AFC continue #ItsMyGame campaign following 2019 Asian Cup

After a successful campaigning stint during the 2019 Asian Cup earlier this year, the AFC is pushing on with the goal of raising awareness for women who both work and play in the soccer industry.


With the Women’s World Cup only just finishing up, now is an ideal time for the AFC to reach out to as many people as possible.

It’s also notable that this media release has come during a time when USNWT captain Megan Rapinoe has been in the news promoting the women’s game. Many people have been lauding her and her opinions, but there is still a large contingent who don’t appear to be moving with the times.

Rapinoe has been making serious headlines and with this in mind, the AFC clearly want to generate more positive news when so many people still feel the need to negatively influence the women’s game.

The AFC’s media release from Monday night can be found in full below:

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) continues the “It’s My Game” campaign which celebrates the role of women working in football. In the latest segment, the AFC focuses on Svetlana Kashuba of Kyrgyz Republic and how she plans to shape women’s football.

Kashuba enjoyed a notable playing career for Kyrgyz Republic and after hanging up her boots, she is now striving to make a difference in the sport as the women’s football manager in her country.

Respected by her peers and looked up to by young female footballers, Kashuba rose through the ranks by representing her national team in the U-16 and U-19 women’s competitions before playing at the club level in Kyrgyz Republic.

She looks back fondly at how she started playing football and the memories serve as a reminder of how important her current position is.

“I walked with a friend from school and she told me that neighboring stadiums had football trainings only for girls. I was very interested because I could express myself by playing with other girls.

“Before that, I only played with boys. I was always the only girl among them, so I wanted to go and see women’s football. When I saw only girls playing, it motivated me even more.

“I joined the training and with the very first kick I hit the crossbar! The coach told me, ‘You will play and train with us.’ That inspired me because it was my dream to find a place where I could show my potential,” Kashuba recalled.

She is delighted to see how women’s football has developed over the years and hopes the momentum will continue.

“Looking at the girls now, I can see that they play football with more enthusiasm and the number of girls playing the sport is steadily growing. More and more girls are playing football in schools and we have more women’s teams. We are very happy to see so many women’s teams taking part in competitions at a very young age.”

Kashuba believes that women have a huge role to play in football and hopes more will join her and make a career in the sport as a result of the “It’s My Game” campaign – which has reached more than 800,000 fans so far and have received more than 300,000 views on the AFC’s digital platforms.

“Football is not just a game, it is our life and we must prove to ourselves and those around us that we can be successful. I hope that we will see more participation of women not only on the field but also in senior positions in the future,” she said.

To watch the full video, please click here.

AFC #ItsMyGame statistics so far:

Facebook: 351,949 impressions, 251,153 Reach, 51,732 video views
Twitter: 193,176 impressions, 24,663 video views
LinkedIn: 25,032 impressions, 3,732 video views
Instagram: 500,362 reach, 236,922 video views

*ENDS*

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Eastern Suburbs Football Association Announces First All-Female Referee Course and Expanded Women’s Competition

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Image Credit: Football NSW

The Eastern Suburbs Football Association has opened its 2026 season with three structural investments that reflect the growing ambition of community football associations to address participation, representation and development gaps simultaneously, beginning with the delivery of its first all-female Football Match Official Course.

The course, held at Matraville Sports High School and led by female liaison committee member Michelle Hilton and 2025 Referee of the Year Ariella Richards, brought 25 new female referees into the association ahead of Round 1. The initiative targets one of the most persistent imbalances in community sport, with women remaining significantly underrepresented in officiating roles at every level of the game, by creating a dedicated entry point separate from the mixed course environment that many women find unwelcoming.

The Women’s Premier League has also expanded, now featuring eleven teams and introducing a WPL1 and WPL2 structure following the first ten rounds of the season. The tiered format creates more competition opportunities for clubs across the region while providing a clearer development pathway for teams at different stages of growth. Returning clubs Randwick City, Glebe Wanderers, Easts FC and Sydney University join established sides in what the association describes as one of its most competitive women’s seasons. ESFA clubs have continued to perform strongly in state-wide competitions including the Football NSW Sapphire Cup, State Cup and Champion of Champions.

Building the next generation

The season opened with an inaugural Development League Gala Day for Under-9 to Under-12 boys and girls, bringing eight clubs together in a structured development environment ahead of Round 1. Sydney FC A-League Women’s players attended the event and engaged directly with young participants, a deliberate effort to connect grassroots players with visible examples of where the pathway leads.

“We are committed to creating more opportunities for clubs, players, coaches and referees to thrive, with a strong focus on participation opportunities to suit participants of all abilities and aspirations,” said ESFA CEO John Boulous.

The three initiatives, a new referee entry point for women, an expanded women’s competition structure, and a development-focused junior gala day with elite role models present, together reflect an association responding to the participation pressures the AFC Women’s Asian Cup has brought into sharp relief across Australian football.

Heidelberg United denied qualification to AFC UCL 2

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Image credit: Mark Avellino Photography / Australia Cup

In an announcement made yesterday, Football Australia revealed that, in place of Heidelberg United, Melbourne Victory will now take the AFC UCL 2 spot.

A premature ending

In what is sure to be a disappointing verdict for Heidelberg’s fans, staff and supporters, the NPL VIC side will no longer compete in next season’s AFC CL 2.

The decision comes despite Heidelberg meeting the necessary criteria outlined in Football Australia’s National Club Licensing Regulations.

“We understand that this will be a disappointing outcome for everyone connected to Heidelberg United FC,” said FA Executive Director of Football, Heather Garriock, via press release.

“The club earned enormous respect through its performances this season and should be proud of what it achieved both on and off the pitch.”

Indeed, through defeating several A-League outfits en-route to the Australia Cup Final against Newcastle Jets, Heidelberg did earn widespread respect and admiration across the landscape. Football Australia also strongly advocated for the side’s place in the AFC CL 2 following Newcastle’s qualification to the AFC CL Elite.

But despite the determined efforts of the club’s board to meet all necessary criteria, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) ruled the side ineligible to compete.

 

Victory emerge as replacements

Filling the now-vacant position in next season’s competition is Melbourne Victory, who finished 4th in the A-League this year.

As 3rd-place Auckland FC are based in New Zealand, thus falling under the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), they are also ineligible to compete.

So while the AFC CL 2 will still be arriving in Melbourne next season, fixtures will no longer be built on the underdog success story of Heidelberg’s immense rise from NPL to AFC CL matchdays.

The club, however, will appeal the decision, and has written to Football Australia for further clarity on the Appeals Process.

It remains uncertain whether the appeal will be successful or not, but Heidelberg will undoubtedly enjoy the backing not just of its own staff and supporters, but of the entire Australian grassroots community.

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