Asian federation postpones Congress

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -- The Asian Football Confederation is postponing its Congress planned for May 10 in the interests of harmony for Asian soccer ahead of the World Cup in South Korea and Japan.

The decision is an intriguing one, essentially preventing Asian delegates from becoming publicly involved in any potential campaign for the FIFA presidency.

Dr Chung Mong-joon, the president of the South Korean Football Association and a FIFA vice-president, is widely regarded as a possible candidate for the FIFA presidency although he has yet to declare whether he will run against sitting president Sepp Blatter.

He may not run at all, or he may support a bid from Issa Hayatou, the president of the African Confederation. Either way by postponing the Congress, the AFC, many of whose members are known to be supporters of Blatter, will not have to declare an interest against Dr Chung, should he decide to stand, before the World Cup.

The AFC's Executive Committee said on Thursday in a statement issued after their meeting: "As elections tend to factionalise the Asian football family, the Executive Committee felt that it was unwise to do so before the greatest festival of football hosted for the first time in Asia.

"The Executive Committee felt that that the AFC should remain a united family demonstrating total support and solidarity for the success of the World Cup in Korea and Japan."

The executive said it would meet on March 14 to decide when and where the Congress would take place.

Confederation congresses are usually held before the main FIFA Congress in any given year. This year's FIFA Congress is just before the World Cup finals begin and is being held in Seoul on May 28/29.

For the first time since the AFC was founded in 1954 it looks as though there is going to be a contest for the presidency.

FIFA Executive committee member Mohammad bin Hammam Al-Abdulla of Qatar confirmed that he was going to challenge the sitting president Sultan Ahmad Shah of Malaysia for the position, although Sultan Ahmad Shah, who became president in 1994, has not yet indicated whether he will stand or not.

Hamman also told a new conference that if he won the presidency vote he had no intention to move the AFC headquarters out of Kuala Lumpur.

AFC welcome English moves to boost game in Afghanistan

The Asian Football Confederation has endorsed a move by the English Football Association to stage a match in Kabul next week and is committed to bringing Afghanistan back into the mainstream of Asian soccer.

The AFC's executive committee, which met on Thursday, gave their backing to an English FA initiative for the game in Kabul on February 15 between the International Security and Assistance Forces (ISAF) and a team called Kabul United made up of the four senior clubs from the Afghan capital.

In London, a spokeswoman for the English FA, told Reuters: "The English delegation will comprise [former England international] Gary Mabbutt and [former England coach] Lawrie McMenemy who will act as managers for the two teams.

"Peter Jones, the premier league referee, will officiate the game which will be played by ISAF forces which comprises mainly British but also German, Italian, Spanish and French troops and players from the four senior clubs in Kabul."

The game will go ahead with security provided by ISAF and 30,000 tickets have been issued.

David Davies, the English FA's executive director who is acting as the chef de mission, has been asked by FIFA president Sepp Blatter to make a full report as soccer's world ruling body are keen to bring Afghanistan back into their fold.

The Afghanistan FA was founded in 1933, joined FIFA in 1948 and was a founder member of the AFC in 1954.

Although the national team has never entered the qualifying rounds for any World Cup, Afghan club football was well run and established until the Soviet invasion of 1979.

Afghanistan has not played an international match of any description for more than 20 years, but FIFA have invited delegates to the FIFA Congress in Seoul in May and are anxious to get the game up and running there again.

Afghanistan will also be given priority for development under the FIFA Goal project. An AFC delegation will visit Afghanistan as soon as the situation permits.

AFC to ask FIFA to reinstate Bangladesh

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) wants FIFA to lift its suspension on the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) after its elected executive committee was reinstated by the government on Monday.

FIFA suspended Bangladesh last month for violating its rules following a move by BFF president S.A Sultan who suspended the executive committee on December 20 last year without stating a reason.

Sultan, a member of parliament, was appointed by the new government after the Bangladesh Nationalist Party won a landslide victory in a general election in October last year.

But the AFC's executive heard on Thursday that an ad-hoc committee formed by the government to run Bangladeshi soccer had been dissolved and the elected executive committee reinstated.

BFF secretary Harunur Rashid confirmed the U-turn to the AFC executive on Thursday and asked them to request FIFA to lift the suspension.

The AFC Executive Committee added in a statement it wanted the BFF to amend its constitution to comply with the statutes of the AFC and FIFA.

 

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