The three-day conference started with Shaikh Salman alongside Asia’s national team coaches and technical directors paying tribute to Qatar for their impressive victory at the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 in February.

Shaikh Salman said: “I can understand what kind of burden the head coaches and technical directors carry on their shoulders. They have a big responsibility and it is a vast area, so it is important that we learn from the AFC Asian Cup and FIFA World Cup.

“We saw a record number of Asian teams in a FIFA World Cup Finals and in the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019, there was an increase from 16 to 24 teams and I believe everyone here can agree that it was a good thing. We watched many different teams do well, especially Qatar.

The panel continued their discussion on the AFC Coaching Convention - which serves as a valuable tool in the education of the Continent’s technicians by establishing rules and guidelines for the education of Asia’s future coaches - and explored on ways to further streamline the application process before panel member Michel Sablon of Singapore shared the findings of his assessment visit to Japan.

Ten new applications for the Convention were also received, and the panel members were appointed to begin their evaluation.

AFC Technical Director Andy Roxburgh, who led the panel meeting, said: “The Convention will set higher minimum standards, where new guidelines would be put in place. It will also become an opportunity for MAs to be accountable for developing their own coaches.”

Special programmes for the education of women coaches were also touched upon before examining the requirements and key qualities of future tutors and coach educators.

The minimum coaching requirements for AFC Competitions were also among the topics discussed.

Two-time UEFA Champions League winner Paulo Sousa, now coach of Chinese Super League club Tianjin Quanjian, who face Japan’s Kashima Antlers in the East Zone, was among the attendees.

Also joining the Forum was Choi Kang-hee, manager of another quarter-finalist Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC of Korea Republic and AFC Coach of the Year 2016 as well as Branko Ivankovic, the highly-experienced Croatian coach of Persepolis FC, from the West Zone who are involved in a tight game against Al Duhail of Qatar.

Winfried Schafer, the coach of Islamic Republic of Iran’s other quarter- finalists Esteghlal, who are facing Qatar’s Al Sadd, completed the four attending AFC Champions League representatives.

They were joined by coaches from Australia, Japan and China PR including Shanghai SIPG coach Vitor Pereira and Shanghai Shenhua’s Wu Jingui.

Other Chinese Super League representatives were Chris Coleman, who led Wales to the semi-finals of Euro 2016 and now coaches Hebei China Fortune and Li Xiaopeng of Shandong Luneng Taishan.

AFC Technical Director, Andy Roxburgh, who will lead the two-day event, said: “These Forums are so valuable because it allows the sharing of views and experience from across Asia.

“For the second year in succession we have coaches from the West and East Zones of the AFC’s flagship Champions League and it showed last year that some of the challenges they face are extremely similar.

“This Forum is now established as one of the most important for exchanging ideas and opinions in Asian club football. The beauty is that the coaches themselves direct the agenda and direction of discussion.

“This year we will have the opportunity to consider many elements of the game and also the chance to look in detail at tactical and logistical innovations from the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and how it impacts a club coach.”

From the original gathering in 2016 only Kevin Muscat, coach of Melbourne Victory, has been a constant. He said: “Every year we learn of the pressures on individual coaches and how they deal with those pressures. Coaching can often be an isolating job so sharing experiences in this Forum is vital.’

Also in attendance, for the first time,are a group of elite coaches from the Chinese FA including several former national team coaches such as former Manchester City, Crystal Palace and China PR defender Sun Jihai.

In a new development after the Forum, AFC Technical Director Andy Roxburgh also addressed 50 elite coaches from the Chinese Super League and Jia League at a Chinese Football Association Coaching Summit.

During the Forum sessions, Asia’s top coaches from China PR, Japan, Korea Republic as well as the Islamic Republic of Iran, looked at the impact of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia on Asian football.