The AFC

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) was founded in 1954, and regulates all off the football leagues in Asia. It is composed of four federations: East, West, Central and South, and ASEAN. The main competitions which they support are the Asian Cup and Asian Champions League. Over the years, the Confederation has evolved into one of the leading organizers of professional football.

About the Football Federation

The Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of football in Asia. The confederation was founded in 1954 in Manila, Philippines. It is one of FIFA’s six Continental Confederations. It is divided into four federations: East, West, Central and South, and ASEAN. The most prestigious tournament which is run by the AFC is the AFC Champions League, which is based on the UEFA Champions league.

Federation History

The Asian Football Confederation was founded in 1954 in Manila, Philippines. The first Asian Cup to ever take place was in 1956 in Hong Kong, with the winner being Korea. A year later, The Merdeka Cup was established, and became one of the most prestigious competitions in Asia. Soon Asian players stated to gain recognition, as the North Korean National Football Team defeated European giants Italy.

In 1967 the Asian Football Confederation extended its influence to club teams, and created the Asian Club Championship. Clubs from Israel became the dominant teams in the competition, wining thee championships in four years. The tournament was canceled in 1972, due to lack of interest, but was reinstated after 14 years. In 1994 Thai Farmers bank made history by becoming the first club to successfully defend its Asian Club Championship by defeating Al Arabi in the final.

The Asian Champions Cup, Asian Cup Winners Cup, and Asian Super Cup merged into one competition the Asian Champions League, which is named after the UEFA Competition. On May 8th 2005, the Asian Football Confederation celebrated its 50th anniversary.

National Teams

ASEAN Football Federation

   Australia
   Brunei
   Cambodia
   East Timor 
   Indonesia
    Laos
   Malaysia
  Myanmar
    Philippines
   Singapore
    Thailand
   Vietnam

East Asian Football Federation 

   *China 
   * Chinese Taipei 
   *  Guam
   *  Hong Kong
   *  Japan
   * North Korea 
   * South Korea 
   * Macau 
   * Mongolia 
   * Northern Mariana Islands 

   West Asian Football Federation

   *  Bahrain
   *  Iran
   *  Iraq
   *  Jordan
   *  Kuwait
   *  Lebanon
   *  Oman
   * Palestine
   *  Qatar
   * Saudi Arabia
   *  Syria
   * Emirates United Arab Emirates
   * Yemen

Central and South Asian Football Federation

   * Afghanistan
   * Bangladesh
   *  Bhutan*
   * India*
   * Kyrgyzstan
   * Maldives*
   * Nepal*
   * Pakistan*
   * Sri Lanka 
   * Tajikistan
   * Turkmenistan
   * Uzbekistan

Federation Management

Mohamed bin Hammam – Confederation President

Mr Zhang Jilong—Vice President

AFC Competitions

Asian Cup

The Asian Cup is a football tournament held once every four years. It was founded in 1956 and hosts a total of 28 teams. The winner of the tournament goes on to the FIFA Confederations Cup. Saudi Arabia has won three championships, the most awards about of any country.

AFC Champions Leauge

The AFC Champions league tournament is the current club competition hosted by the AFC. 28 top club teams from fourteen Asian countries along with the defending champions compete each year for the title. The club that wins first place in the championship receives $600,000, and second place gets $400,000. The nation with the highest amount of winning club teams is South Korea.

Important Links

www.the-afc.com

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Football_Confederation http://www.the-afc.com