Readers’ Forum

Grouping of Asian countries in WC qualifying round

Bangladesh face uphill task in the World Cup Football 2018 Asia Zone qualification round in Perth on September 3. With just one point in their first two matches, this South Asian nation will meet Asian Champions and four times World Cup playing Australia on that day.
A probable loss will eliminate Bangladesh from both the World Cup and the AFC Cup qualifying race. Five days later on September 8, Bangladesh will meet another giant, Jordan, at home. The interesting matter is that team captain Mamun has promised of playing their best against the group’s two top teams. The two other nations in the group are Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
In this regard, we would like to draw the attention of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) about the World Cup and the Asian Cup draw in Asia.
There are 46 members in the AFC. Of them, China alone have three teams namely China Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao. Let us divide the continent of Asia into five regions ¾ The East, the South East, the West, the Central and the South. The last one is the weakest region. At the time of draw, if the teams from South Asia and the South East Asia are amalgamated with the teams from other regions, none from these two regions will have very little prospect to qualify.
So, the draw can be held region wise so that at least one team from each of the South Asia and the South East Asia can reach the final round of the Asian Cup and the final round of the World Cup Asia Zone.
If it is done, the weaker nations will be encouraged and the standard of football therein will improve. So, we request the FIFA and the AFC to consider our proposal in the interest of football.

Abdullah Akber
Dhaka, Bangladesh