July 4 -The Northern Mariana Islands have been given the go-ahead to play in the Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 qualifiers.
In a confederation of giant populations like those in India and China, the Northern Islands are tiny with just 55,650 people across 14 islands.
The Northern Mariana Islands FA is not yet a member of FIFA but is a member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
“It was noted that the NMIFA, which is an ordinary member of the AFC and has yet to receive FIFA ordinary membership, was eligible to participate in the qualifiers of the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 but not the FIFA World Cup 2026,” said the AFC after a decision was taken by the AFC’s Competitions Committee.
Formed in 2005, it will the first time the NMIFA will have competed in the AFC’s blue riband championship though it as competed in the East Asian Football Federation championship, having joined the EAFF in 2008. It was admitted to the AFC as an ordinary member on December 2020.
In 2014 the country recorded its first international win with a 2-1 victory over Macau in the East Asian Cup.
I might be a while before the NMIFA challenges regional giants like Japan and South Korea, but at least it is now in the running.
“It was agreed that the NMIFA may participate in the AFC Asian Cup by entering the Qualifiers Playoff Stage, where they will join the losing teams from the Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1 to contest for a place in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers Final Round,” said the AFC.
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