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Asia hopeful of change at FIFA

Kuala Lumpur - The reaction of Asia's football world on Wednesday to the resignation of controversial FIFA president Joseph Blatter ranged from muted to welcoming.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said it would help "find the best way" for the sport and for FIFA, which has been wracked by corruption scandals.

"The AFC is closely monitoring the situation, and will discuss with its member associations and sister confederations in order to find the best way forward for both FIFA and world football," the Kuala Lumpur-based AFC said in a statement.

New Zealand Football chief executive Andy Martin said his organization is looking forward to changes in FIFA after Blatter's resignation.

"When we announced our intention to vote for Prince Ali [Bin Al Hussein] last week, we said real change within FIFA could only be implemented with a new president in place," he said in a statement. "We believe today's announcement is the right decision to begin to rebuild the reputation of FIFA"

"We look forward to playing a role in the coming process to secure a positive change which benefits everyone who loves the game of football," he added.

The Football Federation of Australia said Blatter's resignation is a first step to infuse fresh leadership in the world football governing body.

"The challenge is not just to change the top elected position, but the governance structure at all levels and the culture that underpins it," it said.

"Australia will remain an active voice within the forums of FIFA and AFC in promoting governance reform and a new era of transparency," it added.

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