SINGAPORE, May 17 (AFP): Asian football is slowly climbing the ladder but problems with corruption and a fixation with European leagues mean the region will be waiting years for a maiden World Cup win.
If success were measured in population size or spending, Asian countries would be world-beaters but of the billions splashed out on TV feeds and football merchandise, little finds its way to domestic leagues.
The result is that Asia, encompassing two-thirds of humanity, is predominantly a region which consumes football from afar, rather than producing teams capable of taking on the world.
Ambitious Japan look like Asia's best hope for the World Cup in Brazil. But few believe an Asian side will win this year-or at Russia 2018, or Qatar 2022.
"I think Asian football has progressed but the question is, has it progressed at a faster rate than other areas of the world to enable an Asian country to win the World Cup?" said Singapore-based Andy Jackson of FourFourTwo magazine.
"I'm not sure it has."
When co-hosts South Korea made their improbable run to the 2002 World Cup semi-finals, it seemed like a watershed. But progress since has been mixed.
In 2006, only Australia reached the second round, a performance matched by Japan and South Korea in 2010. Currently, Iran are Asia's top-rated side at 37th in the FIFA rankings, with Japan the only other team in the top 50.
Despite this, individual players have made an impact, with Park Ji-Sung, Shinji Kagawa, Keisuke Honda and Yuto Nagatomo among a steady stream to succeed at European clubs.
And the English Premier League draws a huge Asian audience while European team shirts are a fashion symbol on streets from Bangkok to Beijing.
o 'Kelong Kings' -
"Southeast Asia in particular remains enamoured by the charms of Europe's elites, but stubbornly resistant to their domestic leagues," said football columnist and author Neil Humphreys.
"Persistent allegations of match-fixing and corruption do not help of course, but the lack of corporate and financial interest in local leagues will always make it difficult to entice local talent and convince their parents that football is a viable career."
It is no coincidence that Japan, widely viewed as Asia's best national team, also has arguably its strongest, best organised and cleanest league.
China, the world's most populous nation, has long struggled with corruption. China have only reached one World Cup, in 2002, where they failed to score a goal or win a point.
"I think you have to look at Japan as the only real (World Cup) contender for the foreseeable future and so you need to look at how they have reached that position," said Jackson.
