Debate over uneven qualifying format for Asian Cup
Source: Agencies |
October 11, 2012, Thursday
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Print Edition
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THE uneven qualifying format for the Asian Cup is sparking debate around the region, with doubts raised about giving the continent's best teams a pass while denying the smaller nations a chance to learn from playing against their more accomplished neighbors.
This week's preliminary qualifying draw for the 2015 Asian Cup did not include the top nations - they are given passage through to the final tournament - while the smaller countries were locked out. That removed the kind of David vs Goliath clashes that can clutter, for instance, European qualifying for major tournaments.
Only 20 of the Asian Football Confederation's 47 members came out of the hat in Melbourne in the qualifying draw.
Defending champion Japan and South Korea have been given a pass due to their performance at the 2011 tournament.
Thailand coach Winfried Schaefer, who saw his team drawn in a tough group with Iran, Kuwait and Lebanon, is among those who prefer a system where all of the confederation members enter the same qualifying tournament.
"It should be like Europe," Schaefer said. "Why can Japan and (South) Korea go directly? At Euro 2012, Poland and Ukraine were the hosts but Italy, England and Germany had to qualify.
"It is good for us to play good teams, even if we have Korea and Japan in the same group," he said. "That is okay that is football. Korea and Japan should have to earn their place at the Asian Cup just like everyone else."
Continental champion
South Korea, two-time continental champion, can plan more high-profiled and lucrative friendlies rather than qualifying for the Asian Cup, which takes place just six months after the 2014 World Cup.
For the lower-ranked teams in the confederation, their route to the Asian Cup is only by winning the AFC Challenge Cup, held every two years.
Nonong Araneta, president of the Philippine Football Federation, said he accepted the three-tier qualifying system. "We are prepared to play any team as we are finding ways to improve," he said.
Cambodia's former coach Scott O'Donnell believes it could be beneficial in the long term if all nations qualified together. "From a coach's point of view, not playing in the Asian Cup qualification is an opportunity lost.
"The only way teams like Cambodia can improve is by playing against better teams more often. It is not until World Cup qualifiers that teams like Cambodia get the opportunity to play teams outside of the ASEAN region."
This week's preliminary qualifying draw for the 2015 Asian Cup did not include the top nations - they are given passage through to the final tournament - while the smaller countries were locked out. That removed the kind of David vs Goliath clashes that can clutter, for instance, European qualifying for major tournaments.
Only 20 of the Asian Football Confederation's 47 members came out of the hat in Melbourne in the qualifying draw.
Defending champion Japan and South Korea have been given a pass due to their performance at the 2011 tournament.
Thailand coach Winfried Schaefer, who saw his team drawn in a tough group with Iran, Kuwait and Lebanon, is among those who prefer a system where all of the confederation members enter the same qualifying tournament.
"It should be like Europe," Schaefer said. "Why can Japan and (South) Korea go directly? At Euro 2012, Poland and Ukraine were the hosts but Italy, England and Germany had to qualify.
"It is good for us to play good teams, even if we have Korea and Japan in the same group," he said. "That is okay that is football. Korea and Japan should have to earn their place at the Asian Cup just like everyone else."
Continental champion
South Korea, two-time continental champion, can plan more high-profiled and lucrative friendlies rather than qualifying for the Asian Cup, which takes place just six months after the 2014 World Cup.
For the lower-ranked teams in the confederation, their route to the Asian Cup is only by winning the AFC Challenge Cup, held every two years.
Nonong Araneta, president of the Philippine Football Federation, said he accepted the three-tier qualifying system. "We are prepared to play any team as we are finding ways to improve," he said.
Cambodia's former coach Scott O'Donnell believes it could be beneficial in the long term if all nations qualified together. "From a coach's point of view, not playing in the Asian Cup qualification is an opportunity lost.
"The only way teams like Cambodia can improve is by playing against better teams more often. It is not until World Cup qualifiers that teams like Cambodia get the opportunity to play teams outside of the ASEAN region."
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