Russia have been invited to compete within the Central Asian Football Association (Cafa) Championship in June, amid hypothesis over a swap to the Asian confederation (AFC) because the nation seeks a return to worldwide competitors.
Russian groups have been suspended from European and Fifa competitions since Moscow launched what it calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine final February.
The Tajikistan Football Federation (TFF) stated on Monday Russia has been invited to Cafa’s inaugural males’s match scheduled for June 9 to 21 together with its six member nations and one other nation, which is but to be confirmed.
Cafa is a part of the AFC and was shaped in 2014. It includes the nationwide federations of Afghanistan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
The TFF added Russia had already accepted the invitation, however the nation’s soccer federation (RFU) informed information company TASS that the chance and circumstances of the group’s participation have been being mentioned.
AFC and Cafa didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.
Regional competitions, such because the Copa America in South America, usually invite visitor nations from outdoors the federation to tournaments.
The Russian Under-17 ladies’s group will take part within the South Asian Football Federation (Saff) Championship from March 20 to twenty-eight.
Switching from the Uefa to Asia’s 47-nation confederation had been touted by RFU chief Aleksander Dyukov as a attainable choice to permit the Russian nationwide groups and golf equipment continued worldwide competitors.
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The males’s group performed three friendlies final yr, in opposition to Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. They are scheduled to face Iran and Iraq this month.
Most worldwide sports activities federations have excluded athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus because the invasion of Ukraine, however some at the moment are beginning to permit them again into competitors.
Reuters
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