Off to Court

In case you haven't heard, Phnom Penh Crown were denied entry into this season's AFC Cup Playoff Qualifiers by the AFC themselves. They pointed at one of their obscure statutes and flashed a big HALT sign in front of us. Essentially cutting our legs from under us. We refuse to take this lying down (pun intended) and have appealed the decision to the highest court available to sports teams and individuals, the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland. Wish us well. Definitely a David vs Goliath scenario. So much to say, but unable to say it at this point in time. Watch this space.

Stepping-up to AFC Cup

So under what criteria are clubs selected by the AFC to enter the AFC Cup, the second-tier of international club football in the Asian Football Confederation? We saw two Myanmar clubs invited to join the AFC Cup this season, despite the Taiwan Power club winning the AFC President's Cup, the third tier, last season. Winning the President's Cup does not guarantee you promotion to the next step-up. In fact, its a combination of whether the football federation and the league competition of that country manages to satisfy the qualification criteria set by the AFC. Obviously, Myanmar met those criteria.

There are 12 clubs that currently enter the AFC President's Cup. There are another 7 member nations of AFC who do not enter any club cup competition, namely Afghanistan, Brunei, North Korea, Guam, Laos, Macau and Philippines. Of the twelve teams, all champions of their respective domestic league championships in 2011, which country might be able to convince the AFC that they should be elevated? To do so they will have to meet minimum requirements set by the AFC and which apply to the federation, the league competition and the clubs themselves.

In Cambodia the C-League already meets conditions such as the number of teams in the top division, number of matches, duration of the season, league regulations and a disciplinary code. Other regulations include home and away matches (though it doesn't stipulate each club must have their own ground), there must be 1,000 minimum attendances at the games, and they must reach a certain technical standard according to the AFC system, including suitable floodlighting, dressing room facilities, etc. There cannot have been any match fixing in the previous year, the C-League management must have competition, marketing, media and financial management structures in place, as well as issuing one of the following; league guidebook, match-day programmes or a suitable website.

For the clubs, they must have a media officer, as well as a media room, TV broadcasting facilities and press conferences after each game. The clubs must be coached by a qualified AFC B-licensed coach. There are far more stringent conditions if a country is keen to make the AFC Champions League. For Cambodia to gain elevation to the AFC Cup - regarded as a competition for 'developing nations' - as Myanmar have done this year, doesn't appear to be that difficult. There needs to be a will and determination by the federation to meet the requirements, which they didn't appear keen to try last season. Let's hope that if invited again this year, that the federation pick up the gauntlet thrown down by the AFC.

Pipe-dream for Crown

The word on the street was that an invitation for Cambodia's league champions to play in the AFC Cup next season was on the table, which would've catapulted Cambodia into the next sphere of Asian continental football. Instead, the invitation remained unopened by the Cambodian football federation and because of their lethargy, Myanmar have picked up the baton and look likely to get the nod for 2012. How short-sighted of the FFC. That means Phnom Penh Crown will again take part in the AFC President's Cup, the competition for twelve league champions from countries regarded by the AFC's Vision Asia program as Emerging Nations. This does not take into account the FIFA World Ranking but has everything to do with a country's football competitiveness, professionalism, marketability and the financial status of the league and its clubs. The AFC President's Cup is the third tier of cup competition, the AFC Cup is the second tier lying under the AFC Champions League, which is for Mature Nations and competed for by the top 14 countries in the AFC region. The moniker for the AFC Cup is for Developing Nations, and though the competition has been dominated by west Asian countries since its formation, it certainly includes countries and teams, 32 in all, that would've been exciting to be involved with. The southeast Asian countries include Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong and the Maldives, whilst the west Asian countries are India, Kuwait, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Lebanon, Yemen and Uzbekistan. Myanmar look set to join in that party. In their place, Mongolia have put their hand up to join the AFC President's Cup, with group games tentatively scheduled for the first two weeks of May 2012. The country champions will come from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Chinese Taipei, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestine, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Mongolia, if accepted. So for the time being, playing in the AFC Cup will remain a pipe-dream for Phnom Penh Crown.