Should Asia be split in two?

135

Comments

  • atuljgatuljg Trivandrum3983 Points
    If Oceania joins and AFC doesn't split, there'll be 5 slots, not the 4.5 or 0.5. Theyll add up giving AFC 5 slots with no play off!

    If Oceania joins and AFC splits, west Asia could get 2 and East Asia will get 3.

    The playoff will happen between CONMEBOL and CONCACOF if AFC and Oceania joins. There's nothing they can do. CAF and UEFA won't be affected.
  • ArsenalFan700ArsenalFan700 Reddit13655 Points
    That is no answering the question for us, which would be how would India benefit from this? There is no point for us and there is no point in combining the federations at all.
  • atuljgatuljg Trivandrum3983 Points
  • atuljgatuljg Trivandrum3983 Points
    Oceania joining AFC is a foregone conclusion especially after Australia dumped it. Its just a question of when.

    About the split in AFC, I read about it only in articles like this. It may or may not happen.
  • ArsenalFan700ArsenalFan700 Reddit13655 Points
    I don't even think Oceania would accept such a thing. New Zealand is their strongest team and they would never qualify for a World Cup in the AFC. No other team would stand a chance.
    atuljg
  • atuljgatuljg Trivandrum3983 Points
    AFC, Oceania in talks over combining World Cup slots
    Wed Nov 27, 2013 1:49am GMT

    By Patrick Johnston

    KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - The Asian and Oceania football confederations have opened discussions about combining World Cup slots to improve their qualification chances at future tournaments, AFC President Sheikh Salman said.

    Both regions suffered heavy defeats in the intercontinental playoffs for the 2014 World Cup last week with Oceania champions New Zealand thrashed 9-3 over two legs by Mexico, while the AFC's Jordan were beaten 5-0 on aggregate by Uruguay.

    Asia currently has four automatic qualifying berths for the World Cup, with the fifth-placed team going into an intercontinental playoff, while Oceania has no automatic spot and the champions must also go through a playoff.

    Australia made the move to the AFC in 2006, which increased Asia's World Cup places to four and a half, and AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa was open to incorporating the half slot from the OFC in some way.

    "We had the Australians in but I think we should look at how we can combine our slots together," the Bahraini told reporters on the sidelines of the AFC Awards in Malaysia when asked if he wanted New Zealand to join the AFC.

    "This is something that we are discussing with Oceania and hopefully there will be something on how those legs are to be played. Because geographically we are much closer."

    New Zealand were Oceania's last representatives at a World Cup when they qualified by beating Sheikh Salman's Bahrain in a two legged playoff for the 2010 finals in South Africa.

    That 1-0 aggregate success made New Zealand just the fourth OFC side to play at a World Cup after their first appearance in 1982 and Australia in 1974 and 2006.

    Any possible move would require approval from FIFA, who conducted a draw to see which confederations would face off for the final places in Brazil 2014 with the AFC drawing CONMEBOL and OFC against CONCACAF.

    'FOR THE FUTURE'

    The world governing body's president Sepp Blatter, who sat alongside Sheikh Salman and OFC president David Chung at the awards, suggested earlier this month he wanted the playoff system scrapped which appears to support the AFC-OFC move.

    The 77-year-old Swiss has also said recently he wanted more World Cup places for Asia and Africa.

    Sheikh Salman, who also hinted at revamping the World Cup qualifying format in Asia, said they had plenty of time to discuss any possible slot shifts with the 11 nation OFC.

    "This is a decision that should be taken by FIFA as well about the half slot, but we will wait, we have time, but this is something that we should look at for the future," he said.

    "So far this is just in the beginning stages. I think we need to look at the two continents as a whole, not just by inviting ... because what is going to be left from Oceania."

    Earlier this month, Jordanian Football Association president Prince Ali bin Al Hussein had voiced his reservations about playing a South American side even before his team's 5-0 first leg home defeat by Uruguay.

    "It's a bit unfortunate," he had said. "The natural issue, for example, would be for the Asian fifth place to play the half slot from Oceania and CONCACAF to play CONMEBOL but it is opposite.

    "It is tiring, and within less than a week and you are crossing huge time zones so I don't know, I think we have to rethink that issue."

    http://uk.mobile.reuters.com/article/idUKBRE9AQ03920131127?irpc=932
  • munna219777munna219777 28505 Points
    edited January 2015
    1)Can Oceania be merged with AFC? It can be done but the only downside is financial reasons. Travel costs will increase if Teams travel to Oceania countries from Asia. Samoa, Tuvalu, Niue are far far away. Financially it will be difficult for those small countries.

    2) 5 slots. Then what? India is not even in top 20 -forget about 5.

    3) We should consider including Kazakhstan in AFC. they play in Asian Games but for football they are in UEFA.
  • samiamsamiam 1614 Points
    Israel and Azerbaijan need too be brought back to AFC
  • ArsenalFan700ArsenalFan700 Reddit13655 Points
    Israel will never come back.
  • rudrarudra 2958 Points
    well forget us being top 16 among asia, west asia, central asia, australia etc.  We do have the 'back-door' afc challenge cup and we failed to qualify for that!!! At this rate FIFA will need to give SAFF 1 slot for world cup, and even then Afghanistan will probably qualify more often than us
    ArsenalFan700reddevil87bida 25 ashindiasamiam
Sign In or Register to comment.