Alan Mtashar just tweeted that there is a growing momentum to vote Australia out of the AFC citing that Australia hasn't bought much to the relationship.

Where there's smoke...

who?

Sports journo for Al Arabiya

Havent bought much into it.... except shatter attendance records at the confederations flagship event, have players signed to teams all over the region (from Malaysia and Thailand to India and Iran... literally errywhere), have a team who are the regions current club football champions and are favourites to win the continental championship. Pretty sure one of the high ups on the AFC is an aussie woman as well...? Yeah, nothing.

You'd think Japan, China, Korea... most of the East would be bang on for keeping us around. It'd be the west whinging with butthurt at us trouncing them of late that'd be trying to push us out. The Gulf/West should split off from the East into its own federation if anything IMO. Kazakhstan, Iran, central countries to choose where they'd prefer to go. This would also be useful if the WC expanded to include more teams.

Edited by roary's mane: 28/1/2015 09:19:34 PM

Surely a gee up.

More like the Asians are getting scared we're starting to dominate. First the Matilda's, then the wanderers and now perhaps the 'Roo's. The AFC will never develop from its current backwater if a bit of comp scares em.

Has to be the west asians that are upset, we've earned a lot respect from japan and korea with how far our league has come.

I think it would be priceless if we won the championship then got kicked out.

then we take out our rage on america samoa :lol:

yeh west asia dont like us cos we beat their teams (al hilal), we sabotage their teams (iran) and we support nz (against bahrain). if theres any sort of movement against us it would be from them.

east asia on the other hand, it seems like we add a lot to them, we are the 4th nation they needed to ensure that the asian champions league has 4 strong clubs per group rather than 3 strong clubs + 1 random minnow from thailand or vietnam.

They are in UEFA.

Anyway, i think it is just sourgrapes because West Asia is mostly trash at football

To win the Asian cup and ACL then kick us out will just make them look like a. sore losers b. a useless corrupt confederation

Why does the west deserve 3 spots? They can barely get 1 to qualify as is.

How do you turn 4.5 + 0.5 into 7?

Everyone already knows they are, so what have they got to lose.

this is the most sensible thing. would reduce travel distances, would help properly categorise teams (since theres a lot of countries in asia/europe who are borderline both and have been randomly categorised into one of the other) and would be the best possible outcome for the long-term football development of oceania in particular.

Edited by williamn: 28/1/2015 09:36:00 PM

Are you fucked in the head?

Nothing new. Growing could mean 1 or 2 more people...

Saying that, we really should be doing more to strengthen our ties with our local ASEAN neighbours. I'm talking more from a diplomatic perspective but also from a pure footballing perspective too. Things like allowing the malaysian youth team play in the NPLQ was along the right track. Maybe some mini-tournaments and the like with club or rep sides as well.

But no one gives a shit about what happens to Oceania nations. There's no people and no money there.

Great reply.

Only way you strengthen ties with that lot is handing over cash.

theres no people and money in australia?

It would be overall a negative thing for us but looking at the pros & Cons

Cons:
- No ACL
- No Asian cup
- Potentially a more difficult rout to the world cup
- Less competitive international friendlies
- Financially & promotionally better off in Asia for i.e. WC qualifiers, Asian cup qualifiers etc

Pros
- (west) Asia is f*** corrupt
- Stop the talent drain to Asia
- We will more regualrly go to the confederations cup (a better and more competitive competition then the Asia cup)

It wouldn't be the end of the world probably better for us to stay but if we can't wouldn't be the end of the world..

Compared to the rest of Asia, not much of a population.

And moneywise, for football, comparatively little.

The AFC should be thankful that the Asian cup has been played in front of packed stadiums for once.

Is there any basis for this discussion beyond one random tweet?

+ the vibe west asia gives us.

No. Not to the point where we'd have to start actually worrying.

Are there things that could be improved on our end? Yes, but we have no reason to start soiling our undies right now.