In a groundbreaking ceremony held on Monday in Putrajaya, Malaysia, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa and FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed their collaboration on the construction of a new AFC stadium. Undoubtedly, this collaboration signals great things for the sport’s future in Asia.
The AFC stadium in Putrajaya will be constructed on a land site spanning 15.43 acres. It will be fully equipped with a grandstand, spectators’ boulevard and atrium, administrative offices, and an underground car park. It’s located approximately 30 kilometers from the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur.
The FIFA Forward project will fund the new state-of-the-art football-specific stadium. Moreover, it will bolster the AFC’s aspirations through its Mission and Vision:
- To support its Member Associations (MAs) and Regional Associations (RAs) with greater efficiency.
Furthermore, Malaysian government and and the Football Association of Malaysia will both contribute to the project’s infrastructure.
Statement from AFC President
The AFC President said:
“The AFC’s Vision and Mission has underlined our ambitions to ensure we maximise the potential of our MAs and RAs.
“The AFC House has been the focal point of football development through numerous courses, workshops and seminars in the areas of Technical and Refereeing and now with this new AFC Stadium, we have the potential to do so much more,”
“On behalf of the Asian football family, I must convey our gratitude to FIFA for their willingness to chart a new era of progress with the AFC as well as the Malaysian Government for their dedication towards the development of Asian football, not only through this project but for its steadfast support over the decades.
“I am confident that the new AFC Stadium will pave the way for our MAs and RAs to scale even greater heights in the next decade.”
Statement from FIFA President
FIFA President Gianni Infantino who was also in Malaysia backed the AFC President’s statement by saying:
“I think it is an important investment for Asian football, and I want to congratulate and commend the AFC President and the Executive Committee members.”
“It is a great project, and I am really proud and happy that we are teaming up through this AFC and FIFA stadium which can mark a new step in the whole very important part of the Asian region.”
The floor space of the stadium is roughly 580,000 square feet, and it will have a capacity of 10,000 seats. Additionally, the football pitch will be the finest quality of FIFA grade.
Last but not least, the features of the stadium include:
- a cafeteria
- a leading-edge media tribune and media commentators’ room
- a vibrant water feature constructed at the entrance of the stadium
Source: AFC