Wednesday 15 / January / 2025
Muscat: The chief of Asian football is confident of the continent getting more qualifying berths if the proposal for expansion of FIFA World Cup is approved by the world soccer body in the future.
Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, President of Asian Football Confederation (AFC), who arrived here on Monday night to congratulate and hold a meeting with the newly elected members of the Oman Football Association (OFA), spoke to the local media in the presence of Sultanate football’s new chief Sheikh Salim Al Wahaibi at the OFA Headquarters on Tuesday.
The Bahraini boss of the Asian soccer touched upon several issues concerning the development of Asian football as well as the continental body’s relations with the member associations, especially the Omani association, and the latest hot topic in football, the proposal to expand the number of teams at the FIFA World Cup.
Speaking just hours after FIFA President Gianni Infantino mentioned a 48-team World Cup, larger than a 40-team event he proposed as part of his election campaign, Sheikh Salman said: “The proposal was to expand the World Cup to 40 teams. But now we read that there is a new proposal (from FIFA chief) for an even bigger World Cup with 48 teams.”
“Whatever be the number, an expanded World Cup will be good for Asia. The continent deserves and will get more qualifying berths if the tournament is expanded,” he said.
“Of course, there won’t be any changes in the number of teams and the format of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups (in Russia and Qatar respectively). The expansion plans may come in future tournaments, in which case the AFC will surely work to get the number of slots the continent deserves.”
In the current 32-team format, Asia get 4.5 slots, which many believe may go up to six if the World Cup is expanded to a 40-team event and two additional places if it becomes a 48-team affair.
Qatar 2022 will be ‘wonderful’
Asked about the 2022 World Cup and if the AFC chief prefers a winter World Cup in Qatar, Sheikh Salman said: “It has already been decided that the 2022 World Cup be in the winter months of November and December. And I expect it to be a wonderful World Cup.”
“I think it is going to be a very successful World Cup. Because it will be during the break for most of the leagues, and most importantly the players will be in their peak form, which is great for the event. I am sure it is going to be a very wonderful World Cup.”
Support to Oman
The AFC chief, while congratulating the newly elected OFA chairman Sheikh Salim Al Wahaibi and his fellow board members, said the Asian body will be looking to further enhance the existing relations with the Oman association.
“My congratulations to Sheikh Salim and the new board members. Oman has already left an imprint on Asian football through their participation in and contribution to various AFC competitions and activities,” he said. “We will be providing all the technical and administrative support that Oman needs for future development.”
The AFC chief also stressed the need to be united.
“We also need to sit together in unity and show solidarity. We have to show Asia is united as we did in the recent AFC Congress,” Sheikh Salman said referring to last week’s Extraordinary Congress held in the western Indian city of Goa.
During the Congress, the members in a 42-1 majority vote rejected the agenda to elect three members to the new FIFA Council in protest against the world body’s decision to bar Saoud Al Mohannadi, vice-president of the Qatar Football Association, from the election after FIFA Ethics Committee recommendation to ban the official for two and a half years ban for refusing to cooperate with a corruption investigation.
Though pleased with the unity shown by the AFC members, Sheikh Salman said: “We are very pleased with the unity of our members. They have expressed themselves well in a democratic way. They have shown Asia is united. But that doesn’t mean we are against the FIFA. We have been working hand in hand with FIFA and we will continue to do that.”
Asia needs to raise the level
Asked about the major challenge facing the Asian football, he said: “The major challenge is to raise the level of our football... what we do on the pitch. We have to raise the bar on the performance front... to be on par with those in Europe, South America and Africa.”
“To achieve that goal we need to focus on grassroots and coaches development. Though I should say our Asian referees are doing quite well, take for example work done by Iranian referee in Rio Olympics football final,” he said referring to the match between hosts Brazil and Germany, which was officiated by Alireza Faghani and his compatriots Reza Sokhandan and Mohammadreza Mansouri.
“But what we need is improvement by the national teams and their performances on the pitch.”
Queried about the Gulf countries attempts to get Gulf Cup included on the FIFA Calendar, Sheikh Salman said: “It’s an old subject that has been going on for more than ten years. You have to see the feasibility of such an idea, especially when there are several such regional tournaments. It’s definitely very difficult for FIFA to add all these tournaments to the calendar. And there are other issues like release of players for such events.”
