Don`t hold your breath for Asian World Cup win

New Delhi: Asian football`s new technical director refused to put a time-frame on the region`s first World Cup win on Wednesday, but said strong domestic leagues were the first step to success.

Asked when an Asian team will realistically be able to win football`s biggest prize, former Scotland boss Andy Roxburgh laughed and said, "Good question!"

But Roxburgh, tasked with raising standards in the region, said he had been deeply impressed by Japan`s repeatedly stated aim of winning the World Cup by 2050.

"The Japanese are actually focused and say, `We are going to win that World Cup... it might not be tomorrow or the next day, but our aim is to win it`," Roxburgh told journalists.

"And so they`re focused on doing just that. Therefore if more countries in Asia have that focus, and that attitude, then who knows. But I wouldn`t like to make a prediction."

Roxburgh joined the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) last month, after a long stint with European body UEFA, with a remit to boost coaching standards and grassroots soccer.

South Korea reached the 2002 World Cup semis on home soil but last year`s edition in Brazil turned out poorly for Asian teams, who failed to register a single win.

Hopes will rise ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where Asian sides will seek to make the most of regional advantage against the powerhouses of Europe and South America.

Roxburgh, appointed on an "initial" two-year deal, said it was important to "design the way forward" for Asian success through development, coaching and competitions.

But Roxburgh, speaking ahead of Thursday`s AFC congress in Bahrain, said it was vital for league standards to improve, to allow players to thrive without having to move to Europe.

"I would like to see leagues in Asia really boom, that would be the big thing," he said. "In India and China, if they really start to boom then there might not be such a desire to go to Europe."

He added: "There is talent in Asia, but talent is never enough. How many people have you seen, whether it`s a coach or a player, they`re very talented. And yet they don`t quite make it to the top level.

"You need commitment, you need desire. And if you don`t have that commitment and desire and confidence... then that talent will never mature to what you hoped it might become."