The second day of the Conference, hosted by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) and which concludes tomorrow, marked the third edition of the series that unites Presidents and General Secretaries to strengthen Asian football through enhanced knowledge, tools, and processes.

Following a critically-praised inaugural day, Day Two of the packed Conference featured presentations from leading figures in global football and a high-level panel discussion, with a key focus on the evolution of football in Asia and its future.

Commencing with the AFC General Secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John’s insights on the commercial reality of Asian football, the programme continued with Professor Simon Chadwick’s presentation on capacity building and education as a key driver of the Asian game.

He was followed by Elkhan Mammadov, FIFA Chief Member Associations Officer, who spoke on the international body’s strategy to harness growth and collaboration among the AFC’s MAs.

The second panel discussion of the Conference was next, moderated by Vahid Kardany, AFC Deputy General Secretary - Member Associations, which saw the General Secretaries from all five of the AFC’s RAs share their views on the ongoing journey and growth of their respective organisations.

Frederic Guillemont, the Chief Operating Officer of the Oceania Football Confederation, took to the stage for a presentation on ensuring high performance in day-to-day operations before Güşan Hatko, Founder & CEO, Hatko Sports Technologies, closed the second day with an insightful session on the new developments and technologies in football playing surfaces.

Hailing the sessions, Football Federation of Turkmenistan General Secretary Serdar Geldiyev said: “There’s so much information on offer here, and I have gained enough knowledge to better improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of our operations so that we can forge ahead and be on par with the world’s best.”

“The overall progress of Asian football depends highly on equipping our MAs and RAs with the capabilities to chart new pathways and overcome all challenges,” said Lao Football Federation General Secretary Yodkeo Phawadee. “This Conference is a crucial means of achieving this and will surely enable all AFC MAs and RAs to develop to their full potential.” 

The final day of the Conference will feature Heather Garriock, the interim CEO and General Secretary of Football Australia; Riges Younan, the Global VP of work orchestration platform Gloat; and Patrick Knight, the Director of Strategy, City Football Group.