Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: On Saturday, defending champions Air Force Club of Iraq will look for an unprecedented third AFC Cup title in a row when they face Turkmen side Altyn Asyr in Basra.
Ahead of the 2018 AFC Cup final, the-AFC.com takes a look at the players who could be the ones to watch, beginning with the holders Air Force Club.
www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/afc_cup_2018_-_air_force_club_irq_vs_al_jazeera_jor_-_hammadi.html
www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/emad-mohsin_air-force-club_afcc_ls_jpg.html
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: Bienvenido Marañón's brace in Ceres Negros' 4-0 victory over Bali United on Wednesday not only helped the Filipino side to three points, it also saw the Spaniard leapfrog Jordanian Mahmoud Shelbaieh to become the competition's all-time leading scorer on 35 goals.
Having begun the 2020 tournament on 30 goals, last year's top scorer wasted no time in picking up where he left off, with two goals in an opening-day victory over Cambodia's Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng FC, before a penalty against Vietnam's Than Quang Ninh saw him move within a goal of former Al Wehdat striker Shelbaieh.
Marañón's double against Bali saw the prolific striker move into pole position and there will likely be many more to follow if he continues in this form. The-AFC.com looks back at his achievement, as well as those of the iconic AFC Cup scorers who the 33-year-old has overtaken in recent years.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Ashgabat: Vahyt Orazsahedov insists he was certain he would net the decisive penalty as Altyn Asyr came from a goal down to claim a 1-1 draw with DPR Korea’s 4.25 SC in the second leg of the AFC Cup Inter-Zone final last week to advance on away goals and become the first side from Turkmenistan to reach the final.
Orazsahedov scored in last month's 2-2 draw in the first leg in Pyongyang as Altyn Asyr became the first team to prevent a 4.25 victory in this year’s campaign to return to the Turkmen capital with a positive result.
Then, after falling behind early on in the return meeting, before seeing 4.25’s top scorer An Il-bom miss from the spot, Orazsahedov converted a penalty of his own in the 63rd minute that proved enough to book a date with defending champions Air Force Club in the final.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: After reaching 25 AFC Cup goals, Hammadi Ahmed has his eyes set on a new record later this month; a third consecutive title.
“We promise the fans, the coaching staff and the board to bring home our third AFC Cup title in a row,” the Air Force Club captain confidently declared on behalf of his teammates following their 2018 AFC Cup West Asia Zonal Final first leg against Jordan’s Al Jazeera.
This type of defiant statement exemplifies the character of Ahmed.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: The 2018 AFC Cup finalists have been confirmed after holders Air Force Club of Iraq ousted Jordan's Al Jazeera and Turkmenistan's Altyn Asyr edged past DPR Korea's 4.25 SC.
Alyn Asyr progressed on away goals after a 3-3 aggregate draw secured their place in the final for the first time, while Air Force Club continue to fly high as their 4-1 aggregate win sees them on track for a third successive title. For more facts and figures, check out the-AFC.com's week in numbers.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Ashgabat: Turkmenistan’s Altyn Asyr booked a place in the 2018 AFC Cup final after a battling 1-1 draw in the Inter-Zone final second leg against 4.25 SC of DPR Korea on Wednesday.
The result won them the tie on away goals following a 2-2 draw in the first leg in Pyongyang. They now face defending champions Air Force Club of Iraq – who are aiming for an unprecedented third successive title – in the final on October 27.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: The-AFC.com has announced that Air Force Club's Hammadi Ahmed is the winner of this week’s Goal of the Week presented by Allianz for the 2018 AFC Cup after a public vote on the AFC’s official website.