AFF Highlights VAR Advancements and Tournament Milestones in Regional Football

The ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) held its 6th Council Meeting on Friday, 15 November 2024, chaired by AFF President Major General Khiev Sameth. The meeting focused on key strategic updates from the AFF Secretariat and Committees.

The Council reviewed the successful launch of the ASEAN Club Championship (ACC) 2024/25, alongside major competitions such as the ASEAN Futsal Championship 2024 which was won by Indonesia and the inaugural ASEAN Women’s Futsal Championship 2024, hosted by the Philippines. Preparations were confirmed for the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ 2024, scheduled to kick off in two weeks.

A significant highlight was the rollout of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology across AFF competitions. The Council endorsed VAR implementation as a major step toward aligning regional competitions with global officiating standards. VAR was successfully introduced in:

• AFF U-16 Boys’ Championship 2024 (Semi-finals and Final)
• AFF U-19 Boys’ Championship 2024 (Semi-finals and Final)
• ASEAN Club Championship 2024/25 (Group Stage)

The Council also approved the appointment of Quality Media Producciones SL as the official VAR provider for the final stages of the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ 2024.

In recognition of international achievements, the Council congratulated Australia and Indonesia for progressing to the third round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Asian Qualifiers, and for qualifying alongside Vietnam for the AFC U-20 and U-17 Asian Cups 2025.

The Council also commended Thailand for reaching the Round of 16 at the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2024, and the Philippines for hosting the inaugural ASEAN Women’s Futsal Championship and preparing to host the FIFA Women’s Futsal World Cup™ 2025.

Additionally, the Council ratified the decisions of the AFF Competitions Committee, the Ad Hoc AFF Member Associations Development Programme Fund (MADPF) Committee, and the AFF Finance Committee.