SINGAPORE, Dec 16: Asian football suffered mixed fortunes in 2006, with the traditional heavyweights failing to shine at the World Cup offset by some major breakthroughs including Australia's joining the AFC.

Once again corruption reared its ugly head with Vietnam at the forefront.

Eight players, including seven from its under-23 national side, are due to be tried for a huge match-fixing scandal.

Vietnamese football was under intense scrutiny all year, with police also investigating fraud allegations implicating dozens of players, referees and coaches for alleged involvement in separate match fixing cases.

On the upside, Asian players continued to make their mark in the world's best leagues, led by Park Ji Sung at Manchester United and Shunsuke Nakamura at Celtic, while projects to popularise the game at the grassroots gathered steam.

“I will say that the highs are much more than the lows,” Asian Football Confederation president Mohammad bin Hammam told AFP, reflecting on the past year.

“Whatever negative things have affected us, it is only because of our over-ambition. For example, to see more teams from Asia in the FIFA World Cup final sixteen and quarter-finals.

“Otherwise, I will consider that all of our AFC football activities here in Asia, in terms of development, the organization of our competitions, the results, were very successful,” he said.

Before the World Cup Bin Hammam had high hopes that an Asian team could emulate the feats of South Korea four years earlier when they reached the semi-finals on a wave of euphoria on home turf.

But it was not to be in Germany with Japan, South Korea, Iran and Saudi Arabia all crashing out at the group stages.

Australia, which joined the AFC in January after abandoning Oceania, was the top team from the region at the World Cup, making the last 16 before falling to a controversial last minute Italian penalty.

The Socceroos added a new dimension to Asian football, entering the Asian Cup for the first time ever and easily progressing to the finals held jointly in July next year by Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand.

But some Arab states were not happy with the decision, saying it will harm Asian football, and demanded Australia be thrown out.

“This is the biggest mistake made against Asian soccer. This will kill the ambitions of Asian soccer,” said Sheikh Talah al Fahd al Sabah, the head of Kuwait's Olympic Committee.

Asian domestic football plodded on. The AFC might have a grand plan to promote its top 10 leagues but they still have a long way to go.

A handful of leagues have become credible but others still wallow in mediocrity.

Urawa Red Diamonds won the J-League title, while Al Shabab won the Saudi league, considered the best in the Gulf region.

Korean club Jeonbuk Motors became the first east Asian side to win the AFC Champions League, following a 3-2 aggregate win over Syrians Al Karama.

Meanwhile, Qatar won the Asian Games title on home soil and North Korea beat title favourites Japan 5-3 on penalties to win the AFC Youth Championship,

Qatari teenager Khalfan Ibrahim, who plays for Al Saad, won the Asian player of the year award while Australia was named team of the year.

Bin Hammam pointed to bigger television audiences this year, and “a huge number of players coming through the grassroots program” as key successes in 2006.

“All in all, I am happy. All of these things are very positive,” he said.—AFP