Looking ahead to the 2015 AFC Asian Cup

Days after formally taking over and amidst razor-gang bloodshed and cost cutting, the Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott confirmed Australia’s commitment to host the 2015 AFC Asian Cup 2015, honouring the previous Government’s promise to underwrite the cost.

Mr Abbott, his Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Robb and the new Minister for Sport, Peter Dutton, all know full well the value to Australia of the tournament and how closer ties with Asia will help to increase Australia’s and our Asian neighbours’ prosperity well into the future.

This was punctuated by the government’s visit to Indonesia this week.

Abbott said he was promoting an “Asia-literate” Australian community and under his government’s plans is targeting a significant increase in Asian trade as a percentage of Australia’s Gross Domestic Product.

Backing major cultural and international sporting events like the Asian Cup and opening up lines of communication and international participation are part of that strategy.

With less than 500 days left now until the planned tournament kick off in January 2015 and the Federal Government’s renewed enthusiasm, the 2015 Asian Cup Local Organising Committee (LOC) is pushing ahead full steam.

They are looking to triple their workforce by the end of the year to meet that commitment.

Look out for some major administrative and sporting personnel announcements in the coming weeks.

The LOC’s vision for the AFC Asian Cup 2015 is to deliver a world class event that celebrates Asia’s rich football culture.

It will leave an enduring legacy for the game of football in Australia, by enhancing football facilities, attracting and retaining new fans and promoting social inclusion for all, including ethnic and disadvantaged groups.

The LOC is also working with federal and state governments to leave a national lasting legacy from hosting the Asian Cup.

Strengthening diplomatic relations across Asia, furthering business and trade links, increasing tourism through football, deepening relations with Asian communities and improving social outcomes through healthy and socially responsible community activities like football while serving the Australian ethnic and local communities that play and follow football.

The 2015 Asian Cup in Australia will be the second biggest football tournament in the world after the FIFA World Cup of 2014 in Brazil.

Nearly 100,000 players, officials, support staff, football fans and tourists are expected to descend on Australia during that time, stay an average of 14 days and spend an average of twelve thousand Australian dollars each (or about 1.2 billion dollars in total).

The LOC also estimates that the tournament will be watched by up to 2.5 billion people around the world on TV, at public venues, bars, clubs, pubs, restaurants, hotels and of course follow us on the world wide web.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) currently has 47 member nations and its football family is growing with every tournament.

However, unlike the FIFA World Cup, only 16 nations will get to participate.

The tournament runs from January 9 and January 31 in 2015, or for just over three weeks.

Tournament matches will be played at Brisbane, Newcastle, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne only.

Four countries have already qualified for the tournament. They are Australia as hosts, Japan as holders, South Korea as third in the 2011 Asian Cup and North Korea as the winners of the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup.

The fifth country to qualify will be the winner of the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup (or the highest finishing country of those that have not already qualified).

The remaining 11 competing countries for the 2015 tournament will then be appointed as the top two finishers from the remaining five groups (of four countries) in the Asian Cup qualification tournament, plus the best-placed third team overall.

The AFC Asian Cup qualification tournament is already underway. Group A is currently led by Oman and Jordan and they should comfortably qualify based on results to date.

Group B’s top two are Iran and Kuwait, but Lebanon is improving and only one point behind Kuwait. They may yet sneak in or get the best third placed country spot.

The LOC certainly hope so, as Australia has a very strong Lebanese football-loving community and their participation would add many thousands through the turnstiles and lots more Middle Eastern tourists.

Group C is currently headed by Saudi Arabia with China and Iraq locked together in second place. No prize for guessing who the FFA and LOC want to finish second in that group.

China would add a tremendous boost to the tournament if they qualify, given the large Chinese representation in cosmopolitan Australia and the enormous number of potential tourists only hours away.

Group D’s pacesetter is Bahrain with Qatar and surprise packet Malaysia locked together in second place.

Finally, Group E has its own surprise packet in Hong Kong. The United Arab Emirates leads the group, but amazingly ‘Honkers’ is in second place, still three points ahead of Asian powerhouse Uzbekistan.

I’m looking forward to the Asian Cup and think it will be a lot bigger than most Australian sports fans have ever imagined, especially with the Asian powerhouses set to descend on our country and if some of the more popular countries also get through.

The new Federal Government have reiterated their support for the Cup with the acknowledgement of the value it will bring to our nation.

Not just as a major international event, but also in trade benefits and international public relations and strengthening our ties in Asia.

For more details on the tournament and to keep yourself updated on the qualifying results and the likely draw check the 2015 Asian Cup website.