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Any nations agitating to evict Australia from the Asian Football Confederation would be better off focusing efforts on trying to win a World Cup, Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou says.
AFC president Sheikh Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa was quoted by a Dubai-based newspaper as saying “Arabs are not the only ones” seeking Australia’s removal from the confederation.
“There are indications that prove that such desire exists among the confederations of west Asia to evict Australia,” the Al-Ittihad newspaper reported.
“But I also know that the Arabs are not the only ones who are not convinced the Australia’s membership in Asia’s football is feasible.”
On Friday, the sheikh said the report was inaccurate.
“To read a story like this is really sad because there’s no truth in it,” he told News Corp.
Australia have reached the final of the Asian Cup in the past two editions and twice qualified for the World Cup since joining the confederation in 2006.
And Western Sydney Wanderers last year won the Asian Champions League title.
Postecoglou said Australia’s presence should help, not hinder, the Asian confederation.
“It has absolutely zero to do with me,” he said of the politicking.
“My personal opinion is that we’re in the Asian confederation and our goal should be to get an Asian country to win the World Cup.
“I don’t think there’s any problem with that goal.
“And we can play a part in that by us being that country at one point or by continually raising the bar and squeezing so that it’s another country.
“That is the whole point of being in a confederation, I think.
“It’s about trying to raise the standards (so) that a confederation other than Europe and South America win a World Cup, wouldn’t that be great.”
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