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The Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) determination to demonstrate the highest levels of integrity and good governance during the on-going Commercial Rights tender was further emphasised by the AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa earlier this week on Tuesday.
At the AFC Executive Committee meeting held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the AFC president announced that the Commercial Rights tender, which opened on February 1, 2018, would be overseen by not only external auditors but also an Independent Monitoring Group.
Deloitte will be the external auditors, who will monitor the management and operations of the process between the AFC Administration and bidders, while the AFC Audit and Compliance Committee recommended that the management and operations of the process between the Administration and the External Audit Company should be monitored by an Independent Monitoring Group.
This group will consist of a member from each of the AFC Audit and Compliance Committee, the AFC Finance Committee and, also, the AFC Marketing Committee. The Commercial Rights tender closes on March 29, 2018.
Shaikh Salman said, “We have consistently promised that the AFC Executive Committee will be kept informed of all the major milestones and decisions to be taken in a process, which could secure the financial future of the organisation. We will deliver on that and I thank the Member Associations for their support.”
“This is a busy and crucial year for the AFC as we will stage several major events – the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Jordan 2018 between April 6-20, 2018; the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 Final Draw on May 4, 2018 and then the AFC Congress to be held in Kuala Lumpur on October 31, 2018.”
“The success of all these AFC events is crucial to the image, reputation and future viability of an organisation which has the stated aim of being a world leader among Confederations.”
“And, of course, there is a historic FIFA World Cup in Russia where Asia has a record five teams and for the first time an Asian team will be competing in the opening game of a World Cup when Saudi Arabia take on the hosts Russia. We wish all the five Asian countries good luck.”
The AFC President also reflected on ‘a positive time’ for the Asian football family with the lifting by FIFA of suspensions on the Kuwait Football Association (KFA) and the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) as well as the FIFA decision, supported strongly by the AFC, to lift the ban on competitive matches being played in Iraq.
Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat, the PFF President, thanked the AFC and, in particular, the AFC President for supporting the PFF during what had been a “difficult time for the football family of Pakistan”.
