Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: Local General Coordinators and Local Media Officers from AFC Member Associations began their preparations on Thursday for continental club competitions next year.
They began their Local Media Officer Seminar and AFC Champions League and AFC Cup Local General Coordinator Seminar in Kuala Lumpur under the umbrella of the AFC Club Competitions Seminar 2014.
Speaking while opening the seminars, AFC Deputy General Secretary Windsor John said:
“First of all, I’d like to congratulate you on your appointments as the key officials for the upcoming club competitions in 2014. For you information, this year, we have combined the ACL and AFC Cup club workshop six years after the revamp of the ACL in 2009 which shows the AFC’s continuous effort to bridge the two club competitions closely together.
“In one of such moves to bridge both competitions, we have opened up the ACL slots to the top 24 Member Associations based on their technical ranking to play in the ACL playoff and a chance to advance to the ACL group stage.
“The year 2013 witnessed a thrilling two-leg final which saw a record attendance of 55,501 in Seoul and 55,847 in Guangzhou. The competition also saw a record of 2,021,019 fans attending all ACL matches in 2013 and we believe that this significant record will soon be broken as the ACL gets better.”
John has also reminded the Local General Coordinators (LGCs) and Local Media Officers (LMOs) about the vital role they play in preparing the venue and official activities.
“Together with the AFC Match Commissioner (MC) who is the highest authority and official representative of the AFC for each match, the LGCs and LMOs play vital roles in preparing the venue and official activities before, during and after the match,” he said.
“The MCs, LGCs and LMOs, together with other AFC Match Officials at the venue, work as a team and deliver the venue in its best possible conditions for all stakeholders, including the teams, media and spectators.
“Some LGCs and LMOs have been selected as AFC match Commissioners, which is a reward for their competency and dedication towards our competitions and they continue to implement our AFC policies and guidelines.
“This year, the AFC has also implemented the ’60 Minutes’ campaign to encourage more playing time by teams and to entice fans to watch quality and flowing football. We believe this campaign will showcase the best of Asian football with fair play and attractive football.
“We are all here to learn from one another and share. I hope that all of you will be enriched after attending this seminar and ready for the new season. On behalf of the AFC, I wish you all the best and success in performing your duty for the ACL and AFC Cup next year.”