Kuala Lumpur: Three member associations in collaboration with their affiliated clubs from Cambodia, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan have shown interests to organise the finals of the AFC President’s Cup to be held in September.
Presidents Cup finalists Phnom Penh Crown FC, Istiklol and Dordoi Dyanamo are in the race to win the rights to host the AFC President’s Cup finals in their bid to land the coveted club title of Asia.
Palestine’s debutant Al Amma’ri, Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) FC of Pakistan and defending champions Taiwan Power Company make the numbers in the final to be played amongst six clubs in a league-cum-knockout format with the top two sides playing straight in the final.
The AFC has planned to carry out inspection visits to all the three interested bidders before the AFC Competitions Committee meeting in July gives the final verdict on the hosts of the 2012 edition of the cup which started back in 2005.
Dordoi Dynamo, the two-time winners of the competition, topped Group B ahead of Phnom Penh Crown in May’s qualifying round while Istiklol won the qualifiers leaving Palestine debutants Al Amma’ri at second position when they hosted Group C in the qualifiers held in May 2012. Defending champions Taiwan Power Company won both their matches in Group A to qualify ahead of KRL FC.
From this year’s edition, 12 domestic league champion clubs from AFC’s ‘emerging nations’ participated in the qualifiers with Mongolia being the latest member association to send its club champions as Erchim FC made the debut in the qualifiers alongside with Palestine’s Al Amma’ri.
from: the-afc.com
FPDC adds:
The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) had initially expressed interest in hosting the final round the 2012 AFC President’s Cup after hosting qualification Group A at Punjab Stadium, Lahore back in May 2012 with KRL as hosts and visiting sides being Erchim and Taipower .
However, it looks like the PFF did not follow through on their interest with AFC.