The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) have announced a series of measures aimed at strengthening ties between the two bodies.

Following a meeting in Paris, France on 26 June to confirm the current partnership between the two Confederations, a plan focusing mainly on Competitions and Development to provide a greater competitive platform for the OFC has been set out.

The two parties agreed in principle that three Under-14 teams from the OFC would be invited to take place in the AFC’s annual Under-14 Festival of Football, commencing in 2004.

In addition, clubs from the OFC will also be invited to participate in AFC club competitions in the future. A study will be undertaken this year to determine how best to put this into practice.

The AFC have also agreed to extend their Coach Education program to the Oceania governing body, and will send personnel to assist the OFC in establishing their own Coach Education Program.

Present at the meeting from the AFC were AFC President, Mohamed bin Hammam, and General Secretary, Dato Peter Velappan. The OFC delegation included President, Basil Scarsella, OFC Senior Vice President, Tautulu Roebeck, and OFC General Secretary, Josephine King.

The next meeting between the two Confederations is scheduled to take place in Kuala Lumpur in December 2003.

Furthermore, the new dates for the 2003 AFC/OFC Challenge Cup between New Zealand (OFC) and Iran (AFC), originally scheduled for March, have yet to be confirmed but should be finalised soon. The biennial home and away series which was first held as a one-off match between Australia and Japan in 2001 (won 3-0 by Japan) was postponed due to the crisis in the Middle East at the time.

Photo: AFC President, Mohamed bin Hammam, with OFC President, Basil Scarsella, during the OFC Congress in Auckland, New Zealand in August 2002.