AFC President hails resolve of Asian football family in driving recovery

Sun, 21 Nov, 2021

AFC President hails resolve of Asian football family in driving recovery

Manama: Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa today lauded the resilience and steadfast dedication of the Asian football family as the AFC remained well positioned to successfully deliver its competitions and numerous online development and education programmes in 2021.

Chairing the 8th AFC Executive Committee meeting in Manama, Bahrain, Shaikh Salman underlined the AFC’s gratitude to the centralised host Member Associations (MAs) as well as the participating teams, clubs, match officials, commercial and broadcast partners, the Continent’s fans and relevant stakeholders – all of whom played a pivotal role in the safe resumption of Asian football.

2021 AFC Champions League Final – The Coach: Leonardo Jardim (Al Hilal SFC)

Sun, 21 Nov, 2021

2021 AFC Champions League Final – The Coach: Leonardo Jardim (Al Hilal SFC)

Riyadh: Leonardo Jardim hopes to become the first Portuguese manager to win the AFC Champions League as he leads Al Hilal SFC against Pohang Steelers in the final on Tuesday.

An honour first achieved in Europe by Arthur Jorge in 1987 with FC Porto and followed twice by Jose Mourinho since, in South America in 2019 by former Al Hilal boss Jorge Jesus with Flamengo and the following year by Abel Ferreira at Palmeiras, remains unprecedented in the world’s largest continent, offering Jardim the opportunity to create history for his nation.

2021 AFC Champions League Final – The Coach: Kim Gi-dong (Pohang Steelers)

Sun, 21 Nov, 2021

2021 AFC Champions League Final – The Coach: Kim Gi-dong (Pohang Steelers)

Riyadh: Not many people have tasted success as both a player and a head coach for their beloved club, but Kim Gi-dong is on the verge of doing just that for Pohang Steelers. 

Having been part of the 2009 AFC Champions League-winning squad and claiming several other titles with Pohang during his playing days, Kim has now led the side to the 2021 continental final. 

Ahead of the grand finale against Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal SFC on November 23, the 49-year-old is aiming to become one of a select few to have won Asia’s biggest club prize as both a player and head coach. 

One year until Qatar 2022 – The global state of play

Sun, 21 Nov, 2021

One year until Qatar 2022 – The global state of play

Kuala Lumpur: It’s exactly one year until the greatest show on earth kicks off in Qatar, and teams from every corner of the globe are doing their very best to make sure they’ll be there.

Thirteen teams have already qualified for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, while a total of 61 nations are still vying for the 19 remaining places, but what exactly is the current state of play?

Join the-AFC.com as we jet off on a world tour and bring you up to date with who’s in, who can join them and what are the major talking points in the race to reach the Finals.

Qatar 2022: One year to go until the first FIFA World Cup™ in the Middle East and Arab world

Sun, 21 Nov, 2021

Qatar 2022: One year to go until the first FIFA World Cup™ in the Middle East and Arab world

Doha: On 21 November 2022, the first FIFA World Cup™ in the Middle East and Arab world will begin as the world’s best national teams meet in Qatar. 

The tournament will be like no other, offering fans the opportunity to discover the culture of the host country and the chance to attend more than one match per day during the group stage. 

Qatar announces completion of seventh tournament-ready venue for the FIFA World Cup 2022™

Sun, 21 Nov, 2021

Qatar announces completion of seventh tournament-ready venue for the FIFA World Cup 2022™

Doha: Stadium 974 has been officially unveiled and will host its first match on November 30 when the United Arab Emirates and Syria go head-to-head on the opening day of the FIFA Arab Cup™.

Stadium 974 is the seventh tournament venue to be completed by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) and follows Khalifa International, Al Janoub, Education City, Ahmad Bin Ali, Al Bayt and Al Thumama in being declared ready to host matches during the FIFA World Cup 2022™, which will kick off on November 21 next year.

The venue – formerly known as Ras Abu Aboud – is made primarily from shipping containers and is located close to Doha Port, directly opposite the spectacular West Bay skyline. The innovative design means this is the first fully demountable stadium in FIFA World Cup™ history.