Central Asian Football Association has won the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Award of the Year for the first time in its history. The award was presented to the CAFA at the AFC Annual Awards Doha 2022, in Qatar on October 31, 2023.

In a grand celebration dedicated to showcasing the best of Asian football, the outstanding efforts made by Member Associations and Regional Associatons in developing and enhancing the game, in order to continuously lift the standards of football across the Continent, were fittingly honored at the Al Mayassa Theatre of the renowned Qatar National Convention Centre.

The AFC Award of the Year is given to the member association that has made the most significant contribution to the development of football in Asia over the past year. CAFA was nominated for the award for its work in promoting the game at all level within region.

The CAFA’s competitions has been particularly successful, for the period giving the right to receive the award it has hosted as many as 11 competitions, including both senior and age-group tournaments for men’s and women’s national teams. Moreover, CAFA has implemented an AFC-approved Statutes and Electoral Code to ensure good governance and is also the beneficiary of the AFC Enhance Programme for Regional Associations, with a clean external audit opinion from the AFC’s independent external auditors showcasing their expertise in financial management.

In receiving the award, CAFA General Secretary said: “We are very pleased to receive this great award; to be the first Regional Association to win the prestigious award is indeed an honour and we are motivated to increase our competitions and programmes to benefit our MAs in the region.»

The CAFA’s win is a recognition of the hard work and dedication of everyone involved. It is also a testament to the growing popularity of football in Central Asia. The CAFA’s success will inspire other member associations to invest in the development of the game and to help Asia achieve its full potential in football.