Australia is close to a breakthrough in its push for greater participation in Asian soccer competitions, Aus-tralian Soccer Association chief executive John O'Neill said.
O'Neill said the Oceana confederation -- including Australia, New Zealand and Pacific nations like Fiji and Vanuatu -- was expected to accept invitations to enter teams in the Asian Cup of nations and the Asian Championships League club competition.
High-ranking officials in the Asian Football Confederation and the Oceania grouping have advocated the closer ties and will discuss proposals at a meeting in Malaysia next month.
"The sporting and economic future of Australian soccer lies in its integration with Asia," O'Neill told yesterday's Daily Telegraph newspaper. "There is nothing to stop us from playing regularly in the Asian Cup and Asian Champions League.
"I have had talks with AFC chairman Mohamed Bin Hammam and his response was very positive. We have already sounded out the domestic business community and television networks and their interest is immense."
Australia has set up a home away from home in London in a bid to give the Socceroos access to tougher competition than it gets in Oceania. A push into Asia would give the Aussies greater access to higher-ranked teams like World Cup semifinalist South Korea and Asian champion Japan.
The Socceroos this week qualified for the lucrative 2005 Confederations Cup in Germany with an 11-1 aggregate against Solomon Islands in a home-and-away series between the top two countries from the 2004 Oceania Nations Cup.
Despite its domination in Oceania -- which includes New Zealand and Pacific nations like Fiji and Vanuatu -- Australia's only appearance in soccer's quadrennial showpiece was in 1974.
The Australians failed at the final qualifying hurdle for France '98 and Korea-Japan 2002 by losing intercontinental playoffs against Iran and Uruguay.
The Oceania champion has to beat the fifth-ranked South American team in a playoff to reach the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
To reach the World Cup, O'Neill knows that Australia's national team needs better competition, more often.
Oceania is the youngest of FIFA's regional confederations and the only one that isn't guaranteed at least one automatic place at the World Cup.
Despite the push into Asia, O'Neill said Australia was committed to Oceania.
"We will never abandon Oceania, which would be nothing without Australia," he said.
Oceania's acting general secretary Tai Nicholas said the concept of increased competition between the neighboring regions had the confederation's full support.
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