With the inaugural AFC Women’s Champions League™ (AWCL) marking a watershed moment for women’s football in Asia, one of the main talking points of the session centred on the Finals which took place last month where China PR’s Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC emerged champions after defeating Australia’s Melbourne FC on penalties in an unforgettable Final.

 

The experts discussed the many highlights from the inaugural edition, ranging from standout performances to the growing interest in the women’s game, underscored by the nearly 19,000 fans who attended the historic final.

“The experience of the AWCL Finals was a great indication of how far women’s football has come in Asia,” said Bai Lili, AFC Head of Women’s Football.

 

“With incentives such as substantial prize money and the inclusion of the VAR system, the AFC has clearly underlined its determination to set a high benchmark right from the inaugural edition.”

 

The AWCL Finals also paved the way for discussions on the ongoing AFC-Japan Football Association (JFA) Pro Diploma course, which completed its third module on the sidelines of the competition in China PR.

 

Inaugurated as a joint collaboration between the AFC and the JFA, the initiative is designed to enhance technical expertise and cultivate leadership among elite female coaches from the Confederation’s MAs.

The participants received updates on several topics covered in the pilot edition’s various modules, including the Emotions-in-Football model and on-site learnings from the AWCL Final, such as gaining a holistic understanding of the key tenets that define an elite head coach.

“Of course, technical and tactical topics are important, but having the third module during a premier competition really helped participants understand the impact of emotions on players,” explained Takeshi Ono, Deputy Director of the AFC Technical Division.

“Moreover, being able to attend training sessions with the referees gave the candidates excellent insights into the best ways to manage emotions on the field.”

The experts also discussed global initiatives aimed at advancing women’s football, such as the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, now set to take place annually instead of its former biennial format, and UEFA’s The Business Case for Women’s Football project, which leverages a wide range of data to provide leagues, clubs, and other stakeholders with a clear rationale for increasing investment in the women’s game.