MEDIA RELEASE
22 September 2013
Melaka: The AFC President’s Cup 2013 Final Stage is set to kick off in the Malaysian historical city of Melaka on Monday, 23 September 2013, at the Hang Jebat Stadium.
Six clubs -- Balkan (Turkmenistan), Erchim (Mongolia), Three Star Club (Nepal), KRL Football Club (Pakistan), AlQuds Hilal Club (Palestine) and Dordoi (Kyrgyzstan) -- will vie for the top honours in this third-tier Asian club competition.
Previously, the AFC U-22 Championship 2014 Group C Qualifiers were held in June and July 2012 which saw six nations -- Iran, Kuwait, Bahrain, Tajikistan, Qatar, and the Maldives -- in action in Melaka.
In October 2012, Melaka hosted another prestigious international competition, the AFC U-19 Women’s Championship 2013 Round 1 Group A Qualifiers, bringing in three countries – Uzbekistan, Bangladesh and India to its soil.
Therefore, from all three football events, AFC has brought teams from 15 countries altogether to Melaka.
While tickets are free, spectators can also enter the stadium to watch the matches without tickets (ticketless entry).
The organisation of the tournaments in Melaka is a source of pride and a mark of achievement by the hosting Melaka Football Association, Football Association of Malaysia and the Melaka State Government.
AFC President’s Cup 2013 Final Stage Participating Teams:
Group A:
Balkan (Turkmenistan)
Erchim (Mongolia)
Three Star Club (Nepal)
Group B:
KRL Football Club (Pakistan)
AlQuds Hilal Club (Palestine)
Dordoi (Kyrgyzstan)
About the AFC President’s Cup
The AFC President’s Cup was introduced as a tournament for the clubs of AFC’s emerging countries in 2005 and has proven to be a successful battleground for Member Associations as they seek to further develop football in their countries through competition.
Eight teams participated in the inaugural edition, which was held in Nepal. The appeal of the tournament has grown manifold over the years necessitating a qualifying competition.
While Central Asian teams have been dominant in this tournament, teams from South and South-East Asia are offering quality challenges of late.
About the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is the governing body of Asian football and one of the six Confederations making up FIFA. It was formed in 1954 in Manila on the sidelines of the second Asian Games and sanctioned by FIFA in Berne Switzerland on June 21 of that year.
The AFC is now headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and consists of 46 Member Associations and one Associate Member Association (The Northern Mariana Islands). Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain is the AFC President and Dato’ Alex Soosay is the AFC General Secretary.
The AFC is responsible for running football in Asia. Among its various responsibilities are: regulating the game, drafting new laws to improve the sport, implementing the law, boosting grassroots and youth football, and conducting major competitions.- AFC