Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Saitama: Cool-headed diligence will be the order of the day if Urawa Red Diamonds are to see off fellow two-time winners Guangzhou Evergrande in the semi-finals of the 2019 AFC Champions League, believes Urawa midfielder Kazuki Nagasawa.
The teams face off in the first leg of their last four encounter at Saitama Stadium 2002 on Wednesday, with the Japanese side hoping to cast aside a poor run of domestic form to take an advantage into the return meeting in China PR later this month.
www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/sipg_-_urawa_2_-_2019_acl.html
www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/urawa_-_sipg_-_acl_2019.html
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: After 10 rounds of fixtures, the 2019 AFC Champions League semi-finals are upon us, with four Asian giants to continue their quests for Continental glory in the first legs on Tuesday and Wednesday.
First up, the 2011 winners Al Sadd of Qatar take on Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal, followed by a pair of two-time champions in Urawa Red Diamonds and Guangzhou Evergrande meeting a day later. Ahead of the eagerly awaited clashes, here’s the-AFC.com’s five things to look out for.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: The 2019 AFC Champions League semi-finals kick off on Tuesday with teams from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, China PR and Japan set to go head-to-head in must-watch ties.
The two-legged fixtures will kick off on Tuesday and Wednesday with the return legs three weeks later. The two winning sides will progress to the final to be played on November 11 and 24.
We look at four players – one from each of the semi-finalists – who could be key for their respective teams' chances of victory.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Doha: On Tuesday, two of West Asia’s most decorated club sides will clash in the AFC Champions League for the tenth time, but the history of continental matchups between Al Hilal and Al Sadd extends back two decades, before the inception of the competition.
When the AFC Champions League was inaugurated in 2002-03, Al Sadd and Al Hilal became the maiden representatives of their respective countries in the competition.
Both sides had already been continental champions, with Al Sadd lifting the Asian Club Championship trophy in 1989 and Al Hilal following suit three years later before adding a second title in 1999-2000.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Saitama: Guangzhou Evergrande midfielder Anderson Talisca insisted that winning the AFC Champions League is the reason he joined the two-time Continental champions as they prepare for the first leg of their semi-final against Urawa Red Diamonds on Wednesday.
When the 24-year-old Brazilian joined then Chinese Super League champions Guangzhou Evergrande on loan from Turkish side Beskitas in June 2018, his new team had already been eliminated from that year's AFC Champions League competition.
As such, the 2019 edition became the exciting attacker's first taste of Continental action and he immediately took a liking to the tournament.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: Ahead of the 2019 AFC Champions League semi-finals, we reflect on five classic encounters from previous editions of the Continental competition.
Last minute winners, goal gluts and East-meet-West clashes, since the AFC Champions League's revamp in 2002-03, there have been plenty of thrills and spills when the tournament has reached the final four phase.
The-AFC.com looks back on some of these ties to remember and relive.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Rudaki: Tajikistan’s FC Istiklol have sealed a sixth consecutive league title, fittingly confirming the achievement with a 6-1 win over Kuktosh on Friday.
The Dushanbe-based club sealed their eighth title in ten years with four matches still to play, as Friday’s emphatic win gave them an insurmountable 16-point lead over second-placed FC Khujand, who hold one game in hand.
In addition to becoming the first club to win six Tajik League titles in a row, Istiklol are the nation’s first eight-time title winners, moving one ahead of Tursunzoda-based club Regar-TadAZ