Champions League can put Asian women’s football on map, say players
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Asia has fallen behind since Japan became the continent’s first and only World Cup winners in 2011.
PHOTO: AFP
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TOKYO – Women’s football in Asia can close the gap on Europe and North America with the launch of the AFC Women’s Champions League on Oct 3, say players from top Japanese side Urawa Reds Ladies.
The women’s game has exploded in popularity in Europe in recent years, with clubs in England, Spain and Germany enjoying record attendances and investment.
In September, the Women’s Super League (WSL) and Women’s Championship signed a multi-year title sponsorship deal with Barclays,
The landmark renewal is the biggest deal in women’s football in Britain, with Barclays doubling their investment to strengthen their support of the women’s game.
In March, it was reported that WSL attendances were up 43 per cent on last season, with cumulative attendance for the WSL and the Women’s Championship passing one million for the 2023-24 season a month later.
Women’s football in North America is also in rude health.
Also earlier in September, with Angel City leading the way at US$250 million (S$321.8 million), the average value of a National Women’s Soccer League team is up 57 per cent from 2023 to a record US$104 million,
The report put the 14 franchises’ collective worth at US$1.46 billion.
With average attendance increasing by 10 per cent this season following a 32 per cent growth in 2023, half the league in 2024 is averaging 10,000 fans per game.
However, Asia has fallen behind since Japan became the continent’s first and only World Cup winners in 2011.
Asian football chiefs are aiming to give the women’s club game a shot in the arm when the Champions League kicks off on Oct 3.
Urawa won an invitational continental competition that served as a test event last season, and defender Yu Endo has her sights set on the 2024 title.
“Compared to Europe, women’s football in Asia isn’t as established yet and compared to the US, there are less players,” she told AFP.
“I think having a big tournament like this will mean more people coming out to watch games and helping to establish women’s football. If Urawa Reds win the Asian title, I think people around the world will take more interest in women’s football in Japan.”
The competition features 12 teams from across the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) region, although East Asia is more heavily represented.
Organisers say the winning team “can expect at least US$1.3 million in prize money”.
Endo said financial incentives give “motivation” to players whose salaries are dwarfed by those of their male counterparts. But she also wants to make history as the tournament’s first champions.
“I want Urawa Reds to be the team that takes on the rest of the world representing Asia,” she said.
Last season’s invitational competition saw Urawa beat South Korea’s Incheon Red Angels 2-1 in May, in a final which almost did not take place.
The AFC informed the teams in March that the final would be scrapped, with no official reason made public. The game eventually went ahead after a late U-turn, but Urawa’s Rion Ishikawa said it was a difficult experience for the players.
“We played the group stage and we were aiming to win the title, so we had nowhere to get rid of that frustration,” said defender Ishikawa, a Japan international who has played at the World Cup and Olympics.
“Eventually, we were able to host the match and we felt we really had to win it.”
The AFC said the Champions League will usher in “a new dawn for the women’s game in Asia”.
The tournament starts with three groups of four teams playing in centralised locations, before moving to a knockout competition from the quarter-finals. The final is set to take place in May 2025.
Singapore’s Lion City Sailors took part in the preliminary stage,
Ishikawa said that, for Urawa, “the goal is to become champions of Asia”.
“The Champions League group stage comes when we’re still in our domestic league season, but we want to show what a strong team we are,” she said.
“We want to become a bigger team on the world stage and winning the Asian Champions League would help that.” AFP, REUTERS
