LOCAL football fans have much to celebrate, following the recent announcement that Shepparton Sports City’s McEwan Reserve will host Group G matches of the AFC U17 Asian Cup Qualifiers later this year.
Australia’s leading men’s youth footballers and some of the brightest prospects in Asian football will be on show for Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) qualifying matches in October.
This is the first time since 2009 that Australia has hosted a qualification group, or any AFC youth tournaments, and this is the first time the event will be held in a regional area.
“We will experience the Australian Under-17 national team, commonly referred to as the Joeys, compete against China, Northern Mariana Islands, and Cambodia in a series of six games, with the team that tops this group automatically qualifying for the AFC Under-17 Asian Cup in 2023,” said mayor Shane Sali.
“There’s no better regional location to hold a competition of this level. Greater Shepparton underwent a game changing $21 million Shepparton Sports Precinct redevelopment in 2017. For the football lovers, this includes a $10 million investment into the community football complex.
“With approximately 3,000 spectators anticipated for the qualifying matches and over one million in economic stimulation, this event will see people from Victoria, interstate, and international visitors spending time and money in our region.”
Football Australia CEO James Johnson travelled from Sydney to announce the news. He said bringing the qualifiers to Shepparton is part of Football Australia’s new strategy to bring more international content to the regions.
“These qualifiers present a wonderful opportunity for football fans from across the region and further afield to witness some of Australia’s and Asia’s best emerging talent, who are following the same elite pathways as household names in world football, creating a real ‘I was there’ moment for those attending matches in October,” said Mr Johnson.
Group G is one of 10 Groups that will be contested concurrently, featuring 44 countries from across Asia, all vying for 16 spots in the 2023 AFC U17 Asian Cup. Further information will be announced at a later date.
