Asian Football Confederation
The Asian Football Confederation (German: Asian Football Confederation ), also AFC, the Asian Football Federation. He is one of the six continental federations of the world football governing body FIFA and comprises a total of 46 national associations of individual countries and territories. Since 2006, Australia belongs to the AFC.
The AFC was founded on May 8, 1954 in the Philippine capital of Manila, as the representatives of twelve Asian football associations in the Asian Games came in 1954. The founding members of the AFC were Afghanistan, Burma, Republic of China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore and South Vietnam. The first President of the Association was Man Kam - loh from Hong Kong, the General Secretary Lee Wai- thong was also from Hong Kong, where the association had its first seat. FIFA recognized the bandage on even on 21 June of the same year.
Two years after the founding of the Association held its first Asian Championship held in Hong Kong.
Member Associations
The AFC currently has 47 state associations.
* Even the Union of Arab Football Associations members. ** No member of FIFA, however, associate member of the AFC. *** No member of AFF, but as a guest eligible to start in their competitions.
World Cup participants
Competitions
The AFC is the host of numerous events where the national teams or club teams of its member organizations to participate. The competitions are as follows:
National
- AFC Asian Cup - AFC Asian Men's Championship
- AFC Women 's Asian Cup - Football Women's Championship
- AFC Challenge Cup - competition for national teams from the "football - developing countries ' of Asia
- AFC U -22 Championship - U -22 Asian Cup Men. Will be held in 2014 for the first time and also act as qualifiers for the Olympic football competition.
- AFC U -19 Championship - U-19 Asian Cup Men
- AFC U -16 Championship - U-16 Asian Cup Men
- AFC U -19 Women's Championship - U-19 Asian Cup Women
- AFC U -16 Women's Championship - U-16/U17-Fußball-Asienmeisterschaft of women
- AFC Futsal Championship - Futsal Asia Championship
Add to that the qualifications for the World Cup.
Club teams
- AFC Champions League - competition for club teams from the strongest associations
- AFC Cup - competition for club teams from the moderately strong associations
- AFC President's Cup - competition for club teams from the " Football developing countries "
- AFC Futsal Club Championship - Competition for futsal club teams
Regional competitions
The following competitions are organized by the regional associations:
- ASEAN Football Championship
- EAFF Championship
- South Asian Football Federation Cup ( SAFF )
- WAFF Championship, Golf Cup
Asian countries in other associations
Some states that are all or the majority in Asia, are members of other associations. Israel, Kazakhstan, Russia, the Republic of Cyprus, Turkey and the Caucasus republics of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia are members of UEFA.
2006 ( by then a member of the Oceanic Association OFC) joined the AFC in order to increase the chance of a World Cup starting place Australia. In the oceanic qualification, although the competition was weaker, the winner of the Oceania qualifying but had still in the relegation against a representative of another continental federation ( 1966-1982, 1998 and 2010, Asia and in 1986 Europe, 1990, 2002 and 2006 South America, 2014 North America ) begin - at the 1994 World Cup even against two representatives ( first North America, then South America).