CHINA / Tournament Info |
History of the Asian Cup(afcasiancup.com)Updated: 2007-07-07 21:41 From its humble beginnings in 1956, the AFC Asian
Cup has developed into the continent's premier football tournament, bringing
together the top national teams from the length and breadth of Asia to compete
for one of international football's most sought-after prizes every four
years.
The tournament had it roots in the formation of the Asian Football
Confederation in Manila in 1954. The 12 founder members of the AFC sought to
shape the development of the game in Asia and one of the keys to achieving that
aim was the organisation of a regional competition for the continent's
international teams.
Just two years later, the first ever Asian Cup was staged in Hong Kong with
seven of the 12 affiliated national associations vying for the title of Asia's
best football team.
Over half a century later, the Asian Cup has grown to encompass teams from
throughout the continent and has become the barometer by which the continually
changing balance of power in Asian football is measured.
From the dominance of Korea Republic in the early years of the competition,
the Asian Cup became the providence of the mighty Iranians who won three
consecutive tournaments from 1968 to 1976. During the 1980s, the Gulf states asserted themselves with Kuwait becoming
the first Arab side to win the competition in 1980 before Saudi Arabia claimed
three of the next four championships, reaching the final five times in a
row.
Japan's Asian Cup victories in 1992, 2000 and 2004 signaled a shift in
power back to East Asia at the turn of the Millennium although the highly
competitive nature of the most recent tournament in China is a clear indication
that competition remains keen among the sides looking to be crowned Asia's top
national team.
|
|