Asian Football Confederation (AFC) general-secretary Datuk Windsor John believes the landscape of the game could change with the appointment of three new presidents in Southeast Asia ahead of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.
The Crown Prince of Johor (TMJ) became Malaysia's new football leader in March after Pol. Gen. Somyot Poompanmoung took charge as Thailand supremo the previous month.
Before that, Indonesia breathed new life into their leadership after returning from a FIFA ban with the appointment of army general Lt. Gen. Edy Rahmayadi, after last November's elections.
Singapore is also set to undergo reformation at next week's FAS presidential elections. Team LKT, led by Lim Kia Tong, will face off against Game Changers, helmed by Hougang United chairman Bill Ng, on April 29.
Windsor believes the expansion of the Asian Cup from 16 to 24 teams in 2019 couldn't have come at a better time for Southeast Asian football.
"ASEAN football history must be seen with the situation of its new presidents," Windsor told ESPN FC at the recent AFC Member Associations' General Secretaries' Conference in Kuala Lumpur.
"Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia have new presidents, while Singapore could also have a new leader. You have to give them a chance to try and defuse history. This is an opportunity for them to do well, and we will have to see if they can influence the national team as new leaders."
Since taking over last month, TMJ has expressed his hope of seeing Malaysia qualify for the 2026 World Cup, which will expand to 48 teams from the current 32.
Windsor, a former FIFA development officer who has also served at Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), believes the new president is within his rights to harbour such a bold ambition.
"You can't blame him for aiming high. If he aims for the World Cup and falls short, then the benchmark would be to do well in the Asian Cup. I like his optimism; you must have passion and drive to be up there," Windsor, a Malaysian, said.
History, however, does not look kindly on Southeat Asian countries at the Asian Cup.
The region did not have any representation at the previous 16-team editions in Qatar (2011) and Australia (2015). Malaysia were embarrassed on home soil with poor results as one of four co-hosts for the 2007 edition.
And ASEAN nations, with the exception of Thailand who have already booked their place through their World Cup qualifying results, have not made a great start to the 2019 Asian Cup third-round matches on the road to United Arab Emirates.
So far, only Philippines earned three points after the completion of first group matches when they beat Nepal 4-1. Singapore drew 0-0 in Bahrain, Vietnam shared the spoils with Afghanistan, while Myanmar lost 1-0 at home to India.
But Windsor, who has been involved in five World Cups, believes that giving the Asian minnows a chance could set the tone for the future.
He said: "The qualification of teams will help the development of the sport. If the likes of Vietnam and Cambodia are winning, there will be government and fans' interest. This will translate into more money for the game and more promotion for the sport, which is also a form of development.
"We are optimistic this chance will be a platform for the smaller teams to try and upset the bigger teams. The AFC has three tiers of member associations. They are the aspiring, developing and inspiring nations, such as Japan and South Korea.
"The aim now is for them to push each other competitively. We have given them the platform and they must take advantage."
Top 15 nations in Asia!@TeamMelliIran maintain their position as Asia's top team, while @IndianFootball are the best mover in Asia! pic.twitter.com/j9uu3ZGydD
- AFC Asian Cup (@afcasiancup) April 6, 2017
The Kuala Lumpur-based Asian body is also willing to help Malaysian football.
"AFC is ready to support in any way possible with regards to the development of Malaysian football," Windsor said. "We are based in Kuala Lumpur, and TMJ can present to us what he wants to do. AFC will see how we are able to help once we meet officially."
Malaysia will face North Korea in their rescheduled third-round qualifier on June 8 at a yet-to-be-determined, neutral venue.