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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC)’s unwavering commitment towards promoting and developing women’s football was further underlined when it conducted the AFC Women’s Football Online Session 2024 on Thursday.
Chaired by AFC Technical Director Andy Roxburgh, the virtual session saw technical staff from the AFC’s Member Associations (MAs) come together to exchange learnings on the recently concluded AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup™ Uzbekistan 2024 and AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup Indonesia 2024, both of which returned after a hiatus of five years.
Attended by 156 representatives from 46 MAs, the session began with opening remarks from Roxburgh and included a detailed discussion on the Women’s International Match Calendar 2026-2029, which was approved at the 74th FIFA Congress in Bangkok, Thailand, in May.
“We all know that competition drives development and hence, with competitions such as the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup now set to take place annually, it is an excellent opportunity to stimulate a lot of growth in women’s football in Asia,” he said.
“The new calendar for women’s football has placed the well-being of players at its heart, ensuring their ability to perform at their optimal best. Hence, on a continental level, we must ensure absolute harmony among clubs and their respective MAs to maximise the development opportunities and success of women’s football across the region.”
The session focused on the two age-group competitions, with participants receiving valuable updates from the AFC Technical Study Group (TSG). Led by AFC Head of Women’s Football Bai Lili, the TSG featured experienced technical analysts Soleen Al-Zoubi and Ip Yik Wing.
The experts also provided a detailed study of the strengths and weaknesses identified in each of the participating teams across both competitions. These included a thorough examination of factors such as passing accuracy, success rate in converting from set pieces and the ability to hold possession.
Finally, following comprehensive overviews of the two age-group competitions, the floor opened for an insightful dialogue. Panellists and participants engaged in an interactive discussion to formulate plans to further enhance the women’s game, particularly with the upcoming season set to welcome the inaugural edition of the AFC Women’s Champions League.
