Infantino Announces Fifa Asean Cup At Asean Summit

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The Fifa president says he expects the tournament to bring the region together and become a huge success.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino and Asean secretary-general Kao Kim Hourn signed the MoU on regional football development, witnessed by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. (Bernama pic)KUALA LUMPUR: Fifa president Gianni Infantino today unveiled a new regional football tournament, the Fifa Asean Cup, which will involve all 11 Southeast Asian nations
Infantino said the tournament will be held during the Fifa International Match Calendar period to create greater impact in the region, which has a population of about 700 million people.
“Football unites the world and together with all 11 Asean countries, we are creating the Fifa Asean Cup. It’s a tournament that will bring the region together and become a huge success,” he said.
He said this after signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on regional football development on the sidelines of the 47th Asean Summit at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC).
Asean secretary-general Kao Kim Hourn signed the MoU on behalf of the bloc, with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim witnessing the signing in his capacity as the 2025 Asean chair.
Infantino said the world football governing body is determined to strengthen its efforts and expand development initiatives in the region through the MoU.
“The first pillar, of course, is integrity in the game. The second is ensuring a safe and secure environment for matches. The third is education, promoting learning through football and fostering development for girls, boys, women and men across the region.
“Asean now has 11 countries, which, as you know, is a magic number in sports. A football team is composed of 11 players, so now the team is there, ready to win matches.
“We at Fifa look forward to continuing our collaboration with Asean based on these key principles,” he said.
In his brief remarks on the MoU, Anwar said the partnership between Asean and the world football governing body reflects their shared vision of empowering the next generation through sports.
He said Asean leaders are fully committed to supporting football, the most popular sport in the region.
“It is Asean’s priority to build a new core of leaders, providing them with exposure and training, and I am grateful to Fifa for its encouragement and support.
“You have the expertise and the experience, and sharing these with the young, particularly those from poorer segments of society, urban youth and those in rural and heartland areas, enables them to receive the same encouragement, advantages and support,” he said. - FMT

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