MANAMA: Asia’s football body has thrown its weight behind an eventual World Cup bid by China and insisted the teeming wider region deserves greater representation at the tournament.

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) general secretary Alex Soosay said that “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,” he said in an interview in Bahrain.

“I believe they have the potential. Asia’s always backed China. Hopefully with the prospect of hosting a World Cup it will further propel Chinese football.”

Since a major corruption purge, Chinese football has hit new heights, with its first AFC Champions League win in 2013 and a surge by the national team.

President Xi Jinping has also made football a priority with a masterplan released in January, which envisages hosting and ultimately winning the World Cup.

A well-placed source said at this week’s AFC congress in Manama that senior Chinese officials had already discussed a joint bid for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups.

An extra World Cup spot for Asia, which currently has four slots and access to an inter-continental play-off, could make a big difference to China and the rest of the region.

“Definitely we deserve (another) half-slot. We have four-and-a-half now,” Soosay said. “We deserve the half.”

Asia’s teams finished winless at last year’s World Cup, but co-hosts South Korea reached the 2002 semifinals and South Africa 2014 was also encouraging for the region.

Qualifying is under way for Russia 2018 but many Asian countries have set their sights on 2022, when Qatar will host the region’s second World Cup.

“We don’t want Asian teams to be embarrassed in 2022,” said Soosay, praising last month’s appointment of ex-Scotland boss Andy Roxburgh as AFC technical director.

“Asia’s dream is to win the World Cup. So we brought Andy to win the World Cup,” he said.

“And we know, Andy did that (sic) in Europe and Andy is a capable man of doing that in Asia.

“Not putting a lot of pressure on Andy, but we know Andy’s experience, Andy’s expertise.”

Roxburgh himself responded with far less bravado earlier this week after he was asked when an Asian team would win football’s biggest prize.

“Good question!” laughed the Scot, shaking his head.

European clubs welcome

Visits by major English and European clubs to Asia are helping to boost the game in the region rather than harming it, Alex Soosay said.

Last week fans in Malaysia called for a boycott of this month’s tour matches involving Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur because they were nothing more than “circus games” detracting from their own domestic league games.

But Soosay said the visits were of huge benefit to Asian football as they gave fans the chance to see some of the world’s best players while the clubs helped boost the local leagues with their expertise, commitment and backing.

He said they contributed to Asian soccer with coaching clinics, and by funding the building of pitches and other facilities.

“Look for example, at our relationship with Chelsea. They have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with us and it adds value to the AFC,” Soosay told Reuters.

“They come to our countries, build pitches — Chelsea build blue pitches — and those pitches are very helpful for the development of our youngsters.

“We work very closely with the English Premier League who have been very supportive of us and help the kids with their Premier Skills program.”

Over the last decade many leading European clubs have gone to Asia either at the end of the season or on pre-season tours where they have huge fan bases, and Soosay welcomes more interaction between the clubs and the Asian federations.

“They have traveled to Indonesia, to Malaysia, to China, where football is really taking off.

“If you go to China you hear ‘Chelsea, Chelsea’. If you go to Malaysia you hear ‘Manchester, Manchester’. This kind of interest is very encouraging, not only to those ardent followers but also for the children.”

He said he disagreed with those supporters who wanted to boycott the games in his own country, Malaysia.

“There is great popularity (for the visiting clubs) and that’s important. I don’t believe that this popularity will effect in any way or damage in any way the domestic leagues, it can only encourage them,” he added.