الأخبار

Central & South Asia Wrap: Issy-Kul, Fergana stream ahead, Istiklol go off track

Mon, 21 Sep, 2026

Central & South Asia Wrap: Issy-Kul, Fergana stream ahead, Istiklol go off track

Bishkek: FC Bars Issyk-Kul and PFC Neftchi stayed on course for second consecutive titles in Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan respectively while FC Istiklol, looking for a 12th straight trophy, saw their championship bid derailed in Tajikistan.

The domestic league in Sri Lanka wrapped up its first round, so join the-AFC.com as we take a look at the past week's domestic action across Central and South Asia.

Central & South Asia Wrap: Tractor in fine form; Nasaf stun Fergana

Mon, 07 Sep, 2026

Central & South Asia Wrap: Tractor in fine form; Nasaf stun Fergana

Tehran: Tractor FC’s quest for a second Iran Pro League title gained traction as the defending champions stretched their unbeaten start to six matches. 

PFC Nasaf, the 2024 Uzbekistan Super League champions defeated titleholders Neftchi Fergana, so join the-AFC.com as we take a look at the past week's domestic action across Central and South Asia.

Qualifiers - Group K: Myanmar 6-0 Maldives; Brunei Darussalam 0-2 Sri Lanka

Sun, 06 Sep, 2026

Qualifiers - Group K: Myanmar 6-0 Maldives; Brunei Darussalam 0-2 Sri Lanka

Yangon: Myanmar signed off their AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027™ Qualifiers Group K Development Phase campaign with a 6-0 win against Maldives on Sunday.

Both teams had already secured promotion to the Qualification Phase of the next edition with the victory seeing the hosts finishing three points ahead of their opponents.

The other game saw Sri Lanka defeat Brunei Darussalam 2-0 to end on a positive note.

Qualifiers - Group K: Brunei Darussalam 0-7 Myanmar; Sri Lanka 0-4 Maldives

Thu, 03 Sep, 2026

Qualifiers - Group K: Brunei Darussalam 0-7 Myanmar; Sri Lanka 0-4 Maldives

Yangon: Myanmar and Maldives turned on the power to guarantee themselves a top two finish in Group K of the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027™ Qualifiers on Thursday.

Myanmar beat Brunei Darussalam 7-0 while Maldives defeated Sri Lanka 4-0 with the wins ensuring they will finish in the top two spots and book their place in the qualification phase for the next edition, regardless of the outcome of their clash on Sunday.

Qualifiers - Group K: Myanmar 4-0 Sri Lanka; Maldives 2-0 Brunei Darussalam

Mon, 31 Aug, 2026

Qualifiers - Group K: Myanmar 4-0 Sri Lanka; Maldives 2-0 Brunei Darussalam

Yangon: Myanmar cruised to a 4-0 win over Sri Lanka in their AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027™ Qualifiers Development Phase Group K tie on Monday.

In the later match, Maldives registered a 2-0 win over Brunei Darussalam.

Central & South Asia Wrap: Tractor power on; Paro pull further ahead

Mon, 31 Aug, 2026

Central & South Asia Wrap: Tractor power on; Paro pull further ahead

Bishkek: Tractor FC remained unbeaten after four matches as the defending champions stamped their mark on the newly-started Iran Pro League.

Paro FC’s Yuta Mishima, with 14 goals in 12 appearances, is on a hot streak in the Bhutan Pro League, so join the-AFC.com as we take a look at the past week's domestic action across Central and South Asia.

Uzbekistan 2027 hopefuls discover qualification path

Thu, 27 Aug, 2026

Uzbekistan 2027 hopefuls discover qualification path

Kuala Lumpur: Teams aiming to vie for the AFC U17 Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2027™ title discovered their Qualifiers challenge following the Draw at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Thursday.

The 35 teams were divided into seven groups of five to contest a single round-robin centralised league for the qualifying rounds that run from November 8 to 20, 2026.

The seven group winners will join the nine AFC representatives from the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2026 who have automatically qualified - Australia, China PR, Japan (defending champions), Korea Republic, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam - in the Finals.

Central & South Asia Wrap: IR Iran welcomes new season; East Bengal clinch Durand Cup

Mon, 24 Aug, 2026

Central & South Asia Wrap: IR Iran welcomes new season; East Bengal clinch Durand Cup

Tehran: The Iran Pro League returned to action with its 2026/27 season following the suspension of the 2025/26 edition in February, with the league now expanded from 16 to 18 teams. 

East Bengal FC claimed the 2026 Durand Cup in India after a 22-year wait, so join the-AFC.com as we take a look at the past week's domestic action across Central and South Asia.

Central & South Asia Wrap: Issyk-Kul, Fergana stay ahead

Mon, 17 Aug, 2026

Central & South Asia Wrap: Issyk-Kul, Fergana stay ahead

Bishkek: FC Bars Issyk-Kul regained pole position in Kyrgyz Republic while Neftchi Fergana cruised in Uzbekistan as their respective title contenders Muras United and Pakhtakor continue to threaten. 

In India, the 2026 Durand Cup inches to a close, so join the-AFC.com as we look at the past week's domestic action across Central and South Asia.

Central & South Asia Wrap: Alga’s unbeaten run broken; Fergana maintain lead

Mon, 10 Aug, 2026

Central & South Asia Wrap: Alga’s unbeaten run broken; Fergana maintain lead

Bishkek: Alga Bishkek’s 17-match unbeaten run finally came to a halt in Kyrgyz Republic while Neftchi Fergana remained steady at the top in Uzbekistan.

The action in the Durand Cup continues to gain momentum in India, so join the-AFC.com as we take a look at the past week's domestic action across Central and South Asia.

Central, South & West Asia Wrap: Al Ansar emerge Lebanese champions; Istiklol crash to first defeat in Tajikistan

Mon, 03 Aug, 2026

Central, South & West Asia Wrap: Al Ansar emerge Lebanese champions; Istiklol crash to first defeat in Tajikistan

Bishkek: Al Ansar lifted the Lebanese Premier League title with victory over Nejmeh as the much-delayed 2025/26 season finally concluded on Sunday. 

FC Istiklol fell to their first Tajik League defeat in 12 outings while Neftchi Fergana saw their lead in the Uzbekistan Super League whittled down to a point.
 
Reigning Durand Cup champions NorthEast United FC opened their title defence with an emphatic win in India, so join the-AFC.com as we take a look at the past week's domestic action across Central, South and West Asia.

AFC Grassroots Day 2026 unites Asia’s football communities – Part 3

Wed, 22 Jul, 2026

AFC Grassroots Day 2026 unites Asia’s football communities – Part 3

Kuala Lumpur: The 13th Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Grassroots Day brought communities together across the Continent as 45 Member Associations (MAs) celebrated the beautiful game and engaged thousands of participants in a showcase of football's power to inspire, connect and include.

Held annually on May 23, this year's events once again coincided with FIFA's World Football Week, reinforcing the AFC's support for the United Nations' Football for the Goals initiative and its shared commitment to advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through football.
 
Join us at the-AFC.com for the third and final part of a series (Part 1 can be found here and Part 2 is here) that highlights how MAs embraced the AFC Grassroots Day 2026 with creativity and enthusiasm.