Key principles of landmark AFC Women’s Champions League approved by AFC Women’s Football Committee
23/08/2023
Sydney: The AFC Women’s Football Committee underlined its determination to transform the Continent’s women’s club game at its first meeting today after it confirmed the entry principles, competition format and season calendar of the AFC Women’s Champions League, which will be introduced from the 2024-25 season.
Chaired by Kanya Keomany, members of the Committee, who met in Sydney, Australia just hours before the Final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023, were unanimous in praising FIFA, Football Australia, and New Zealand Football for staging a truly spectacular global showpiece.
The Committee also hailed the performances of Asia’s teams, which once again showcased the world-class standards of the Continent’s traditional powerhouses as well as the commendable progress of newcomers Vietnam and Philippines.
Turning their attention to the launch of the AFC Women’s Champions League, the Committee agreed to revise the implementation timeline of the club licensing criteria for the AFC Women’s Champions League, which will now be enforced from the 2028/29 season to better accommodate a more feasible transition time for participating clubs.
The Committee also approved the entry principles of the breakthrough tournament, which will see one entry per Participating Member Association from the 2024/25 to 2027/28 seasons.
In determining the direct slots to the Group Stages, the Member Associations’ FIFA Ranking will be used, while Preliminary Stage may be organised between clubs from lower ranked Member Associations depending on the number of entries. Subsequently, from the 2028/29 season, the considerations for slot allocation will be in accordance with the AFC Women’s Club Competitions Ranking and Women’s Club Licensing criteria.
The Entry process will be opened to all Member Associations, who will need to meet a set of criteria to be included in the Competition Regulations, which will be approved by the AFC Women’s Football Committee in due course.
