Kuala Lumpur: Shaikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and First Vice President of FIFA, held a meeting with Datuk Mohd Joehari bin Mohd Ayub, the newly elected President of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM). During their discussion, Shaikh Salman bin Ibrahim extended his congratulations to Datuk Johari on his new role and acknowledged the contributions of his predecessor, Tan Sri Datuk Haji Hamidin bin Haji Mohd Amin, who is a member of the FIFA Council and Chairman of the AFC Finance Committee.
According to Bahrain News Agency, Shaikh Salman bin Ibrahim praised the progress and achievements of Malaysian football. He highlighted the national team's strong performance in the final round of qualifiers for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 in Saudi Arabia, marked by a 2-0 victory over Nepal last month. The AFC President also reaffirmed the enduring partnership between the AFC and FAM, emphasizing the historical connection, as Malaysia has been home to the AFC headquarters since 1965.
"The AFC's story is closely intertwined with the history of Malaysian football," Shaikh Salman remarked, appreciating the efforts of Malaysian football leaders in advancing the sport across Asia. He stressed the significance of continued collaboration with FAM and encouraged further engagement with AFC's support programmes, including funding initiatives and specialised development projects.
Shaikh Salman underscored the positive impact of these initiatives, which have aided FAM in areas such as coaching, refereeing, and football development. In response, Datuk Johari expressed his gratitude for the strong relationship between FAM and the AFC. He affirmed FAM's commitment to enhancing its use of AFC programmes and outlined plans to implement new development initiatives aimed at advancing football throughout Malaysia.