The new board members - approved by the Federal and east coast State Governments plus Football Federation Australia - are Cheryl Bart, Joseph Carrozzi, John Conde, Geoff Dixon, Chris Nikou and Heather Reid.

They will join  Lowy , Deputy Chairman Brian Schwartz and FFA CEO Ben Buckley on the board, with the final three to be appointed by the Asian Football Confederation.

Today Lowy hailed his high-calibre board members and said he was pleased to see them giving their time to the help prepare for the 2015 Asian Cup.

“The board members have a wealth of experience across fields including business, tourism, major events, sport and the charity sector and they are well-placed to help the Local Organising Committee deliver on its objectives,” he said.

“The AFC Asian Cup is about more than just a football tournament. Governments have invested in the event because of the great potential it has for making lasting connections with our Asian neighbours.”

Preparations for the event were now well underway, headed by LOC CEO Michael Brown, and establishing the board was the next step, said Lowy.

He added: "Our vision is to deliver a world-class event that celebrates Asia's rich football culture and leaves an enduring legacy for the game in Australia.

“There is no doubt the new board members will help us with the aim of strengthening our cultural, social and economic ties with Asia as well as helping us to harness Australia’s reputation for hosting world-class events.”

Asia is the fastest growing football market in the world and the AFC Asian Cup 2015 is expected to reach a television audience of about 2.5 billion people.

The AFC Asian Cup 2015 is being jointly-funded by the Australian Government and the Queensland, NSW, ACT and Victorian governments.

Matches in the tournament will be played in Victoria, NSW, ACT and Queensland.