Asian Football Confederation General Secretary Alex Soosay said that China's hopes of one day hosting a World Cup would receive the "full backing of Asia's governing body more than 25 years after the idea was first mooted," according to Mike Collett of REUTERS. Soosay said that the region "deserved more spots at the finals" and that the image of Asian football was recovering after "years of suffering under its previous leadership." He said that China "had the potential to host the World Cup, an idea first proposed" by former FIFA President João Havelange in the late '80s. Soosay: "China has had a bit of a pitfall here and there, domestically they were hit by corruption but now they are back on track. ... China has everything a World Cup should offer. They have the facilities, they have the infrastructure, they have the economy. So I don't think you can deny China." Asia previously hosted the 2002 World Cup, jointly hosted by Japan and South Korea, with the 2022 tournament set to be held in Qatar. Soosay added that Asia, currently given four guaranteed World Cup berths and "the possibility of a fifth through an inter-continental playoff, should be awarded another finalist." He said, "We definitely deserve another half-slot. We have four-and-a-half now and we deserve another half." None of Asia's teams at last year's World Cup won a match in Brazil, the region's representatives "gaining just three draws in their combined 12 group stage matches" (REUTERS, 5/2).
AL-HUSSEIN SPEAKS OUT: Collett reported in a separate piece FIFA presidential candidate Prince Ali bin al-Hussein said that the way that the AFC allowed FIFA President Sepp Blatter to address its congress "while none of the men campaigning to replace him could, showed a typical lack of democracy." Prince Ali, the head of the Jordan FA and currently Asia's own VP on the FIFA exec committee, "directed his criticism" at AFC President Sheikh Salman of Bahrain but said apart from UEFA, the other confederations were "guilty of the same thing." Sheikh Salman "refused to allow Portugal's Luis Figo, Michael van Praag of the Netherlands and Prince Ali the opportunity to speak at last week's AFC Congress in Manama, the capital of Bahrain." Prince Ali: "Our continent is about dignity and respect. Hospitality is also crucial for us, and for me it was shocking that Europe (UEFA) invited us all to take the stage but when others came to my continent they were not given that chance" (REUTERS, 5/3).
