Aussies get AFC nod to quit Oceania, join Asian group
Aussies get AFC nod to quit Oceania, join Asian group
Sean Yoong, Associated Press/Kuala Lumpur
Asian soccer chiefs on Wednesday approved Australia's bid to move out of the Oceania soccer confederation and join its 45- nation Asian counterpart, pending approval by FIFA.
The Asian Football Confederation's executive committee, at its one-day meeting, has "unanimously approved the wishes of Australia to join the AFC," said AFC president Mohamed bin Hammam.
"It is beneficial for both Australia to join us in better competitions and for the AFC to have Australia with all its technical standards and capabilities," he told reporters.
Australia earlier this month declared its intention to quit the disparate, 11-member Oceania Football Confederation and join the AFC. The intention is to benefit from wider exposure and tougher matches in the Asian league, which could bring in higher revenues.
It will also give Australia a chance at direct qualification to future soccer World Cups. Presently, the top nation from Oceania qualification must play a home-and-away play off against the fifth-placed South American team to make the World Cup.
Hammam declined to say how long it might take for Australia to formally become a full member but indicated it might not be before next year.
Australia will still need to officially resign from Oceania, submit a membership application to the AFC and seek the approval of FIFA, soccer's world governing body, said AFC general secretary Peter Velappan.
"The AFC will wholeheartedly accept Australia as a member but there are a lot of statutory procedures still to be followed," he said.
Hammam refused to speculate on whether New Zealand might also seek to leave Oceania for Asia, saying the AFC would "talk about that whenever it happens."
Hammam also dismissed speculation that Asian soccer powers like Japan and Saudi Arabia might feel threatened by Australia's participation, saying "the arrival of Australia is going to increase the image and standards of Asian soccer."
Oceania is the smallest of FIFA's six confederations and the only one without a guaranteed direct entry to the World Cup.
It was formed in 1966, two years after the Asian confederation rejected membership applications from Australia and New Zealand.
With the exception of Australian and New Zealand, Oceania comprises mainly small Pacific island nations. Australia has been its member for 30 years.
Meanwhile, AFC voiced concerns that Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam have not made sufficient progress in their preparations to co-host the Asian Cup in 2007.
The body's executive committee "expressed dissatisfaction about the preparations which have gone so far with regard to the Asian Cup 2007," Hammam said.
"Until today, we have not actually received reports that make us satisfied about a smooth and successful organization of the Asian Cup 2007 at the four venues," Hammam told reporters.
Hammam has previously said the decision to give the Asian Cup to four countries reflected a desire to allow more nations to gain experience holding the tournament.
All four co-hosts, whose teams are among the weakest in Asia, will gain automatic entry to the 2007 tournament, leaving 12 places to be contested in qualifying rounds.