Aussie soccer expects smooth sailing into Asia

Aussie soccer expects smooth sailing into Asia

Associated Press, Sydney, Australia

Australia's soccer chief said on Saturday he expected no problems in leaving the Oceania Football Confederation to join its Asian counterpart, and that the move could happen as early as June.

Australia's bid to join the Asian Football Confederation was unanimously endorsed on Wednesday by Asian soccer chiefs at a meeting in Malaysia.

Football Australia chairman Frank Lowy said he expected Australia to receive a sympathetic hearing at an Oceania meeting April 16. Australia must officially resign from Oceania, which then has to allow it to leave at the April meeting.

Lowy also said an executive committee meeting of world governing body FIFA on June 29 in Germany could be Australia's last remaining hurdle. If it didn't happen then, a full congress of FIFA in September could approve the shift.

Asian Confederation president Mohamed bin Hammam said on Saturday the move could not come soon enough.

"If it was left to our wishes, we would like it to have happened yesterday," bin Hammam said on Saturday.

Joining Asia would provide Australia with a tougher but more lucrative road to the 2010 World Cup finals.

IF FIFA ratifies the move in June, it would clear the way for Australia to be eligible for the 2007 Asian Cup qualifiers starting early next year, as well as Australian A-League teams joining the Asian Champions League.

Lowy described the impending move as "a transforming event" for Australian soccer.

"I know that the marketing side is very exciting, I know the footballing side is very exciting," Lowy said.

Oceania is the only one of FIFA's confederations which doesn't have a guaranteed spot in the World Cup finals. A place was offered in 2002 and withdrawn before qualifying began in 2003.