For the first time in the history of the AFF Suzuki Cup, FIFA world ranking points will be at stake for the eight teams competing.
The regional showcase, to be co-hosted by Myanmar and the Philippines, was previously considered a friendly competition by FIFA, and only offered ranking points on the ASEAN stage.
However, all that has now changed as FIFA now deems the Suzuki Cup to be a Category A tournament.
This development comes in the wake of increasing crowd and television audiences in recent editions of the tournament.
The tournament’s commercial partnerships with auto-company, Suzuki, as well as with international sports marketing agency, Lagardere Sports, are also believed to be contributing factors.
Fourteen years ago #Thailand battled #Indonesia in one of the greatest finals in ASEAN Football Championship history... #AFFSuzukiCup
In Speaking to ESPN FC, AFF General Secretary Datuk Seri Azzuddin Ahmad confirmed the news.
“We recently got declaration from the Asian Football Confederation [AFC] that the AFF Cup now offers international ranking points,” he said.
“We had got our 11 member associations to make an appeal to the AFC. Through their backing and support, the AFF Cup has now risen in prestige.
“This tournament has been offering encouraging figures not only in this region, but throughout the world. It is our premier tournament, our gold bank to market comprehensively.”
To provide context as to why the decision to offer official ranking points was made, in 2010 a record 192 million TV viewers tuned in to watch the competition.
Other proposed changes will also see the Suzuki Cup ditching its qualifiers, with the two groups in the tournament itself to be decided on home and away basis.
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