japanese referees Yoshimi Yamashita alongside assistant referees Makoto Bozono and Naomi Teshirogi became the first all-female cast to officiate an AFC Cup match between Myanmar’s Yangon United FC and Naga World of Cambodia.

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After a successful campaigning stint during the 2019 Asian Cup earlier this year, the AFC is pushing on with the goal of raising awareness for women who both work and play in the soccer industry.

With the Women's World Cup only just finishing up, now is an ideal time for the AFC to reach out to as many people as possible.

It's also notable that this media release has come during a time when USNWT captain Megan Rapinoe has been in the news promoting the women's game. Many people have been lauding her and her opinions, but there is still a large contingent who don't appear to be moving with the times.

https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1152712048113082369

Rapinoe has been making serious headlines and with this in mind, the AFC clearly want to generate more positive news when so many people still feel the need to negatively influence the women's game.

https://twitter.com/CLTure/status/1152651276649467906

The AFC's media release from Monday night can be found in full below:

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) continues the “It’s My Game” campaign which celebrates the role of women working in football. In the latest segment, the AFC focuses on Svetlana Kashuba of Kyrgyz Republic and how she plans to shape women’s football.

Kashuba enjoyed a notable playing career for Kyrgyz Republic and after hanging up her boots, she is now striving to make a difference in the sport as the women’s football manager in her country.

Respected by her peers and looked up to by young female footballers, Kashuba rose through the ranks by representing her national team in the U-16 and U-19 women’s competitions before playing at the club level in Kyrgyz Republic.

She looks back fondly at how she started playing football and the memories serve as a reminder of how important her current position is.

“I walked with a friend from school and she told me that neighboring stadiums had football trainings only for girls. I was very interested because I could express myself by playing with other girls.

“Before that, I only played with boys. I was always the only girl among them, so I wanted to go and see women’s football. When I saw only girls playing, it motivated me even more.

“I joined the training and with the very first kick I hit the crossbar! The coach told me, ‘You will play and train with us.’ That inspired me because it was my dream to find a place where I could show my potential,” Kashuba recalled.

She is delighted to see how women’s football has developed over the years and hopes the momentum will continue.

“Looking at the girls now, I can see that they play football with more enthusiasm and the number of girls playing the sport is steadily growing. More and more girls are playing football in schools and we have more women’s teams. We are very happy to see so many women’s teams taking part in competitions at a very young age.”

Kashuba believes that women have a huge role to play in football and hopes more will join her and make a career in the sport as a result of the “It’s My Game” campaign – which has reached more than 800,000 fans so far and have received more than 300,000 views on the AFC’s digital platforms.

“Football is not just a game, it is our life and we must prove to ourselves and those around us that we can be successful. I hope that we will see more participation of women not only on the field but also in senior positions in the future,” she said.

To watch the full video, please click here.

AFC #ItsMyGame statistics so far:

Facebook: 351,949 impressions, 251,153 Reach, 51,732 video views
Twitter: 193,176 impressions, 24,663 video views
LinkedIn: 25,032 impressions, 3,732 video views
Instagram: 500,362 reach, 236,922 video views

*ENDS*

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) reinforced its commitment to ensure the safety of women in the sport by signing the Declaration of Principles for the Protection of Women and Girls from Sexual Harassment and Abuse in Football Worldwide.

The Declaration has been drawn up by international social enterprise, Association Football Development Programme (AFDP Global), which is founded by HRH Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein.

The AFC is dedicated and will continue to provide a safe environment for women and girls to participate in football – on and off the pitch – without any exploitation or harassment.

By signing the declaration, the AFC reiterates its pledge to adhere to its key principles which include adopting a clear standard safeguarding code and instituting educational programmes, implementing whistleblowing and reporting mechanisms, enforcement of policies through serious sanctions and supporting affected individuals.

Dato’ Windsor John, the AFC General Secretary, said: “We are fully committed to providing a safe environment for everyone who plays football and at our AFC Executive meeting in Muscat in November last year we agreed to review our rules and regulations as well as Statutes in this area. That important work is on-going, and a report should go to our relevant committees in the next few months.”

AFDP Global is a social enterprise that funds, supports and partners with organisations to unite and transform communities through football.

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For the first time in Asian footballing history, an all-female officiating team have taken to the pitch.

Japanese referee Yoshimi Yamashita, alongside assistant referees Makoto Bozono and Naomi Teshirogi, have led the way for aspiring female officials.

They all had their chance at an AFC Cup group stage match between Yangon United FC and Naga World at the Thuwunna Stadium.

In a first for the Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) club competitions, it will mean three female referees are officiating in the same game, making it a new achievement in Asian refereeing.

Yamashita, Bozono and Teshirogi had to go through a gruelling fitness test that needed them to match the requirements of male referees. All three officials are included in the 12 Asian match officials representing the AFC at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France throughout June.

Feature image provided from the AFC: http://www.the-afc.com/competitions/afc-cup/latest/news/female-referees-create-afc-history

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The new initiative Advance 11 gives MAs a platform to measure and benchmark their capabilities against a set of guidelines.

By implementing and following these structured set of guidelines, MAs can identify and evaluate their individual strengths and weaknesses.

Advance 11 is the AFC's way of helping MAs to improve in all aspects of the game. The criteria is displayed as typical starting positions in a clear visual manner.

MAs will have Advance 11 delivered in three stages shown below, to ensure that optimum results are achieved:

Advance 11 offers MAs the chance to address a wide variety of areas both on and off the pitch.

Featured image and embedded image provided via http://www.the-afc.com/news/afcsection/afc-introduces-new-advance-11-initiative-for-members-association

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