AIPS ASIA News:

The 3rd AFC Women’s Football Conference 2024 concluded today in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, marking an end to three days of impactful knowledge exchange dedicated to raising the standards of women’s football on the Continent.

Taking place from November 12 to 14, the conference brought together women’s national team coaches and technical staff to chart a sustainable path forward for the women’s game in Asia.
 
Anchored in one of the most inspiring years in women’s football history, the programme focused on harnessing the Continent’s recent successes to build a pathway for continued growth.
 
The opening day set the tone with a session celebrating Asian teams’ achievements over the past year, from Australia’s impressive Semi-final finish at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 to DPR Korea’s back-to-back titles at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Colombia 2024 and the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic.
 
“The AFC has underlined the development of women’s football as one of the key drivers in bringing to life our Vision and Mission statements and nowhere are these ambitions more pronounced than in the Asian women’s game with our teams, across all ages, already being a global force,” said AFC General Secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John.
 
“This year, we’ve celebrated several milestones such as an all-Asian final in Colombia, DPR Korea’s incredible triumphs, and the launch of the AFC Women’s Champions League™. We must keep up the momentum and use this platform to unlock the true potential of women’s football in Asia.”
 
Reflecting on these accomplishments helped the attendees frame discussions around establishing guiding principles, including equal opportunity, prioritising player development, enhancing competitions, and increasing the number of women coaches. Moreover, with the FIFA Women’s World Cup taking place only last year, participants took the opportunity to share lessons learnt from the world’s best teams.
 
The conference continued with lively conversations on the second day, where participants received a brief overview of the journey of the AFC Women’s Champions League™ from its early days as the AFC Women’s Club Championship™.
 
They were also provided with an in-depth explanation of the various reforms to the AFC women’s competitions as well as the recently approved AFC Women’s Competitions Calendar 2025-29.
 
A number of round-table discussions were also held, where participants shared their insights on ways to attract more young girls to play football and increase the number of women coaches in Asia in order to build a strong foundation.
 
Norio Sasaki, who led Japan to their FIFA Women’s World Cup win in 2011 said: “For long-term success, we must enhance our youth development programmes, right from the U15 level and as coaches, we must all work together and share resources for the overall growth of women’s football in Asia.

“To that end, this Conference not only helped us hear from our peers but has also reminded us of our collective responsibility.”
 
The conference ended on a spirited note on Thursday, with FIFA Football Performance Analyst Harry Lowe presenting a comparative analysis of the teams in the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament 2024.
 
This was followed by a Forum with Australia U20 women’s national team head coach Leah Blayney and Malaysia Women’s national team head coach Soleen Al-Zoubi on the future of Asian women’s football, especially with the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ on the horizon.
 
“It was a wonderful experience to have so many colleagues gather to prioritise women’s football and share their wisdom and knowledge in order to raise the standards of our game,” said Rae Dower, Head Coach of the U17 national team of Australia.
 
“The future is so exciting, especially now that we have the dates and venues confirmed for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup™. The football fever from the FIFA Women’s World Cup is still very strong with the Matildas continuously selling out stadiums. We can’t wait for the rest of Asia to come and share the experience with us,” she added.

Courtesy AFC