One of the goals that football players definitely want to achieve is to be able to join a larger-scale match. Generally, this can be achieved if a football club in a specific region has an agency that helps manage and bridge.
In the scope of Asia, this agency is known as the AFC (Asian Football Confederation). The role of the AFC in the history of world football cannot be underestimated. This is because the AFC is the main link between the world of Asian football and the global stage.
This article will discuss the Asian Football Confederation's ins and outs, from its inception to the competitions it has held, to its strategic role in developing Asian football. If you support an Asian football club, you should never miss this information. Learn more about AFC and its role in the following article!
What Is the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)?
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is an agency that manages football in the Asian region. The AFC is one of six confederations under the aegis of FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association), which manages football on the Asian continent.
The AFC oversees several indigenous confederations, including the following:
- West Asian Football Federation (WAFF): Members are Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and Jordan.
- South Asia Football Federation (SAFF): Members are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
- East Asian Football Federation (EAFF): Guam, Hong Kong, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Macau, Mongolia, Northern Mariana Islands, Taiwan, and China are members.
- Central Asian Football Association (CAFA): Members are Afghanistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan.
- ASEAN Football Federation (AFF): Members are Australia, Brunei, Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste, and Vietnam.
In addition, there is a confederation that regulates women's football, the Asian Ladies Football Confederation (ALFC).
How Did the AFC Get Established?
The AFC history and establishment were held in Manila, Philippines, on May 7, 1954. At that time, the AFC was established to strengthen football organizations in the Asian region after World War II.
Initially, the AFC had only 13 founding countries as members: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Taiwan, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam.
However, over time, the number of AFC member countries increased to 47, including several countries in Oceania, such as Australia, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
In addition to the larger number of AFC member countries, its headquarters were also moved in 1965, initially to Hong Kong and then Penang, Malaysia.
After 35 years of being headquartered in Tanah Melayu, in 2000, the AFC's permanent basecamp (AFC House) was finally inaugurated in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur.
So, who has been the leader of the AFC since the organization was founded? Because it was initially headquartered in Hong Kong, when it was first formed, the AFC was led by the president of Hong Kong, Sir Lo Man Kam. The current leader of the AFC is the president of Bahrain, Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa.
Did you know? Salman has been the president of the AFC for three consecutive terms, from 2013 to the present, and will end in 2027.
In addition to his position as President of the AFC, Salman is also the Senior Vice President of the FIFA Council. Interestingly, Salman is not only known as an official, but was also a football player in the Riffa SC youth team, one of the elite clubs in the Bahrain League in the early 1980s.
The Role of the AFC
As an umbrella body for football clubs in the Asian region, the AFC certainly has several important roles. The following are the roles of the AFC that you need to know:
1. Managing Football Competitions in Asia
The AFC organizes various football tournaments, both at club and country (National) levels. The Asian Cup is the AFC's first tournament, held in 1956 in Hong Kong, and South Korea was crowned champion.
The AFC's goal in holding competitions or tournaments is to improve the quality of football in Asia, encourage professionalism, strengthen collaboration between Asian countries, and, of course, as a qualification path to global tournaments.
2. Developing Football in Asia
In fact, the AFC not only holds competitions and awards to top teams but also plays a role in developing football through training programs, player development, referees, and coaches.
The AFC is also concerned about technical matters such as the quality of football facilities. This agency has several infrastructure development programs, including the AFC President's Infrastructure Initiative and the AFC Kick-Off Program.
3. Conducting Qualifications for Global Tournaments
The next role of the AFC is to hold qualifications (selection and elimination) for its member countries to be able to compete in various global tournaments, one of which is the World Cup. The qualifications held by the AFC include senior, junior, and women's team levels.
4. Improving the Quality and Integrity of the Game in Asia
The standard of football progress is not only seen from the achievement of impressive scores, but also the commitment of all parties to comply with the established football regulations.
Therefore, the AFC must ensure that matches and all football activities run fairly, honestly, and free from cheating, such as match fixing, corruption, doping, and other forms of manipulation.
The "Say no to Match-Fixing" campaign, which aims to prevent score fixing, is one of the AFC's efforts to improve the integrity of the game.
In addition, the AFC also formed the AFC Integrity Unit, which works specifically to monitor, investigate, and handle alleged violations.
What Competitions Does the AFC Hold?
To improve the quality of Asian football clubs so that they gain more recognition on the global stage, the AFC holds the following official competitions:
1. National Team Competitions
The AFC national team competitions bring together teams representing their respective countries and usually take place every 2–4 years. Some of the competitions in question include:
- AFC Asian Cup.
- AFC U-23 Asian Cup.
- AFC U-20 Asian Cup.
- AFC U-17 Asian Cup.
- AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
- AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup.
- AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup.
2. Inter-Club Competitions
Unlike national competitions, inter-club competitions involve professional clubs representing a particular city or institution, not a country. The following are some inter-club competitions held by the AFC:
- AFC Champions League Elite (ACL Elite).
- AFC Champions League 2 (ACL 2).
- AFC Challenge League.
- AFC Women’s Club Championship.
- AFC Futsal Asian Cup.
- AFC Women’s Futsal Championship.
- AFC Futsal Club Championship.
- AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup.
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