ABSTRACT
In 2006, the Football Federation of Australia moved from the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). It was hoped that the move would improve the standard of Australian football and improve competitiveness in international tournaments, such as the FIFA World Cup. Australia’s original bid to join the AFC was denied in 1964, leading them to form the OCF with New Zealand in 1966. This paper examines how dealings with the AFC and Asia more broadly are articulations of Australia’s shifting understanding of race, culture and geopolitical belonging. Soccer presents both Australia and Asia with a unique opportunity to find some shared cultural ground to strengthen and stabilise their existing economic and political relationship.
