AFC U23 Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2022 sets engagement milestone

AFC U23

The AFC U23 Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2022 reached new milestones in engaging football fans, with the AFC’s social media channels witnessing staggering impressions of nearly 340 million – an increase of 193.8% from the fourth edition in Thailand two years ago.

As underlined in the AFC’s Vision and Mission, effective utilisation of social media to further excite football fans in the continent and beyond is seen as critical to growing the Asian game.

Asia’s top 16 teams competed for 19 days across 32 matches in the cities of Tashkent and Qarshi, with Saudi Arabia eventually becoming the fifth team in as many editions to clinch the coveted crown after the West Asians defeated hosts Uzbekistan 2-0 in a captivating decider.

The biggest increase was observed through the highly entertaining video content which received 46.9 million views on the AFC’s digital platforms, an astonishing rise of 1,066% from the 2020 edition, while the newly launched AFC TikTok account also garnered 9.3 million views with close to a million engagements.

The AFC’s Twitter account generated the highest improvement in impressions with a 217% increase from 2020 to 33 million in Uzbekistan, followed by Instagram, which received 115.65 million impressions or an increase of 119% while the AFC’s Facebook impressions rose by 80% to nearly 110 million.

At the same time, engagement on the AFC’s social media channels grew by 141.2% from 7.3 million in 2020 to a commendable 17.68 million in 2022 thanks to the multi-lingual approach through the AFC’s language-based platforms in English, Arabic, Farsi, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Thai and Vietnamese.

The AFC’s Facebook account saw the highest uptake with nearly 10 million engagements, 315% higher than the last edition, with the Confederation’s Twitter account increasing by 84% to 1.6 million engagements while Instagram rose 61% to 6 million engagements.

On the pitch, the Continent’s attacking prowess was also palpable with a total of 81 goals scored across the 32 matches, averaging approximately 2.53 goal per match, as the young Green Falcons became the first side in the tournament’s history to maintain an unblemished defensive record across all six matches in their impressive march to the title.

The tournament also saw spectator attendance records rewritten on several occasions, with 28,670 fans gathering at the Pakhtakor Stadium when hosts Uzbekistan opened their campaign against Turkmenistan before a notable 32,268 supporters attended the thrilling final between the host nation and Saudi Arabia.

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UEFA and Unilever renew partnership

UEFA has embraced Unilever as an Official Global Partner of the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025, kicking off in Switzerland on July 2 until July 27, 2025.

Unilever’s deal with UEFA builds off of their 2024 partnership and will see a wide array of Unilever’s Foods and Personal Care brands ignite their own integrated advertising campaigns to connect with fans and consumers in and out of the stadium, including household names like Dove, Rexona, Knorr and Hellmann’s.

UEFA marketing director, Guy-Laurent Epstein expressed UEFA’s excitement to work with Unilever again.

“Building on the success of our collaboration last summer, we are delighted to be continuing our partnership with Unilever for UEFA Women’s EURO 2025,” he said in a press release.

The support and interest in women’s football is on a sharp upward trajectory, and with Unilever’s portfolio of Food and Personal Care brands reaching billions of people every day, we look forward to celebrating the power of the game and bringing excitement to fans everywhere.”

General Manager of Unilever Foods Europe, Robbert de Vreede conveyed his enthusiasm for Unilever’s involvement in the upcoming Women’s EURO 2025.

“We are thrilled to partner with the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025, enabling our Foods brands to connect with a large audience who come together enjoying the thrill of a football match with friends whilst sharing delicious foods,” he said in a UEFA press release.

“Just as a great BBQ brings people closer, football unites fans in a shared experience of passion and camaraderie. In this partnership we will create memorable moments that highlight the best of summer – good food, great company, and beautiful games.”

General Manager of Unilever Personal Care Europe, Fulvio Guarneri detailed why the collaboration between UEFA and Unilever was a perfect fit.

“This is an exciting opportunity for some of our biggest brands to tap into a big cultural moment and connect with millions of consumers who will be watching the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025,” he said via press release.

“It’s a great time for women’s football and this partnership fits perfectly with our Personal Care products which are all about feeling clean and confident, and taking part in sports. Together with our retail partners, we look forward to building on the success of last year’s men’s tournament, delivering unmissable campaigns across a variety of channels that celebrate the power of women’s football.”

Unilever joins an exciting list of brands for the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 tournament, including household names such as adidas, Amazon, AXA, Booking.com, EA, Euronics, Grifols, Heineken, Hublot, Just Eat Takeaway.com, Lay’s, Lidl, PlayStation and Visa.

The Club Development Conference highlights community football

Significant Sporting Events Program 2023-24

On Saturday, February 1st, over 200 attendees came together at Valentine Sports Park for the 2025 Football NSW Club Development Conference.

With registrations for the 2025 season still coming in, over 85 Football NSW clubs from both Sydney Metropolitan and regional areas gathered for a dynamic day of workshops, panels, and special guest speakers, celebrating community football.

Presented by Stephanie Brantz, the Conference included keynote addresses from Karen Jones, Acting CEO of Destination NSW and Chief Executive of the NSW Office of Sport, Dr. Catriona Rose of the Australian Sports Commission, and Matildas cap #167, Ellie Brush.

After the successful second edition of the conference, Trevor Huxley, Football NSW’s Program Manager for Club Development, expressed his excitement over the strong support from the community.

“The Club Development Conference is a fantastic opportunity to bring together all levels of the game to learn from one another, network and discuss best practice for grassroots football,” said Huxley via press release.

“It has been inspiring to see grassroots clubs across the state in attendance, illustrating a remarkable commitment to supporting their local communities. It’s vital that Football NSW continues to lead in this space, providing support to the volunteers and local administrators who are central to the ongoing growth of our game.”

Along with the keynote speakers, attendees were able to choose sessions tailored to their Club or role, covering topics such as safeguarding, volunteerism, marketing and data analysis, infrastructure and grant funding, player and spectator behaviour, women & girls’ football, diversity and inclusion, and grassroots coach education.

The Football NSW Club Development Conference serves as a pivotal platform for enhancing community football by Empowering Clubs, Facilitating Networking, Offering Targeted Education and Showcasing Leadership.

By focusing on these areas, the conference plays a crucial role in strengthening community football, promoting inclusivity, and ensuring the sport’s sustainable growth.

To gain further details and access Club resources, click here.

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