INDONESIA AND THAILAND HOSTS FOR ASEAN FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP 2008

After studying the possibilities from five potential countries – the others being Malaysia, Myanmar and Vietnam – the council decided to give the hostig job to both Indonesia and Thailand.

However, it was pointed out that even though Indonesia and Thailand have won the rights to be hosts, they will still need to fulfil certain obligations from the federation and where the failure to bid to these requirements will see Vietnam stepping in.

The subsidy and the prize money for the annual championship will not change from the previous two editions of the Asean Football Championship with the winner picking up USD 100,000, the runners-up USD 50,000 and USD 15,000 each for the two losing semi-finalists.

The draw for the Asean Football Championship qualifiers as well as the main competition will be carried out in the first week of August 2008 while the dates for the Asean Football Championship have been tentatively slated for Dec 5, 2008 to Dec 28, 2008.

It was also announced that sportswear giant Nike have come in support of the federation where they will be the official supplier for 2008.

Nike will provide footballs for all AFF competitions, equipments for courses organised not under FIFA and they will also give equipments for AFF Council members.

In return, the federation have agreed to give Nike title sponsorship for certain development competition as well as some advertising boards for competition not under WSG sponsorship.

The council also heard a presentation from B. Sanjeevan of FIFPro on the need to form a professional players association in each member countries.

The next council meeting of the AFF will be held in Kuala Lumpur on March 1-2, 2008.