September 6 – Jordan, who are hosting the FIFA Women’s U-17 World Cup later this month, will become the first Middle East nation to host a senior Asian women’s football championship when it holds the next Women’s Asian Cup in 2018.
AFC Women’s Football Committee Chairwoman Moya Dodd said: “This decision marks a geographical landmark, being the first time a Member Association from the West Zone will have hosted a senior AFC women’s tournament. We look forward to seeing them in the spotlight and wish them well later this month, too, as they host the FIFA Women’s U-17 World Cup.”
The decision was taken by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Football Committee in Chonburi, Thailand, coinciding with the qualifying round for the AFC U-16 Women’s Championship 2017 taking place in the country.
At the same meeting the AFC U-19 Women’s Championship 2017 Finals were awarded to China PR (Nanjing) and Thailand (Bangkok) were announced as hosts of the AFC U-16 Women’s Championship 2017 Finals.
Also discussed was the potential for a pilot Asian club championship for elite teams, as well as possible development tournaments for emerging Member Associations.
Asia has a strong record in international women’s football at the top level with Japan and Australia in particular leading the way in recent years. But the AFC wants to expand than competitive excellence deeper into its member associations.
“This is an exciting time for women’s football in Asia as the AFC has pledged recently, as part of its Vision and Mission statement, to further invest in the women’s game in the continent and build on recent progress and success. The information shared and discussed today highlights the great steps that are being made in terms of development, coaching, technical ability and competitiveness, as well as administrative expertise at all levels of the women’s game in Asia,” said Dodd.
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