Russia received an Invitation to Play in the Central Asian Football Association

Russia has been invited to participate in the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) championship in June, Reuters reported. This comes amid speculation that the Russian Football Union may switch to the Asian Confederation (AFC).

Russian football has been sanctioned by the European Football Federation (UEFA) as well as FIFA, but is seeking a return to international competition.

On Monday, the Tajikistan Football Federation (TFF) announced that Russia has been invited to the first CAFA tournament, scheduled for June 9-21. It will involve the six member states and one more country that has not yet been confirmed.

The association is part of the confederation of Asia and was established in 2014. It includes the national federations of Afghanistan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

The TFF adds that Russia has already accepted the invitation, but the country's football federation (RFS) told the TASS news agency that the possibility and conditions for the team's participation are being discussed.

The invitation for teams to participate in regional competitions of other confederations is not unprecedented. Teams from North and Central America are often invited to the Copa America.

The transition to the confederation of Asia was one of the possible options for Russia, highlighted by the president of the RFS Alexander Dyukov.

The men's team played three friendlies last year - against Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. This month they have games with Iran and Iraq.