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Central & South Asia Wrap: Persepolis maintain slim advantage; East Bengal in steady form

Mon, 26 Oct, 2026

Central & South Asia Wrap: Persepolis maintain slim advantage; East Bengal in steady form

Tehran: Persepolis’ place at the top of the Iran Pro League remained on shaky ground as Mobarakeh Sepahan SC and defending champions Tractor FC moved closer to dethroning the 16-time winners.

Titleholders East Bengal FC scored their second win in as many starts in the Indian Super league, 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: Persepolis claim pole; mixed start for Mohun Bagan

Mon, 19 Oct, 2026

Central & South Asia Wrap: Persepolis claim pole; mixed start for Mohun Bagan

Tehran: Persepolis took over the top in the Islamic Republic of Iran while FC Bars Issyk-Kul and Neftchi Fergana consolidated their positions in Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan in contrasting fashion.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant opened their campaign in India with a defeat, so join the-AFC.com as we take a look at the past week's domestic action across Central and South Asia.

Qualifiers - Group D: Vietnam 2-0 Kyrgyz Republic; N. Mariana Islands 0-8 Palestine

Sun, 11 Oct, 2026

Qualifiers - Group D: Vietnam 2-0 Kyrgyz Republic; N. Mariana Islands 0-8 Palestine

Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam finished top of Group D after defeating Kyrgyz Republic 2-0 in their  AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup China 2027™ Qualifiers tie on Sunday.

Vietnam ended with a perfect record of nine points, with Kyrgyz Republic three behind. Palestine, meanwhile, completed their campaign on a positive note after cruising 8-0 past Northern Mariana Islands.

Player to watch: Gulzhigit Alykulov (KGZ)

Fri, 09 Oct, 2026

Player to watch: Gulzhigit Alykulov (KGZ)

Kuala Lumpur: An ever-present member of the Kyrgyz Republic squad throughout the Qualifiers, Gulzhigit Alykulov is primed to make a strong impression at the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™.

Featuring in five of the six matches in Group D of the Preliminary Joint Qualification - Round 2, Alykulov scored the vital equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Malaysia to enable Kyrgyz Republic to pip the Southeast Asian side to second place behind Oman, thus booking their ticket to the Finals.

Qualifiers - Group D: Palestine 1-2 Kyrgyz Republic; N. Mariana Islands 0-20 Vietnam

Thu, 08 Oct, 2026

Qualifiers - Group D: Palestine 1-2 Kyrgyz Republic; N. Mariana Islands 0-20 Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City: Kyrgyz Republic came back from a goal down to edge Palestine 2-1 in their AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup 2027™ Qualifiers Group D tie on Thursday.

Vietnam secured their second win with a sparkling 20 unanswered goals against Northern Mariana Islands and will play Kyrgyz Republic on Sunday to decide the group winners, with the Southeast Asian side only needing a draw to advance. 

Qualifiers - Group D: Kyrgyz Republic 18-0 N. Mariana Islands; Vietnam 6-0 Palestine

Mon, 05 Oct, 2026

Qualifiers - Group D: Kyrgyz Republic 18-0 N. Mariana Islands; Vietnam 6-0 Palestine

Ho Chi Minh City: Kyrgyz Republic produced a dominant display to defeat Northern Mariana Islands 18-0 in their AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup 2027™ Qualifiers Group D tie on Monday.

Vietnam also cruised to a 6-0 win over Palestine in the group’s other fixture.

AG (M): China PR, DPR Korea seal knockout stage spots

Wed, 23 Sep, 2026

AG (M): China PR, DPR Korea seal knockout stage spots

Kuala Lumpur: China PR and DPR Korea became the final two teams to book their berths in the Asian Games 2026 men’s football quarter-finals after the completion of the group stage on Wednesday.

The last eight showdowns will see defending champions Korea Republic facing Vietnam, China PR taking on Thailand, Uzbekistan playing Saudi Arabia while Japan will meet DPR Korea with the matches to take place on Friday and Saturday.

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.

AG(M): Japan, Thailand seal q-final berths in style

Sun, 20 Sep, 2026

AG(M): Japan, Thailand seal q-final berths in style

Kuala Lumpur: Japan and Thailand continued to impress at the Asian Games 2026, registering emphatic wins in Group A of the men’s football tournament on Sunday to confirm their places in the quarter-finals.

Thailand powered to a 5-1 win over Hong Kong, China, while Japan were equally dominant, cruising 7-0 past Kyrgyz Republic.

In Group B, Islamic Republic of Iran and China PR played to a goalless draw to move onto four points each.

Kyrgyz Republic defeat Tajikistan to clinch maiden title

Sun, 20 Sep, 2026

Kyrgyz Republic defeat Tajikistan to clinch maiden title

Tashkent: Kyrgyz Republic were crowned CAFA U17 Women’s Championship 2026 champions after defeating Tajikistan 2-0 in their final match on Saturday. 

Goals from Perizat Zairbekova and Akak Ishembieva secured the victory, with Antonio Mesa’s side finishing the four-team tournament unbeaten on seven points. 

AG (M): Japan, China PR make winning starts

Wed, 16 Sep, 2026

AG (M): Japan, China PR make winning starts

Kuala Lumpur: The second day of men’s football action at the Asian Games 2026 saw hosts Japan secure a 2-0 win against Hong Kong, China on Wednesday.

China PR, Thailand and Islamic Republic of Iran also picked up wins as competition to the knockout stage intensified.

Jebel optimistic despite Air Force SC's losing start

Tue, 15 Sep, 2026

Jebel optimistic despite Air Force SC's losing start

Fergana: Fethi Jebel l had no complaints despite seeing his Air Force SC side falling to a 1-0 defeat against PFC Neftchi in their AFC Champions League Elite 2026/27™ opener on Monday.

Zoran Marusic’s late header earned Uzbekistan's Neftchi a 1-0 victory, with Iraq's Air Force left to rue defeat despite producing a good performance.