Japanese sports ball manufacturer Molten has entered into a partnership with the Asian Football Confederation.
The deal, terms of which were undisclosed, names Molten as the official match ball supplier for the AFC’s national and club competitions, including next year’s Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
Other tournaments covered by the partnership include the AFC Champions League, AFC Cup, futsal events and youth competitions at national-team level. Molten will wholly manufacture its match balls in Thailand and China.
Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, president of the AFC, said: “It is a significant partnership as it not only showcases Asia’s leading competitions but also one of the world’s leading Asian ball manufacturers.”
The 2019 Asian Cup takes place from January 5 to February 1. The most recent edition of the tournament took place in 2015 in Australia, with the host nation defeating South Korea 2-1 in the final.
Molten recently partnered with the Uefa Europa League club competition and has a long-running association with the International Basketball Federation (Fiba) and the International Handball Federation.