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AFC welcomes Australia

AFP, Kuala Lumpur
Australia's bid to join the Asian Football Confederation has won the organisation's backing, president Mohamed Bin Hamman announced Wednesday.
"The executive committee unanimously endorsed the wishes of Australia to join the AFC," Hamman said after a committee meeting in the Malaysian capital.
Australia have sought to leave the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) to join the AFC in the hope of making World Cup qualifying easier.
"We are very heartened by the news that the Asian Football Confederation has endorsed our wishes to join them," said Football Federation of Australia chairman Frank Lowy.
"It is a very positive step and we
look forward to meeting with the AFC president Mohamed bin Hammam who arrives in Sydney on Saturday to discuss with us the next steps required for our transfer," Lowy said in a statement.
At present, Oceania winners have to face a South American team in a two-leg playoff while Asia have four automatic qualifying berths and a playoff.
"It is beneficial to both of us," Hamman told reporters. "For the AFC, Australia has world football standards and it is an economic power."
In response to a question, he said there had been no objections from countries such as Japan or Saudi Arabia, which are among the more powerful teams in theAFC.
"We had representatives from Japan and Saudi and they are all welcoming. The arrival of Australia will increase the image of Asian football standards and competition."
AFC secretary-general Peter Velappan added: "After this, there area lotof statutory procedures".
"Australia has to resign from the OFC. Then they have to inform (world governing body) FIFA and then they apply to theAFC."
"All these procedures will take time. In principal Asia is happy to have them. Now we just await the timeframe in order to realise Australia'swish."
Australia's national team coach Frank Farina has said an Asian solution was needed if the Australian team was to make it into the World Cup finals after FIFA backflipped in 2003 on Oceania having direct entry into the finals.
For Australia to play in next year's World Cup finals in Germany they must beat the Solomon Islands and then the yet-to-be-determined fifth-placed South American team.