DUSHANBE, March 15, Asia-Plus - Heads of International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) are expected to arrive in Tajikistan to discuss cooperation issues in late March.

  According to Tajikistan Football Federation (TFF), the FIFA president Sepp Blatter and the AFC president Mohammed Bin Hammam are scheduled to arrive in Dushanbe on March 29.  The next day, they will hold talks with President Emomali Rahmonov.  

During their stay in Tajikistan, Sepp Blatter and Mohammed Bin Hammam will also attend ceremonies of inauguration of two football stadiums in Norak and Danghara.  These stadiums were built by Italy’s Mondo under financial support of FIFA, according to the source.    

The source at a TFF said that a program for development of football in Tajikistan was projected during the first visit of high-ranking officials of international football federations to Tajikistan in 2004.  

The F?d?ration Internationale de Football Association (FIFA, French for International Federation of Association Football) is the international governing body of association football.  Its headquarters is in Zurich, Switzerland, and its current president is Sepp Blatter.  FIFA is responsible for the organization and governance of football''s major international tournaments, most notably the FIFA World Cup, held since 1930.  

The 46 member Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is the governing body of football in Asia, excluding Cyprus and Israel but including Australia.  It was founded in 1954 in Manila, Philippines, and is one of FIFA’s six Continental Confederations.  The main headquarters is located in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  The current president is Mohammed Bin Hammam of Qatar.