Asian Cup success hides underlying problems across the continent

[p]More than two years on from co-hosting the 2023 [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/soccer/world/world-cup-women/"]Women's World Cup[/a], Australians have again shown their enthusiasm for international soccer, shattering ‌a series of attendance records for the quadrennial showpiece.[/p][p]Another bumper crowd in Saturday's final between [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/australia/YXMhvJho/"]Australia[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/japan/ltLyWcnC/"]Japan[/a] at Sydney's Stadium Australia will lift the ‌cumulative attendance well above 300,000, more than five times the previous record of 59,910 at the 2010 event ‌in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/china/IFHViN7N/"]China[/a].[/p][p]A crowd of 60,279 at Stadium Australia watched Australia's 3-3 draw against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/south-korea/6LgUhbye/"]South Korea[/a], the biggest ever for a Women's ‌Asian Cup match. It also smashed the group-stage record of 50,276 who watched 2015 hosts Australia play Oman ‌in the men's tournament.[/p][p]The popularity and success of the hosting Matildas have boosted the figures but Australia's migrant communities have also turned out to support other visiting teams.[/p][p]The crowd of 17,367 for Japan's semi-final win over South Korea was a tournament record for a match involving two ‌non-hosting nations.[/p][p]"[b]Overall, I believe this edition represents a significant turning point for women's ⁠football in Asia,[/b]" Kanya Keomany, chairperson of the governing Asian ‌Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Football Committee, said in a statement.[/p][p]On the pitch, though, the gap between the continent's traditional powers and the rest ​remains as stark as ever.[/p][p]Australia and Japan will play off for the title for the third time in four Asian Cups.[/p][p]The AFC expanded the tournament to 12 nations from eight in 2022 but it ​continues to be largely a closed shop.[/p][p]Japan and Australia aside, only nine-times champions China, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/north-korea/fojQgvMl/"]North Korea[/a] and South Korea have made the final in the past quarter of a century.[/p][p]The familiar hierarchy has highlighted a lack of upward mobility ⁠among emerging nations whose women's programmes remain hamstrung ​by a lack of resources and professionalism.[/p][p]"[b]It is very difficult for[/b] (their players) [b]to be able to commit the same amount of time to the sport as the others are,[/b]" Beau Busch, the Asia-Oceania president of football players' union FIFPRO, told Reuters.[/p][p]"[b]That leaves Asia quite vulnerable to almost a two-speed economy emerging.[/b]"[/p][embed guid="7eb53d71-a33b-46e1-98c5-01e033013bec" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vTRSOFZu_o" social-type="youtube" /][p]While Europe has taken the lead in developing the women's game ‌and generated record revenues and sponsorship in competitions, Asia has been late to the party.[/p][p]Rich Gulf nations invest billions in European football but have devoted only a fraction of the resources into developing their women's programmes.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bahrain/p0B3lJB2/"]Bahrain[/a] at world number 110 is the Gulf's highest-ranked women's team while 69th-ranked [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/iran/jFKGXQSG/"]Iran[/a] is the best in West Asia.[/p][p]Qatar, which hosted the men's World Cup in 2022, is unranked in women's soccer.[/p][p]The AFC has taken steps to develop the women's game, including launching the Women's Champions League in 2024, but critics say progress has been uneven.[/p][p]Prize money remains a key issue.[/p][p]The Asian Cup's US$1.8m pool is the lowest among women's continental competitions, barely half of that offered by the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (US$3.47m).[/p][p]It is about 12% of the prize pool offered for the 2023 men's Asian Cup in Qatar.[/p][p]The much-criticised prize pool ‌at the 2023 Women's World Cup was about a quarter of the men's in 2022.[/p][p]The AFC did not respond to ​requests for comment about prize money inequality and funding for women's programmes.[/p][p]Players remain frustrated with gender funding ‌gaps in their home nations. South Korea's women threatened last year to boycott this Asian Cup over conditions.[/p][p]Busch said the AFC needed to set an example for its member federations by bridging the gender gap in prize money while setting a clear plan for women's football that lifts all boats.[/p][p]"[b]For Asia to be successful and really develop into a football powerhouse, we don’t need two or three great nations. We need 10 or 12 ⁠to really drive competitiveness,[/b]" he said.[/p][p]"You can’t hit a ⁠target you’re not aiming for.[/p][p]"[b]What we’d really like ‌to see is clarity around a real roadmap for the development of women’s football across Asia.[/b]”[/p]