AFF Strengthens Governance and Advances ASEAN Hyundai Cup™ 2026 Preparations
The ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) held its 12th Council Meeting for the Session 2022/2026 on 28 April 2026 in Vancouver, Canada, in a hybrid format, chaired by AFF President Major General Khiev Sameth. The meeting followed the successful conclusion of the AFF Extraordinary Congress earlier that day.
In his opening address, Major General Sameth highlighted the successful election of the AFF Judicial Bodies as an important step in strengthening integrity, accountability and good governance, as the Federation looks ahead to the AFF Ordinary Congress and Elections later this year.
The Council also recognised the recent achievements of AFF Member Associations, congratulating Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam on qualifying for the AFC Asian Cup 2027, as well as Australia and the Philippines for securing qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027. Thailand was commended for its success in both the ASEAN Futsal Championship and ASEAN Women’s Futsal Championship, while Indonesia was acknowledged for successfully hosting the ASEAN U-17 Boys Championship.
A key decision of the meeting was the appointment of the AFF Electoral Committee for the 2026–2029 term, following the election of the AFF Judicial Bodies at the Extraordinary Congress earlier that day.
The AFF Electoral Committee comprises:
Chairperson: Nguyen Thi My Dung (Vietnam)
Deputy Chairperson: Abdul Salim Ahmed Ibrahim (Singapore)
Member: Guillermo Iroy, Jr (Philippines)
Member: Lorenzo Crepaldi (Australia)
Member: Zaw Min Sein (Myanmar)
The Council also received updates from the AFF Finance Committee on preparations for the ASEAN Championship Hyundai Cup™ 2026 and ratified decisions relating to the implementation of an enhanced centralised Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system, an increase in prize money and additional hosting and participation support for participating Member Associations.
The initiatives are aimed at further enhancing the delivery, profile and competitiveness of AFF’s flagship national team competition while providing greater support to participating Member Associations.
The meeting concluded with Major General Sameth thanking all for their continued commitment and support and expressing confidence that the decisions taken would contribute to strengthening AFF’s governance and preparations for the forthcoming AFF Elective Congress.