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SCMP Reporter

THE 1993/1994 Asian Club Championships opens today amid a growing sensation that the Asian Football Confederation is reaching a critical stage in it's soccer evolution.

 A sense of that can be taken from the range of both good and bad news that the AFC has faced during last week.

 AFC general secretary Peter Velappan announced on Thursday that by the time of the 1998 World Cup, Asia would have ''more than two teams in the competition''.

 That quote is significant because world governing body FIFA has not decided specifically how to make the changes.

  As Velappan admitted, that means Asia could have three straight teams, like Africa, or the third-placed Asian team could enter a play-off with the champions of Oceania.

 While the AFC could take this information to prove that Asian football's star is definitely rising, the organisation also had to contend with the withdrawal of two of the eight teams due to compete in the club championships.

 The withdrawals of Saudi Arabia's Al Shabab and the Victory Sports Club of the Maldives have dealt a body blow to the AFC, especially as the confederation has focused on club football as the key to successful development.

 That leaves Japan's Yomiuri, Liaoning of China, Al Ansar from Lebanon, Bahrain's Al Muharraq, the Omani Club from Oman and hosts Thai Farmers.

 Velappan and the AFC have done a tremendous job of selling the concept of Asian football abroad, helped by the great successes of the Japanese J.League and Saudi professional competitions.

 And, the AFC itself has taken a substantial risk in developing it's own marketing campaign which involves multi-year sponsorships, a weekly TV show and even a furry mascot.

 With all these bets laid on Asian football, one can understand the concern felt when teams drop out of such showpiece club tournaments.

 And it is not as if the AFC can blast the two teams with massive fines.

   Under existing rules both the Saudi and Maldives teams face US$3,000 fines - hardly punitive, especially in the case of oil-rich Saudi Arabia.

 The chance for change will come at the general secretaries seminar next month and then April's AFC Congress which has to pass any substantial constitutional changes.

 Watch out for dramatically increased fines and the possibility of travel subsidies for teams that genuinely can't afford to make the trips necessary in a pan-Asian competition.

 While the World Cup news proves that Asian football is definitely going forward it remains to be seen whether Asian club football is going to be allowed to hold progress back.

   As Malaysia and Singapore get ready for the launch of Asia's latest fully-professional soccer league, the M-League, a critical move has been made against match-fixing which is all too common across Southeast Asia.

 In the past, match-fixers have hidden behind the fact that it is next to impossible to furnish satisfactory evidence, especially as that would mean football players coming forward to be public witnesses.

 In a ground-breaking meeting this week, convened by the Football Association of Malaysia, the Malay state teams plus the Football Association of Singapore agreed a two-prong attack on the problem, beginning by suspending players on suspicion.

 Although this guilty-till-proven-innocent plan would not sit easily with legal minds, it is a fair measure of how desperate the situation has become.

 To tighten the screw still further, the FAS have agreed not to sign on any players suspended by other teams. This was also a common loophole that allowed bent players to dodge out of possible meaningful punishment and continue their work.

 It remains to be seen whether the smooth-operating bookies have another card up their sleeves, because as the league gets more professional it is an even-money certainty that betting interest will increase.



Stiffer penalties to come as Asian soccer gets tough