AFC announce first ever female match commissioner

In a statement made earlier today. the AFC have announced that South Korean Kim Se-in will become the first ever match commissioner in their history.

The news comes as female match commissioners were announced for the 2022 World Cup and the 2023 Asian Cup. Stephanie Frappart was also named as the first female referee for a men’s major UEFA event.

Clearly, the AFC want to stay up to date and frankly, we couldn’t be happier to see it.

Full statement below:

Korea Republic’s Kim Se-in will make Asian football history by becoming the first female match commissioner to take charge of the Asian Qualifiers Round 2 game between Guam and Maldives after FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirmed her appointment.

Kim will be joined by three other female match commissioners in the Asian Qualifiers – Nguyen Thanh Ha of Vietnam, Lau Cheuk Chi of Hong Kong and AFC Executive Committee member Kanya Keomany of Laos – who were confirmed by FIFA after being nominated by the AFC.

The appointment of the female match commissioners for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023 Joint Qualifiers underlines the AFC’s steadfast commitment to promote women in Asian football.

AFC General Secretary Dato’ Windsor John said: “The Asian football family is proud to have four female match commissioners appointed to manage the Asian Qualifiers. The AFC values the contribution of women in the sport and we will continue to support women in the workforce.

“The AFC encourages more women to take up the varied roles in football and we hope more will follow in the footsteps of all the women who have – and continue – to play pivotal roles in the success and development of the sport.”

It will be a proud day for the experienced Kim when she oversees the Guam and Maldives tie which will be played at the Guam FA Field on September 5 as 40 Asian countries begin their journey to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023.

The other female match commissioners will also play their part in future Asian Qualifier matches.

Kim, who is the Head of Public Relations for the Korea Football Association (KFA), said: “I’m surprised but also proud to be given this opportunity by FIFA and the AFC. I have experience of being a match commissioner in women’s competition, but I can expect a big difference between a men’s and women’s tournament, in terms of size and scale, so I’m excited with this opportunity. Although it is bit different but the fundamentals are still the same because it is all about football.

“In the past, there were no female match commissioners in Korea Republic, and that motivated me to be the first female match commissioner in my country. I’ve surpassed my expectations and it is great to see other women going for the match commissioner exams this year. I’m also happy to hear that some of our national players are also considering to become match commissioners after seeing how I achieved this.

“People need to believe that it doesn’t matter if you are female or male – you just need the proper talent and knowledge to be selected for a job. We must do our best and be willing to go beyond our comfort zones,” she added.

Kim has been involved in football for many years and has been a match commissioner in AFC women’s competition since 2017. She was also the team manager and head of administration for the Korea Republic women’s national teams.

She also served as a Media Officer in international competitions and in 2018 was appointed by the KFA as a general coordinator for Men’s A matches in Korea Republic.

In May, the trio of Japanese referees Yoshimi Yamashita alongside assistant referees Makoto Bozono and Naomi Teshirogi became the first all-female cast to officiate an AFC Cup match between Myanmar’s Yangon United FC and Naga World of Cambodia.

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FIFA set new global benchmark for Women’s Football Development

In a landmark initiative for women’s football, FIFA has unveiled an ambitious strategy aimed at reaching 60 million female players worldwide by 2027.

The comprehensive plan, supported by 13 distinct development programmes, is available to all 211 FIFA Member Associations, marking a significant step forward in the sport’s global evolution.

FIFA also took the announcement to highlight the achievements for women’s football in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Oceanic Football Confederation (OFC).

The recently enhanced FIFA Women’s Development Programme underscores the organisation’s strengthened commitment to expanding the women’s game.

The upcoming 2025 calendar promises several groundbreaking developments for women’s football.

The Philippines will host the inaugural FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup, while Morocco makes history as the first African nation to stage the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

The latter tournament sees significant expansion, growing from 16 to 24 teams and shifting to an annual format.

International competition reaches new heights with continental championships scheduled across multiple confederations.

The pathway to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027 commences with African qualification matches, while major regional tournaments including the UEFA Women’s EURO and OFC Women’s Nations Cup will crown new champions.

In a significant advancement for club football, all six confederations will host their respective continental club championships for the first time.

This renewed focus comes amid unprecedented growth in participation rates, particularly evident in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup co-host nations.

New Zealand has reported a remarkable 27 per cent surge in female participation since 2022, with particularly strong growth among Māori and Pasifika communities, showing a 14 per cent increase.

A strategic partnership between New Zealand Football and Māori Football Aotearoa further strengthens grassroots development.

New Zealand Football CEO Andrew Pragnell voiced the federations successful results.

“The expansion of football and futsal in Aotearoa New Zealand has been extraordinary, with the Women’s World Cup serving as a genuine catalyst for growth,” he explained via official FIFA press release.

Across the Tasman, Football Australia’s Growing Football Fund Community Grants programme continues to foster development at the grassroots level.

The latest round of funding benefits 118 recipients, complementing the 121 projects supported in March 2024.

This initiative particularly emphasises regional development, with nearly half the grants allocated to areas outside major metropolitan centres.

The grants provide essential support for women’s football development, encompassing coach education, introductory programmes, and vital equipment procurement, further cementing the sport’s foundation at the community level.

Also within the AFC, footballing powerhouse Japan has successfully hosted the continent’s first female-exclusive Pro Licence coaching course.

A collaborative effort between FIFA, AFC, and the Japan Football Association (JFA), represents a significant milestone in professional football development.

The intensive seven-day course attracted participants from fourteen nations, featuring presents such as AFC Technical Director Andy Roxburgh and Japan men’s national team coach Hajime Moriyasu.

Participants gained valuable practical experience through observations of pre-season training sessions at both J.League and Nadeshiko League clubs.

JFA Technical Director Masanaga Kageyama emphasised the programme’s strategic importance and inclusivity.

“This course is a joint AFC/JFA initiative to increase the number of top-level, professionally licensed female coaches in Asia. It aims to provide existing talents with additional advice to help them achieve greater success in their current coaching positions and secure future success,” Kageyama explained via official FIFA press release.

This initiative aligns with JFA’s renowned long-term development philosophy and a significant advancement in creating pathways for women in professional football coaching.

This newly improved strategy at the global scale will hopefully allow for more women in both professional and amateur spaces to get the opportunities they deserve in football.

It also highlight’s that AFC & OFC nations, including Australia, will have a strong place within the growth of women’s football.

Read more on the FIFA Women’s Development Program here.

Tom Sermanni- Leading the Matildas in the Right Direction

In September 2024, former Matilda’s and journeyman coach, Tom Sermanni, was quietly going about his business coaching in the women’s program at Western Sydney Wanderers.

The last thing he expected was to receive an offer from the F.A. to become the interim manager for the Matildas.

However, Sermanni reflected on his previous stints with the Matildas from 1994-97 and 2005-12 with a great sense of pride and didn’t hesitate to accept the offer.

After five months in the job, Sermanni and assistant coach Jean-Paul de Marigny have methodically restored confidence in the squad after the disappointment of not qualifying for the quarter finals at the Paris Olympics.

It was certainly a far cry from Sermanni’s previous stints in 1994-97 when players weren’t paid and had to cover their own expenses and 2005-12 when contracts were introduced for the players.

Notably, Sermanni is aware of the strong brand the Matildas carry in Australian sport and every time they venture onto the pitch, there is a weight of expectation for them to perform.

In this interview with Roger Sleeman, Tom Sermanni discusses his progress with the Matildas since September 2024 and the general state of the women’s game in Australia.

ROGER SLEEMAN

What was your mindset when you were offered the job after your last stint with the Matildas in 2005-12?

TOM SERMANNI

Surprise was my first reaction as it came completely out of the blue

I’d actually reached the stage where I wasn’t searching for a career but winding down.

However, it was a compliment to be still considered for coaching at this level.

R.S.

How long did it take you to accept the offer?

T.S.

Only a few minutes because it was a no brainer after I contemplated what was involved.

Photo: Kyoko Kurihara – Football Australia

R.S.

Based on the Matilda’s performance at the Paris Olympics, what areas were you going to concentrate on?

T.S.

I was actually at the U.S.A. and Zambia games which was useful and I also knew a number of players in the squad.

Initially, I wanted to maintain stability because when a tournament doesn’t yield results, there are inquisitions and uncertainty.

Therefore, the lack of confidence had to be restored.

R.S.

What has been your main focus since you commenced the position?

T.S.

When we first assembled for the first match in Switzerland, I outlined the expectations for the team and myself.

I wanted to get back to the way Australian teams play on the front foot and to reassure the players there was a lot of ability in the squad , despite the disappointment of the Olympic’s result.

We needed to establish goals for the players to achieve and winning was critical.

Rebuilding belief, confidence and spirit was essential to achieving this outcome.

R.S.

What were your conclusions after the Switzerland and German clashes in October?

T.S.

There were signs of missing confidence and cohesion in the Swiss clash but against Germany it was a great 2-1 victory and defied our 15th ranking in the world standings.

R.S.

Against Brazil, how did you rate the team’s performance?

T.S.

Both games were probably the most brutally physical I’d ever witnessed in the women’s game.

Also ,the Brazilians were very direct and unfortunately in the first game in Sydney, the referee didn’t control the game well enough.

In the second game on the Gold Coast this was rectified somewhat .

Critically, the games were a great benchmark to assess our status with the top five teams in the world.

R.S.

Are we technically adept to match the top teams?

T.S.

If you look at Caitlin Foord, Steph Catley, Mary Fowler and Kyra- Cooney Cross, we have players who rate technically with the best.

Also, we have players spread across the best Leagues in the world.

Nevertheless, at the development level we need to advance players at a technical level, rather than implementing systems which restrict individual development.

Photo: Kyoko Kurihara – Football Australia

R.S.

Are the senior players performing to their best?

T.S.

I believe in the matches so far they have and are still our most consistent performers.

Don’t forget, despite the Paris Olympics failure, we did qualify for the semi finals of the previous Olympics and the 2023 World Cup.

R.S.

Is it time to blood young players in the squad, and what is your general opinion of the talent scouting process employed to unearth new players?

T.S.

If I’d come in as a new coach for the next campaign, rather than an interim coach, things may have been different.

I emphasise again my role is to instigate stability in an effective way and my successor in a permanent role will decide where the squad will go forward from there.

For me , the role is to plan for the present and the future so it’s a balancing act.

In the modern game it’s difficult because you don’t get enough time with the players who are mainly based overseas.

This is in contrast with my last stint with the Matildas when most of the players were home based so we had complete access to them for local camps .

Importantly, this allowed us to develop players within the team structure.

It’s getting harder to bring in new players because of the time limits you have to work with them.

Obviously, you’re continuing to strengthen your squad by bringing new players in but moving forward the new coach has to reassess the current squad and also be mindful of other players to be given an opportunity to see if they are better than the current players.

Naturally, there will be a turnover of the squad due to ageing of senior players so we have to provide a better way of bringing younger players through.

With the huge increase in playing numbers in women’s football , there should be a lot of new talent coming through the system to be considered for Matilda selection.

Unfortunately ,there hasn’t been an organised plan since the Institutes fell by the wayside and resources aren’t being committed to a cohesive system.

R.S.

How important is Mary Fowler to the squad?

T.S

She is critical because she has that X-factor and those qualities to become a superstar.

Some of the senior players are now at their peak in their late twenties and Mary in her early twenties has the world at her feet to become a world class player.

Along with Ellie Carpenter whose workrate and football awareness are phenomenal, it should be our aim to continue unearthing such talent in the W- League.

R.S.

What is your opinion of the W-League?

T.S.

Unfortunately, it’s not fully professional and it needs more resources to make it the best league it can be because at the moment it’s a development league for domestic players.

However, we need as many young players to be competing in the League and over time it would be ideal for overseas players to come back to the League to contribute to its progress.

However, the League is certainly a great place for supplying national youth team players.

Photo: Kyoko Kurihara – Football Australia

R.S.

Can you tell us more about the She Believes Cup, the Matildas are competing in the U.S. from February 19-27 against U.S.A., Japan and Colombia?

T.S.

It’s a proper, competitive tournament, not a series of friendlies so there is a great incentive to win.

We play the first game and then travel to two other cities to play so there’s limited time for preparation.

Clearly, it’s an important tournament to play serious opposition with different styles on show and for players to maintain their place or for new players to emerge.

R.S.

After your interim role ends, would you like to be still involved with the Matildas in some way?

T.S.

If there was a role for me which was suitable I certainly would take it because I’m really enjoying the current position.

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