Post by Blues on Nov 19, 2004 7:07:45 GMT 10
Asian route to world
By Philip Micallef
November 19, 2004
AUSTRALIA has moved a step closer to gaining access to the World Cup via Asia after the Asians decided to join forces with Oceania in a cheeky plot to take on the world game's superpowers.
The Asians have for many years knocked back Oceania's overtures to play in their World Cup qualifying series.
This has forced Australia, the region's leading country, to face South American giants such as Argentina and Uruguay in failed attempts to reach their first finals since West Germany 1974.
But now Asia amazingly has agreed to let Oceania join its qualifying process for the common good of both regions.
The two confederations will use each other as a powerful bargaining tool in an effort to gain more spots in the 2010 World Cup and beyond.
"At the moment Asia has four spots for 2006 and will have five if we defeat the fourth team in Central and North America [Concacaf] in a playoff," Asian Football Confederation secretary
Peter Velappan said from Kuala Lumpur last night.
"Oceania will have one spot if it beats the fifth-placed South Americans. So if Oceania joins us in the qualifying process we will then be in a strong position to ask FIFA for six direct spots between us, an increase of one spot. Oceania, after all, deserves a place on its own.
"We will put this plan on the negotiating table at FIFA.
"If we succeed, both regions would benefit, won't they?"
The key question, though, is which other confederation would lose a spot in order to accommodate football's least glamorous football regions.
"It's got to be Europe or South America," said Velappan, who is an outspoken opponent of the power
of the Europeans and South Americans.
"They respectively have 14 spots [from 52 associations] and four [from 10].
"That's unfair."
The Malaysian official, who exerts huge influence in a vast region comprising 44 national associations, said the Asian Football Confederation [AFC] was expected to nut out the plan with representatives from Oceania on December 8 before the Asian football awards in Kuala Lumpur.
Australian Soccer Association chief executive John O'Neill yesterday confirmed this development but would not comment any further.
Velappan also revealed Asia had voted against inviting the champion national team of Oceania to play in the Asian Championships.
"It was put to the executive committee and was knocked back," Velappan said.
"The championships do not belong to the AFC but to the whole continent.
"Asia was not comfortable with the possibility of an Oceania team becoming Asian champions, even though there would have been huge benefits for all.
"So unfortunately it won't happen. But Oceania clubs are still very much welcome to play in the Asian Champions League in the near future."
The Daily Telegraph
By Philip Micallef
November 19, 2004
AUSTRALIA has moved a step closer to gaining access to the World Cup via Asia after the Asians decided to join forces with Oceania in a cheeky plot to take on the world game's superpowers.
The Asians have for many years knocked back Oceania's overtures to play in their World Cup qualifying series.
This has forced Australia, the region's leading country, to face South American giants such as Argentina and Uruguay in failed attempts to reach their first finals since West Germany 1974.
But now Asia amazingly has agreed to let Oceania join its qualifying process for the common good of both regions.
The two confederations will use each other as a powerful bargaining tool in an effort to gain more spots in the 2010 World Cup and beyond.
"At the moment Asia has four spots for 2006 and will have five if we defeat the fourth team in Central and North America [Concacaf] in a playoff," Asian Football Confederation secretary
Peter Velappan said from Kuala Lumpur last night.
"Oceania will have one spot if it beats the fifth-placed South Americans. So if Oceania joins us in the qualifying process we will then be in a strong position to ask FIFA for six direct spots between us, an increase of one spot. Oceania, after all, deserves a place on its own.
"We will put this plan on the negotiating table at FIFA.
"If we succeed, both regions would benefit, won't they?"
The key question, though, is which other confederation would lose a spot in order to accommodate football's least glamorous football regions.
"It's got to be Europe or South America," said Velappan, who is an outspoken opponent of the power
of the Europeans and South Americans.
"They respectively have 14 spots [from 52 associations] and four [from 10].
"That's unfair."
The Malaysian official, who exerts huge influence in a vast region comprising 44 national associations, said the Asian Football Confederation [AFC] was expected to nut out the plan with representatives from Oceania on December 8 before the Asian football awards in Kuala Lumpur.
Australian Soccer Association chief executive John O'Neill yesterday confirmed this development but would not comment any further.
Velappan also revealed Asia had voted against inviting the champion national team of Oceania to play in the Asian Championships.
"It was put to the executive committee and was knocked back," Velappan said.
"The championships do not belong to the AFC but to the whole continent.
"Asia was not comfortable with the possibility of an Oceania team becoming Asian champions, even though there would have been huge benefits for all.
"So unfortunately it won't happen. But Oceania clubs are still very much welcome to play in the Asian Champions League in the near future."
The Daily Telegraph
