AFC: Asian Football Confederation
Confederation Asian Football Association (AFC, for its acronym in English according to ABBREVIATIONFINDER.ORG). One of the six continental confederations of FIFA, the governing body of Asian football. AFC has 46 member associations and they represent more than half of the world’s population. In fact, only India and China have more than 2.5 million people.
The AFC is responsible for the management of soccer in Asia. Among his various responsibilities are: regulating the game, drafting new laws to improve sport, law enforcement, promoting grassroots sport and youth soccer, and conducting major competitions.
History
The AFC was officially formed on 8 of maypole in 1954 in Manila, Philippines, in the framework of the Second Asian Games. The 12 founding members were Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam.
Brief chronology of Asian football
- 1954 – The AFC was officially formed on May 8 of this year in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, in the framework of the Second Asian Games. Twelve national pioneer associations – Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam. The organization took a recognizable shape when the governing body of the world of soccer, FIFA approved the AFC in Bern, Switzerland, on June 21, 1954.
- 1956 – First Asian Cup, held in Hong Kong. The Republic of Korea was crowned champion.
- 1966 – The heroism of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea at the World Cup stunned the world. Pak Doo-ik’s winning goal against Italy in their 1-0 win was the first time for an Asian at the World Cup.
- 1967 – First Asian Club Championship held in Bangkok, unveiling a new era in club football.
- 1975 – First Asian Women’s Championship, held in Hong Kong.
- 1985 – The world of soccer comes to Asia for the first time when China hosts the U-17 World Championship.
- 2002 – The World Cup is successfully co-hosted by Korea and Japan.
- 2003-04 – Renewal of the AFC Champions League for ongoing clubs, by merging three previous club competitions. The vision of Asia, a radical development plan in motion, by the ninth AFC President, Mohamed Bin Hammam. The professionalization of football begins in Asia, under his leadership.
- 2004 – AFC celebrates its 50th anniversary at AFC House, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
- 2007 – Mohamed Bin Hammam is reelected as president of the AFC. Asian Cup held in four countries. Iraq is proclaimed continental champion.
- 2009 – AFC Champions League is renewed in strictly professional lines.
- 2011 – Zhang Jilong of China takes over as AFC interim president.
Associations
The AFC is made up of 46 national associations, which are grouped into four federations due to the breadth of the region.
| ASEAN Football Federation (AFF)· Australia
· Brunei · Cambodia · Philippines · Indonesia · Laos · Malaysia · Maldives · Burma · Singapore · Thailand · East Timor · Vietnam |
East Asia Football Federation (EAFF)· North Korea
· South Korea · China · Chinese Taipei · Guam · Hong Kong · Japan · Macau · Mongolia · Northern Mariana Islands |
| West Asia Football Federation (WAFF)· Saudi Arabia
· Bahrain · Qatar · United Arab Emirates · Iran · Iraq · Jordan · Kuwait · Lebanon · Oman · Palestine · Syria · Yemen |
Central and South Asian Football Federation (CAFF & SAFF)· Afghanistan
· Bangladesh · Bhutan · India · Kyrgyzstan · Nepal · Pakistan · Sri Lanka · Tajikistan · Turkmenistan · Uzbekistan |
Competitions
Selection tournaments
Men’s Tournaments
Confederation Tournaments
- Asian Cup
- AFC qualification for the Soccer World Cup
- AFC Challenge Cup
- AFC U19 Championship
- AFC U16 Championship
- AFC Futsal Championship
Regional tournaments
- Football Championship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
- East Asia Soccer Championship
- South Asian Federation Championship
- West Asian Football Federation Championship
- Gulf Nations Cup
Women’s Tournaments
- AFC Women’s Asian Cup
- AFC Women’s Under-19 Championship
- AFC Women’s U16 Championship
Club tournaments
- AFC Champions League
- AFC Cup
- AFC President Cup
- Suruga Bank Cup
