Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) is one of five regional bodies that govern association football in Asia.[1] It governs association football, futsal, and beach football in Central Asia. Headquartered in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, CAFA consists of six full national association members i.e Afghanistan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan with India[2] & Oman[3] as invitational members.[4]
Abbreviation | CAFA |
---|---|
Formation | 9 January 2015 |
Type | Sports organization |
Headquarters | Dushanbe, Tajikistan |
Membership | 6 member associations |
President | Rustam Emomali |
Vice president | Mohammad Yousef Kargar |
General secretary | Ulugbek Karimov |
Website | www |
CAFA consists of the national football associations of Central Asia, and runs competitions between national teams, and also controls the prize money, regulations, as well as media rights to those competitions. CAFA aims to develop and strengthen the game of football throughout the region by raising the standards and creating more opportunities for the Member Associations for further growth.
In June 2014, the association was in principle approved by the Asian Football Confederation and approved at the Extraordinary Congress in January 2015 during the 2015 AFC Asian Cup.[5][6] As a result, CAFA will be able to have representative member(s) on the AFC executive committee.
The formation of CAFA was spearheaded by the Iranian Football Federation following disputes with West Asian Football Federation members. It was reported that AFC President Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa gained politically from the creation of the new zone.[7]
Members of the six nations met with AFC president Sheikh Salman on 10 May 2014 to talk about the possibility of creating a new Asian football zone. The delegations were invited by the AFC president following an initiative and proposed by Afghanistan and Iran.[8] At the extraordinary AFC congress on 9 June 2014 in São Paulo, the plan of the new zone was ratified by the congress.[9][10] It was subsequently approved at the AFC Extraordinary Congress in January 2015. CAFA's main headquarters after its foundation is located in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
In October 2023, CAFA and AIFF signed a memorandum of understanding which will facilitate the participation of Indian teams in the Central Asian tournaments.[11][12]
Position | Name | Years active |
---|---|---|
President | Rustam Emomali | 2019–present |
Vice-president | Mohammad Yousef Kargar | 2023–present |
Second Vice-president | Arslan Aynazarov | 2019–present |
General Secretary | Ulugbek Karimov | 2019–present |
President | Years |
---|---|
Mirabror Usmanov | 2015–2018 |
Umid Ahmadjonov | 2018–2019 |
Rustam Emomali | 2019–2023 (Term 1), 2023–present (Term 2) |
Vice-president | Years |
---|---|
Rustam Emomali | 2015–2018 |
Khurshed Mirzo | 2018–2019 |
Dastanbek Konokbaev | 2019–2023 |
Mohammad Yousef Kargar | 2023–present |
General Secretary | Years |
---|---|
Avazbek Maksumov | 2015–2017 |
Sanjar Rizayev | 2018–2019 |
Ulugbek Karimov | 2019–2023 (Term 1), 2023–present (Term 2) |
General Secretary | Years |
---|---|
Ali Kafashian | 2015–2016 |
Mehdi Taj | 2016–present |
AFC Exco | Years |
---|---|
Mehri Zohra | 2015–2019 |
Ali Reza Aghazada | 2019–2023 |
Dastanbek Konokbaev | 2023–present |
AFC Member | Years |
---|---|
Hedayat Mombini | 2023–present |
CAFA consists of six member associations. All of them are members of the Asian Football Confederation.
Code | Association | National Football teams | National Futsal teams | National Beach Soccer teams |
Founded | FIFA affiliation |
AFC affiliation |
CAFA affiliation |
IOC member |
Former federation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AFG | Afghanistan | Men's (U21·U19·U17) | 1933 | 1948 | 1954 | 2015 | Yes | SAFF (2005–2014) | ||
IRN | Iran | Men's (U21·U19·U17) Women's (U19·U17) | Men's (U-20) Women's | Men's | 1920 | 1948 | 1954 | 2015 | Yes | WAFF (2001–2014) |
KGZ | Kyrgyzstan | Men's (U21·U17) Women's | Men's | – | 1946 | 1994 | 1994 | 2015 | Yes | |
TJK | Tajikistan | Men's (U21·U17) Women's | Men's | – | 1936 | 1994 | 1994 | 2015 | Yes | |
TKM | Turkmenistan | Men's (U21·U17) Women's | Men's | – | 1992 | 1994 | 1994 | 2015 | Yes | |
UZB | Uzbekistan | Men's (U21·U19·U17) Women's (U19) | Men's Women's | Men's | 1946 | 1994 | 1994 | 2015 | Yes |
Association | National Football Leagues | League Champion | National Football Cups | Cup Champion | Super Cups | Super Cup Champion |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Afghanistan | Afghan Premier League | Shaheen Asmayee | – | – | – | – |
– | – | – | – | – | – | |
Iran | Persian Gulf Pro League | Persepolis | Hazfi Cup | Persepolis | Iranian Super Cup | Persepolis |
Kowsar Women Football league | Khatoon F.C | Women's Hazfi Cup | – | Women's Super Cup | – | |
Kyrgyzstan | Kyrgyzstan Top League | Dordoi | Kyrgyzstan Cup | Neftchi Kochkor-Ata | Kyrgyzstan Super Cup | Dordoi |
Kyrgyzstan Women's Championship | – | – | – | – | – | |
Tajikistan | Tajikistan Higher League | Istiklol | Tajikistan Cup | Khujand | Tajikistan Super Cup | Istiklol |
– | – | – | – | – | – | |
Turkmenistan | Turkmenistan Higher League | Altyn Asyr | Turkmenistan Cup | Şagadam | Turkmenistan Super Cup | Altyn Asyr |
– | – | – | – | – | – | |
Uzbekistan | Uzbekistan Super League | Pakhtakor | Uzbekistan Cup | Nasaf | Uzbekistan Super Cup | Pakhtakor |
Uzbek women's football championship | Sogdiana | Uzbek women's Cup | Bunyodkor Tashkent | Uzbek women's Super Cup | Bunyodkor Tashkent |
CAFA runs several competitions which cover men's, women's, youth and futsal.[13][14]
Source:[15]
# | Year | Events |
---|---|---|
1 | 2016 | 2 |
2 | 2017 | 2 |
3 | 2018 | 3 |
4 | 2019 | 4 |
5 | 2020 | 1 |
6 | 2021 | 3 |
7 | 2022 | 8 |
8 | 2023 | 7 |
9 | 2024 | 5 |
As of 12 February 2024 (After 2024 CAFA Women's Futsal Championship).
Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Iran (IRI) | 15 | 11 | 1 | 27 |
2 | Uzbekistan (UZB) | 12 | 12 | 5 | 29 |
3 | Tajikistan (TJK) | 3 | 2 | 13 | 18 |
4 | Afghanistan (AFG) | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
5 | Kyrgyzstan (KGZ) | 0 | 3 | 8 | 11 |
6 | Turkmenistan (TKM) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
7 | Oman (OMA) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Totals (7 entries) | 31 | 31 | 31 | 93 |
Men's National Teams editRankings are calculated by FIFA.
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Leading Men's team:
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Women's National Teams edit
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Leading Women's team:
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