AFC General Secretary: AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015 off to a great start!

Abdul Aziz Al-Maqbali of Oman competes with Massimo Luongo of Australia

The Asian Football Confederation General Secretary, Dato' Alex Soosay, has expressed his admiration for the way in which the Asian Cup Australia 2015 has started, commenting that the football has been excellent and all operations have flowed smoothly so far.

Dato' Alex commented, "Overall the tournament has started in impressive fashion. First and foremost, the football on display has been riveting, with spectacular goals like Ehsan Hajsafi's for Iran, several shots hitting the woodwork, penalties scored and saved, with many skilful and inventive players on display like the young Omar Abdulrahman of UAE. Let us not forget the goalkeepers; there have been several world-class, goal-stopping saves, such as Mat Ryan’s finger-tip save at a pivotal moment in the opening match."

Attendance figures higher than expected

He continued, "Regarding organisational matters, no major problems have been encountered, and attendances have been higher than expected, with a festive atmosphere at all matches, and the Australian Local Organising Committee and volunteers doing a great job.

“As momentum builds, numbers attending will continue to grow alongside the competition’s progress. However, all involved in the tournament's operations must remain vigilant and focused to ensure the good start continues."

Finally, he remarked that all teams will now have to step up if they are to move on to the knockout stages, whilst noting that there are no clear favourites, as several teams have looked like potential winners in their first match.