World football governing body FIFA has launched the FIFA ASEAN Cup, which will feature all of 11 of the bloc’s member states in a regional football tournament.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said the tournament was created to inject new life into football in the region, as well as serving as a symbol of unity for ASEAN nations through the world’s most popular sport, reported the New Straits Times.
Infantino is currently in Kuala Lumpur during the ongoing ASEAN Summit.
“This will have an impact not only on the Southeast Asian region but also across the world,” he told reporters after a signing ceremony on a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on football development between ASEAN and FIFA today.
The MoU, signed by Infantino and Asean secretary-general Dr Kao Kim Hourn, was witnessed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, in his capacity as the 2025 ASEAN chair.
Infantino also described the MoU between FIFA and ASEAN’s 11 member states as “very special.”
“The number 11 is a symbolic one in the footballing world as each football team comprises 11 players.
“This competition is meant to give a real boost to football with the best players within the framework of FIFA’s international match calendar, to make it really impactful not just in the region, but also to shine in the entire world.
“Football unites the world, and we are uniting the world together with the now 11 ASEAN countries.
“The FIFA ASEAN Cup will be a huge success in the region,” he said.
Asean, he said, was one of the world’s most dynamic regions in world football with more than 700 million active fans, making it one of the sport’s largest markets with high potential for development.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE ASEAN FOOTBALL FEDERATION’S HYUNDAI CUP?
It is not immediately known what will become of the biennial football tournament currently organised by the ASEAN Football Federation.
The AFF tournament, known previously as the Tiger Cup, Suzuki Cup, Mitsubishi Electric Cup and now Hyundai Cup, was inaugurated in 1996 and is held once every two years.
PHOTO: NEW STRAITS TIMES