Central Asian Football Association
Association football organization in Central Asia
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Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) is one of five regional bodies that govern association football in Asia.[1] It governs association football, futsal, and beach football in Central Asia[2] and countries neighboring the region. Headquartered in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, CAFA consists of six full national association members: Afghanistan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
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| Abbreviation | CAFA |
|---|---|
| Formation | 9 January 2015 |
| Type | Sports organization |
| Headquarters | Dushanbe, Tajikistan |
| Members | 6 member associations |
President |  Rustam Emomali |
Vice president |  Mohammad Yousef Kargar |
General secretary | Ulugbek Karimov |
| Website | www |
CAFA consists of the national football associations of Central Asia, runs competitions between national and club teams, and controls the prize money, regulations, and media rights to those competitions. CAFA aims to develop and strengthen the game of football throughout the region by raising the standards and creating more opportunities for the Member Associations for further growth.
In June 2014, the association was in principle approved by the Asian Football Confederation and approved at the Extraordinary Congress in January 2015 during the 2015 AFC Asian Cup.[3][4] As a result, CAFA will be able to have representative member(s) on the AFC executive committee.
The formation of CAFA was spearheaded by the Iranian Football Federation following disputes with West Asian Football Federation members. It was reported that AFC President Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa gained politically from the creation of the new zone.[5]
History
Members of the six nations met with AFC president Sheikh Salman on 10 May 2014 to talk about the possibility of creating a new Asian football zone. The delegations were invited by the AFC president following an initiative and proposed by Afghanistan and Iran.[6] At the extraordinary AFC congress on 9 June 2014 in São Paulo, the plan of the new zone was ratified by the congress.[7][8] It was subsequently approved at the AFC Extraordinary Congress in January 2015. CAFA's main headquarters after its foundation is located in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
In 2018, the inaugural edition of the CAFA Women's Championship was held in Uzbekistan. In June 2023, the inaugural edition of the CAFA Nations Cup was held in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.[9] In October 2023, CAFA and AIFF signed a memorandum of understanding which will facilitate the participation of Indian teams in the Central Asian tournaments.[10][11] In February 2025, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan submitted a joint bid to host the 2031 AFC Asian Cup.[12] In April 2025, it was announced that two European teams, Armenia and Russia, had been invited to the 2025 CAFA Men's Futsal Championship, hosted by Iran.[13] In June 2025, the second edition of the CAFA Nations Cup was announced to be held in August and September 2025, co-hosted by Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.[14]
Executive committee
| Position | Name | Years active |
|---|---|---|
| President | Rustam Emomali |
2019–present |
| Vice-president | Mohammad Yousef Kargar |
2023–present |
| Second Vice-president |  Arslan Aynazarov |
2019–present |
| General Secretary | Ulugbek Karimov |
2019–present |
Presidents
| President | Years |
|---|---|
 Mirabror Usmanov |
2015–2018 |
| Umid Ahmadjonov |
2018–2019 |
| Rustam Emomali |
2019–present |
Vice-presidents
| Vice-president | Years |
|---|---|
| Rustam Emomali |
2015–2018 |
| Khurshed Mirzo |
2018–2019 |
 Dastanbek Konokbaev |
2019–2023 |
| Mohammad Yousef Kargar |
2023–present |
General Secretaries
| General Secretary | Years |
|---|---|
| Avazbek Maksumov |
2015–2017 |
| Sanjar Rizayev |
2018–2019 |
| Ulugbek Karimov |
2019–present |
AFC Vice-Presidents for Central Zone
| General Secretary | Years |
|---|---|
 Ali Kafashian |
2015–2019 |
| Mehdi Taj |
2019–present |
AFC Executive Committee Members for Central Zone
| AFC Exco | Years |
|---|---|
| Mehri Zohra |
2015–2019 |
| Ali Reza Aghazada |
2019–2023 |
| Dastanbek Konokbaev |
2023–present |
Member
| AFC Member | Years |
|---|---|
| Hedayat Mombini |
2023–present |
Member associations
CAFA consists of six member associations. All of them are members of the Asian Football Confederation.
| Code | Association | National teams | Founded | FIFA affiliation | AFC affiliation | CAFA affiliation | IOC member | Former federation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFG | Afghanistan Football Federation | 1933 | 1948 | 1954 | 2015 | Yes | SAFF (2005–2014) | |
| IRN | Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran | 1920 | 1948 | 1954 | 2015 | Yes | WAFF (2001–2014) | |
| KGZ | Kyrgyz Football Union | 1992 | 1994 | 1994 | 2015 | Yes | ||
| TJK | Tajikistan Football Federation | 1936 | 1994 | 1994 | 2015 | Yes | ||
| TKM | Football Federation of Turkmenistan | 1992 | 1994 | 1994 | 2015 | Yes | ||
| UZB | Uzbekistan Football Association | 1946 | 1994 | 1994 | 2015 | Yes |
| Association | National Football Leagues | League Champion | National Football Cups | Cup Champion | Super Cups | Super Cup Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan |
Afghanistan Champions League | Abu Muslim | – | – | – | – |
| – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Iran |
Persian Gulf Pro League | Tractor | Hazfi Cup | Esteghlal | Iranian Super Cup | Tractor |
| Kowsar Women Football league | Khatoon F.C | Women's Hazfi Cup | – | Women's Super Cup | – | |
| Kyrgyzstan |
Kyrgyzstan Top League | Dordoi | Kyrgyzstan Cup | Neftchi Kochkor-Ata | Kyrgyzstan Super Cup | Dordoi |
| Kyrgyzstan Women's League | SDYUSHOR Sl Alge | – | – | – | – | |
| Tajikistan |
Tajikistan Higher League | Istiklol | Tajikistan Cup | Khujand | Tajikistan Super Cup | Istiklol |
| – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Turkmenistan |
Turkmenistan Higher League | Altyn Asyr | Turkmenistan Cup | Şagadam | Turkmenistan Super Cup | Altyn Asyr |
| – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Uzbekistan |
Uzbekistan Super League | Pakhtakor | Uzbekistan Cup | Nasaf | Uzbekistan Super Cup | Pakhtakor |
| Uzbekistan Women's League | Sogdiana | Uzbek women's Cup | Bunyodkor Tashkent | Uzbek women's Super Cup | Bunyodkor Tashkent | |
Competitions
Current title holders
CAFA runs several competitions which cover men's, women's, youth and futsal.[15][16]
Events by Year
Source:[17]
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Events timeline
Competitions:[18]
- Men
- Women
Medals
As of 8 September 2025 (After 2025 CAFA Nations Cup).
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iran | 19 | 13 | 1 | 33 |
| 2 | Uzbekistan | 14 | 16 | 6 | 36 |
| 3 | Tajikistan | 3 | 2 | 13 | 18 |
| 4 | Afghanistan | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| 5 | Kyrgyzstan | 0 | 4 | 12 | 16 |
| 6 | Turkmenistan | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 7 |  India | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 Oman | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (8 entries) | 38 | 38 | 38 | 114 | |
Tournament record
FIFA World Cup
| FIFA World Cup record | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 1930 (13) |
1934 (16) |
1938 (15) |
1950 (13) |
1954 (16) |
1958 (16) |
1962 (16) |
1966 (16) |
1970 (16) |
1974 (16) |
1978 (16) |
1982 (24) |
1986 (24) |
1990 (24) |
1994 (24) |
1998 (32) |
2002  (32) |
2006 (32) |
2010 (32) |
2014 (32) |
2018 (32) |
2022 (32) |
2026 (48) |
2030   (48) |
2034  (48) |
Years | |
| Iran |
N/a | • | GS | × | × | • | • | GS | • | GS | • | GS | GS | GS | GS | 7 | |||||||||||
| Uzbekistan |
N/a | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | GS | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
Olympic Games men's football tournament
| Olympic Games (Men's tournament) record | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 1900 (3) | 1904 (3) | 1908 (6) | 1912 (11) | 1920 (14) | 1924 (22) | 1928 (17) | 1936 (16) | 1948 (18) | 1952 (25) | 1956 (11) | 1960 (16) | 1964 (14) | 1968 (16) | 1972 (16) | 1976 (13) | 1980 (16) | 1984 (16) | 1988 (16) | 1992 (16) | 1996 (16) | 2000 (16) | 2004 (16) | 2008 (16) | 2012 (16) | 2016 (16) | 2021 (16) | 2024 (16) | Years | |
| Afghanistan |
N/a | PR | N/a | abandoned qualification second leg | N/a | • | N/a | • | • | • | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Iran |
N/a | N/a | GS | N/a | GS | QF | qualified but withdrew | N/a | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 4 | |||||||||||
| Uzbekistan |
N/a | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | GS | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
AFC Asian Cup
| AFC Asian Cup record | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 1956 (4) |
1960 (4) |
1964 (4) |
1968 (5) |
1972 (6) |
1976 (6) |
1980 (10) |
1984 (10) |
1988 (10) |
1992 (8) |
1996 (12) |
2000 (12) |
2004 (16) |
2007   (16) |
2011 (16) |
2015 (16) |
2019 (24) |
2023 (24) |
2027 (24) |
Years | |
| Iran |
× | • | × | 1st | 1st | 1st | 3rd | 4th | 3rd | GS | 3rd | QF | 3rd | QF | QF | QF | SF | SF | Q | 16 | |
| Kyrgyzstan |
Part of Soviet Union | • | • | • | × | • | • | R16 | GS | Q | 3 | ||||||||||
| Tajikistan |
Part of Soviet Union | • | • | • | × | • | • | • | QF | 1 | |||||||||||
| Turkmenistan |
Part of Soviet Union | • | • | GS | × | • | • | GS | • | 2 | |||||||||||
| Uzbekistan |
Part of Soviet Union | GS | GS | QF | QF | 4th | QF | R16 | QF | Q | 9 | ||||||||||
Asian Games
- Football at the Asian Games was a senior tournament until 1998.
- Football at the Asian Games has been an under-23 tournament since 2002.
| Nation | 1951 (6) |  1954 (12) | 1958 (14) | 1962 (8) | 1966 (11) | 1970 (10) | 1974 (15) | 1978 (14) | 1982 (16) |  1986 (18) | 1990 (14) | 1994 (18) | 1998 (23) | 2002 (24) | 2006 (28) | 2010 (24) | 2014 (29) | 2018 (25) | 2022 (21) | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Afghanistan |
4th | GS | GS | GS | 4 | |||||||||||||||
 Iran |
2nd | GS | 2nd | QF | 1st | QF | QF | 1st | R16 | 1st | 1st | 3rd | 4th | GS | R16 | QF | 16 | |||
 Kyrgyzstan |
Part of Soviet Union | GS | GS | R16 | GS | R16 | 5 | |||||||||||||
 Tajikistan |
Part of Soviet Union | GS | GS | R16 | 3 | |||||||||||||||
 Turkmenistan |
Part of Soviet Union | QF | QF | R16 | R16 | 4 | ||||||||||||||
 Uzbekistan |
Part of Soviet Union | 1st | QF | R16 | QF | QF | R16 | QF | 3rd | 8 | ||||||||||
AFC U-23 Asian Cup
| Teams | 2013 | 2016 | 2018 | 2020 | 2022 | 2024 | 2026 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iran |
GS | QF | • | GS | GS | • | 5 | |
| Tajikistan |
• | • | • | • | GS | GS | 2 | |
| Turkmenistan |
• | • | • | • | QF | • | 1 | |
| Uzbekistan |
GS | GS | 1st | 4th | 2nd | 2nd | 7 |
FIFA U-20 World Cup
| FIFA U-20 World Cup record | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 1977 (16) |
1979 (16) |
1981 (16) |
1983 (16) |
1985 (16) |
1987 (16) |
1989 (16) |
1991 (16) |
1993 (16) |
1995 (16) |
1997 (24) |
1999 (24) |
2001 (24) |
2003 (24) |
2005 (24) |
2007 (24) |
2009 (24) |
2011 (24) |
2013 (24) |
2015 (24) |
2017 (24) |
2019 (24) |
2023 (24) |
Years |
| Iran |
GS | • | × | × | × | × | • | × | • | × | • | • | GS | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | GS | • | • | 3 |
| Uzbekistan |
• | • | • | • | • | GS | • | • | GS | • | QF | QF | • | • | R16 | 5 | ||||||||
FIFA U-17 World Cup
| FIFA U-17 World Cup record | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 1985 (16) |
1987 (16) |
1989 (16) |
1991 (16) |
1993 (16) |
1995 (16) |
1997 (16) |
1999 (16) |
2001 (16) |
2003 (16) |
2005 (16) |
2007 (24) |
2009 (24) |
2011 (24) |
2013 (24) |
2015 (24) |
2017 (24) |
2019 (24) |
2023 (24) |
2025 (48) |
Years |
| Iran | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | GS | • | • | • | R16 | • | R16 | • | QF | • | R16 | • | 5 |
| Tajikistan |
• | • | • | • | • | • | R16 | • | • | • | • | • | GS | • | GS | 3 | |||||
| Uzbekistan |
• | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | QF | R16 | • | • | • | QF | R16 | 4 | |||||
FIFA Futsal World Cup
| FIFA Futsal World Cup record | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 1989 (16) |  1992 (16) | 1996 (16) |  2000 (16) |  2004 (16) | 2008 (20) | 2012 (24) | 2016 (24) |  2021 (24) | 2024 (24) | Years |
| Afghanistan | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | R16 | 1 |
| Iran | • | 4th | GS | GS | GS | R16 | R16 | 3rd | QF | R16 | 9 |
| Tajikistan |
• | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | GS | 1 | |
| Uzbekistan |
• | • | • | • | • | GS | R16 | GS | 3 | ||
AFC Futsal Asian Cup
| Team | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |  2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2010 | 2012 | 2014 | 2016 |  2018 | 2022 | 2024 | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan |
× | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | • | × | × | • | • | • | QF | 1 |
| Iran |
1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 3rd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 3rd | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 17 |
| Kyrgyzstan |
R1 | R1 | R1 | QF | QF | R1 | 4th | 4th | 4th | QF | QF | QF | R1 | 6th | R1 | • | QF | 16 |
| Tajikistan |
× | × | R1 | × | × | × | R2 | R1 | QF | R1 | R1 | R1 | R1 | R1 | R1 | QF | 4th | 12 |
| Turkmenistan |
× | × | × | × | × | × | R1 | R1 | R1 | R1 | R1 | R1 | • | • | • | R1 | × | 7 |
| Uzbekistan |
R1 | R1 | 2nd | QF | QF | 4th | 3rd | 2nd | 3rd | QF | 2nd | QF | 3rd | 2nd | 3rd | 3rd | 3rd | 17 |
Rankings
Men's National Teams
|
Leading Men's team: 
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Women's National Teams
|
Leading Women's team: 
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Futsal
|
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Men's national beach soccer team
| CAFA* | BSWW | +/− | National Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 |  |
Iran | 1786.75 |
| 2 | 70 |  1 |
 Afghanistan | 82 |
| 3 | 84 | |
Kyrgyzstan | 19.25 |
| 4 | 88 |  1 |
Uzbekistan | 16.75 |
Individual statistics
Top goalscorer in men's football
- As of 15 October 2024
By number of goals
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By country(only highest goalscorers from each country)
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- Players in bold are active international players.
See also
- FIFA
- Asian Football Confederation (AFC)
- ASEAN Football Federation (AFF)
- East Asian Football Federation (EAFF)
- Central Asian Football Association (CAFA)
- South Asian Football Federation (SAFF)
- West Asian Football Federation (WAFF)
- Asian Football Confederation (AFC)