From wiki

(This was in 2005)

"Many commentators and fans felt that the only way for Australia to progress was to abandon the Oceania Football Confederation. Soccer had developed over time to place increasing importance on tournaments rather than friendly matches. This established the Continental championships and their qualifiers as the major source of competitive matches for national teams. This served to starve Australia of potential opponents and resulted in long gaps between fixtures for the national team.

Soccer broadcaster and former Australian captain Johnny Warren, expressed his desire for Australia to join Asia. Despite previous attempts to do so, each notoriously ending in failure, a story was leaked from Tokyo in March 2005 suggesting that FIFA had entered into secret discussions with the AFC on this very issue. On 23 March, the AFC Executive Committee made a unanimous decision to invite Australia to join the AFC.

AFC President, Mohammed Bin Hammam, outlined reasons for this decision.

As well as being a developed football nation, Australia brings a developed economy and this is actually what we want in football. Besides Japan, Korea, China and Saudi Arabia if Australia joins the benefits are huge, this is what we're after.
On 17 April, the OFC executive committee unanimously endorsed Australia's proposed move. FIFA approved the move on 30 June, and it took effect on 1 January 2006. Earlier, on 1 December, the AFC Executive Committee announced that Australia would be put into the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) zone. Currently, Australia is an invitee member of ASEAN Football Federation."

Posted By: Tricky Hawes on October 10th 2017 at 11:40:29

Message Thread

Australia V Syria (Other Football) - ghostof barry butler, Oct 10, 10:20:51
- the state of the live comments! Being moderated by Hopkins or summat? (n/m) (Other Football) - MIKEWALKER, Oct 10, 12:10:30
- Fifty-three-year-old Tim Cahill with the Australia goal. (n/m) (Other Football) - bird table, Oct 10, 11:18:30
  - Is Bosnich still in goal for them or is it Mark Scwhwarzer / Tim Howard these days? (n/m) (Other Football) - essexcanaryOTBC, Oct 10, 11:21:03
    - TH is american (oops) (n/m) (Other Football) - essexcanaryOTBC, Oct 10, 11:21:21
      - I am most certainly not. (n/m) (Other Football) - Tricky Hawes, Oct 10, 11:36:37
        
        Are you 100% sure about that?? (Other Football) - essexcanaryOTBC, Oct 10, 12:21:09
- Come on Syria! (Other Football) - Tricky Hawes, Oct 10, 11:08:12
  - How can anyone not want Syria to win this. The Aussies should just let them win (Other Football) - megson, Oct 10, 11:27:36
    - I'm totally oblivious to all this (Other Football) - camcan, Oct 10, 11:29:21
      - Both in Asia right ? (n/m) (Other Football) - Steve in Holland, Oct 10, 13:31:09
      - From memory, didn't Australia choose to leave the region they were always in (with NZ etc) (Other Football) - Tricky Hawes, Oct 10, 11:36:19
        
        From wiki (Other Football) - Tricky Hawes, Oct 10, 11:40:29
        
        so money money money money money money money (n/m) (Other Football) - mr carra, Oct 10, 11:41:49
        
        ...or a larger number of more competitive games, to help attract more aussies to football (Other Football) - Tricky Hawes, Oct 10, 11:46:56
        
        no. money was the correct answer :) (n/m) (Other Football) - Steve in Holland, Oct 10, 13:31:55
      - because Asia is big (Other Football) - ghostof barry butler, Oct 10, 11:33:34
        
        Starts around about middle of Istanbul / Cyprus and ends essentially at Alaska (n/m) (Other Football) - Steve in Holland, Oct 10, 13:32:47

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