Pak to take part in first AFC Challenge Football Cup next year

LAHORE: Pakistan will take part in inaugural AFC Challenge Cup next year.

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) plans to launch a new competition in efforts to develop the game in the continent's 'emerging' football nations. Unlike the AFC Presidents Cup, the AFC Challenge Cup is a competition for national teams.

The AFC already holds the President's Cup for clubs from smaller footballing nations at Kathmandu last May with Tajikistan’s Regar TadAZ winning the trophy.

The competition, which will make debut in 2006, will feature the national teams of 17 countries and will be held on a biennial basis in a single country, with all expenses to be borne by AFC.

PFF President Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat praised the effort of AFC for launching a new event and said : “These 17 countries need time to catch up and close the gap on the more advanced nations in Asia. It is hoped that the new competition will enlarge awareness about football in these countries and accelerate the game's development there."

The nations that have been selected to compete in the AFC Challenge Cup, besides Pakistan, are Afghanistan, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Guam, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Macau, Mongolia, Nepal, Palestine, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tajikistan and Timor Leste.

“For these emerging nations, qualifying and doing well in the Asian Cup finals are dreams that are not reachable yet. By playing against teams of same-echelon in AFC Challenge Cup, they will have a better chance of accomplishment and will be able to raise the standards of football and interest in their countries” said Faisal Saleh Hayat who is also Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas.

There will be no qualifying encounters and all teams will go directly into the competition. Depending on their standards, these teams may be reduced or changed over time, but the AFC Challenge Cup will continue to be there for emerging nations.

The AFC has divided its 45 member nations into three different levels and created club competitions for each level.

The top 14 'mature' associations play in the AFC Champions League, the next 14 'developing' associations compete in the AFC Cup and the remaining 17 'emerging' association are to take part in the AFC President's Cup.