Why did Australia participate in the Asian Cup?

Australia's participation in the Asian Cup is mainly due to its application to join the Asian Football Federation. Although Australia's football level in Oceania is very strong, because the football level in Oceania island countries is relatively weak, Australia's competitive environment in Oceania is not fierce. In order to improve the influence of domestic football, Australia applied to join the Asian Football Federation in 2005 and officially became a member of the Asian Football Federation in 2006. The full name of the Asian Cup is "Asian Football Championship", which is the highest-level football tournament in Asia. It was established by the AFC, corresponding to the FIFA Confederations Cup, and sponsored by the Asian Football Association. It is the highest level football match in Asia after the World Cup.