By Mark Baber
August 14 – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations Football Federation (AFF) has set its sights on the ASEAN region jointly hosting the 2034 World Cup. Malaysian Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin (pictured) has told local media that the 10 ASEAN nations who attended the ASEAN ministerial meeting on Sports in Kuala Lumpur have agreed to conduct a feasibility study.
According to Khairy, the report of the study will be submitted to all ASEAN countries for approval before a joint organising committee is set up to look at the bidding process.
Khairy said: “We will conduct the study first because we do not know the expected cost involved. We have to look at various factors before putting up the bid from ASEAN to ensure every country will have an opportunity to host matches.”
“For 10 nations to host the prestigious World Cup might not be accepted by FIFA, the world governing body for football. I was made to understand that FIFA may consider the possibility of four host nations. That too will depend on FIFA’s approval.”
“We’ve been made to understand that our bid documents for the 2034 World Cup must be finalised by around 2019. That will give us less than four years to prepare for the formal bid.
“We hope to conduct and complete the feasibility study by next year upon which it would be brought back to the respective governments for a decision.
“Once the decision is made, we can come out with the joint organising committee.”
Khairy made clear that Malaysia is keen to be one of the countries to play host to an ASEAN World Cup although when the idea was first mooted in May 2013 Insideworldfootball reported that the idea was met with some incredulity by Malaysian press with one columnist calling it “ridiculous” and arguing “The FA of Malaysia (FAM) can’t even run the Malaysian league (M-League) properly.”
To date, no ASEAN country has qualified for the World Cup but the award of the 2022 tournament to Qatar will have given the region hope a bid might be successful.
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