Speaking in a live Instagram video with his teammate Hattan Bahebri, the 39-year-old player said that “the big fan base of Al Hilal and the excellent job done by the administration, in addition to the hard work of the players, are the keys for the success of Al Hilal.”

Only one player has scored a hat-trick in the Premier continental final since the first Asian club champions were crowned more than 50 years ago.

That remarkable feat occurred on April 22, 2000 – 20 years ago today – when Al Hilal’s on-loan Brazilian striker Sergio Ricardo scored a third-minute free-kick, a last-gasp equaliser and a decisive 103rd-minute golden goal to bring the Asian crown back to Riyadh for the second time in history.

Al Hilal’s 3-2 win over a Jubilo Iwata side featuring the likes of Masashi Nakayama and Naohiro Takahara sent a vibrant King Fahd Stadium into euphoria and gave the Saudi giants a title they would need to wait 19 years to replicate.

In the second part of our interview with Cardiff City and Philippines star Etheridge, the goalkeeper talks about the Azkals’ rise over the last decade and his hopes for the country when Asian Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023 resume.

The Japanese women’s national team of 2011 became Asia’s world champions at the senior level, overcoming tournament hosts and defending champions Germany in the quarter-final before outlasting the United States in a classic final and providing a boost to a nation still reeling from a painful natural disaster.

That remarkable win in Germany represented the peak of their success, but it was far from the Nadeshiko’s only breakthrough success, with first-time titles in the Asian Games and AFC Women’s Asian Cup and a FIFA World Player of the Year title for team leader Homare Sawa all materialising in an unprecedented four-year period.

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The Asian Football Quiz - Round 1
The Asian Football Quiz - Round 2
The Asian Football Quiz - Round 3
The Asian Football Quiz - Round 4
The Asian Football Quiz - Round 5

AIFF’s Executive Committee endorsed the League Committee's recommendations in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Executive Committee agreed with the conclusions and the recommendations of the League Committee that this was a force majeure circumstance and the AIFF and all stakeholders must focus on a priority basis on safety and health aspects of players, officials and fans. In fact, there is still no certainty of when sporting activities including football can be resumed across the country,” said the AIFF in a media release.

Korea Republic endured one of the worst early outbreaks of the COVID-19 pandemic outside China PR, but appears to have brought it under control thanks to its extensive "trace, test and treat" programme.

The outbreak had prompted sports leagues to suspend or delay their seasons across the country.