February 7: Criticism of FIFA’s proposed sponsorship deal for the 2023 Women’s World Cup with the Saudi Arabia tourist board has been loud, but domestically the Saudi’s look to be making all the right moves to provide more opportunity for women in football.
January 7 – The Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) executive committee has condemned third-party interference in running of the affairs of the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) and has promised its support to ousted PFF president Faisal Saleh Hyatt (pictured).
September 29 – Juan Antonio Pizzi has been unveiled as Saudi Arabia’s new head coach following last week’s departure of previous incumbent and fellow Argentinean Edgardo Bauza.
By Samindra Kunti
February 17 – Savio Madeira has been appointed as the new technical director of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) succeeding Scott O’Donnell. Senior coach Stephen Constantine will take over at the U17 team on an interim basis as the hunt for a new coach continues.
By Samindra Kunti
December 16 – One of the regional heartbeats of Indian football, Goa, is becoming alienated from the domestic game, as three clubs from the region have withdrawn from the I-league and the executive committee of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has axed its Goa
representative.
By Samindra Kunti
November 22- India will bid to host the 2019 Under-20 World Cup in the coming months as part of its endeavor to develop the game in the country, All India Football Federation president Praful Patel (pictured) said.
November 18 – The rise of Thailand as a footballing power in the region was recognised by Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, who pledged further support for the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) during a visit by a Thai delegation to AFC House in Kuala Lumpur.
By Samindra Kunti
November 16 – The All India Football Federation (AIFF) have offered Stephen Constantine (pictured) a contract extension despite the disappointing results of the Indian national team. The Englishman’s contract runs out in February 2017.
November 11 – Australian women’s football scored another notable goal with the country’s role in women’s football development being recognised by the 2016 International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Women and Sport Awards.
By Paul Nicholson
September 17 – It was the most extraordinary of extraordinary Congress gatherings. After just 27 minutes the Asian Football Confederation ended their meeting whose main agenda item was to elect the region’s three additional members to the newly established FIFA Council.
September 23 – Kuwait’s new government-appointed controllers of football – still very much operating outside the international environment following a ban by FIFA and an instruction to Asian Football Confederation members not to engage with them – have announced the first event of their new regime will be the 2016 Kuwait Football Super Cup.
By Paul Nicholson
August 31 – With 2018 World Cup qualifiers starting this week, Syria, who have made it through to the final group stage of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) qualification, have been informed by the Macau FA that they will not now be able to host their ‘home’ matches.
August 30 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has issued a strongly worded statement opposing the Kuwait government’s intervention at the Kuwait Football Association (KFA) and said that “it will not recognise the Kuwait government installed football body, its amended statues nor its member clubs.”
By Matt Scott
August 29 – Pressure on the Kuwait Football Association and National Olympic Committee was elevated on Sunday when a letter from the government warned they must hand over their headquarters or face it being taken “by force”.
August 26 – Kuwait’s troubled football landscape has been plunged into further disarray after the entire board of directors of the national federation was sacked for unspecified financial irregularities along with that of the country’s Olympic committee.
