Asia

AFC, FIFA to deliver new 10,000-capacity stadium in Malaysia

Featured image credit: Asian Football Confederation

The Asian Football Confederation and FIFA have held a ground-breaking ceremony for a new stadium in Putrajaya, Malaysia.

The stadium will be built on a 15.43-acre site and feature a grandstand, spectators’ boulevard and atrium, administrative offices, and an underground car park. The project will be financed with the support of the FIFA Forward programme.

The Football Association of Malaysia and the Malaysian government will provide logistic support for the project. The stadium will have a seated capacity of 10,000 and the AFC said the “state-of-the-art” venue will further strengthen its ambitions to support member associations and regional associations.

The stadium will be located approximately 30km from the AFC’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. It will span 580,000 square feet and feature a FIFA-graded pitch, with other features to include a cafeteria, a “leading-edge” media tribune and media commentators’ room, and a water feature at the entrance.

AFC president Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said: “The AFC House has been the focal point of football development through numerous courses, workshops and seminars in the areas of technical and refereeing and now with this new AFC stadium, we have the potential to do so much more.

“On behalf of the Asian football family, I must convey our gratitude to FIFA for their willingness to chart a new era of progress with the AFC as well as the Malaysian government for their dedication towards the development of Asian football, not only through this project but for its steadfast support over the decades.”

FIFA president Gianni Infantino added: “I think it is an important investment for Asian football, and I want to congratulate and commend the AFC president and the Executive Committee members. It is a great project, and I am really proud and happy that we are teaming up through this AFC and FIFA stadium which can mark a new step in the whole very important part of the Asian region.”