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Russia invited to play in Asian football tournament amid Uefa and Fifa bans

Russia have been invited to compete in the Central Asian Football Association (Cafa) Championship in June, amid speculation over a switch to the Asian confederation (AFC) as the country seeks a return to international competition.

Russian teams have been suspended from European and Fifa competitions since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

The Tajikistan Football Federation (TFF) said Russia had been invited to Cafa’s inaugural men’s tournament scheduled for 9-21 June along with Cafa’s six member nations and another country yet to be confirmed. Cafa is part of the AFC and was formed in 2014. It comprises the national federations of Afghanistan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

The TFF said Russia had accepted the invitation, but the Russian football federation (RFU) told the news agency Tass the possibility and conditions of the team’s participation were being discussed.

AFC and Cafa did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Regional competitions, such as the Copa América, often invite guest countries from outside the federation to tournaments.

The Russian Under-17 women’s team will participate in the South Asian Football Federation Championship from 20-28 March.

Switching from the Uefa to Asia’s 47-nation confederation had been touted by the RFU president, Alexander Dyukov, as a possible option to allow the Russian national teams and clubs continued international competition.

The men’s team played three friendlies last year, against Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. They are scheduled to face Iran and Iraq this month.

Most international sports federations have excluded athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus since the invasion of Ukraine but some are starting to allow

Read more on theguardian.com