Gallardo praises Ittihad’s character in comeback win

Fri, 23 Feb, 2024

Gallardo praises Ittihad’s character in comeback win

Riyadh: Al Ittihad FC were given a stern test by Navbahor AFC in their Champions League™ 2023/24 Round of 16 second leg match before eventually securing a 2-1 win, leaving head coach Marcelo Gallardo proud of his charges.

Trailing to an early own goal from Karim Benzema, Gallardo’s men fought back to draw level through Abderrazak Hamdallah late in the first half before Navbahor’s Toma Tabatadze put one into his own net to give Ittihad the win. 

www.the-afc.com/en/club/afc_champions_league/video/acl_-_r16_|_west_zone_|_al_ittihad_ksa_2_-_1_navbahor_uzb.html

Jesus’ substitutions pay off for Al Hilal

Fri, 23 Feb, 2024

Jesus’ substitutions pay off for Al Hilal

Riyadh: Head coach Jorge Jesus praised Al Hilal SFC for their second half resurgence to defeat Sepahan FC 3-1 in the second leg of their AFC Champions League™ 2023/24 Round of 16 tie on Thursday.

Al Hilal’s victory secured their progression 6-2 on aggregate, setting up a quarter-final against fellow Saudi Pro League outfit, Al Ittihad.

#ACL - Q-finalists confirmed

Fri, 23 Feb, 2024

#ACL - Q-finalists confirmed

Kuala Lumpur: Five former champions are among the eight teams who confirmed their places in the AFC Champions League™ 2023/24 quarter-finals after the conclusion of the Round of 16 on Thursday.

Among teams seeking their first title, China PR’s Shandong Taishan were the first side to check into the last eight after an exciting 4-2 second leg win over Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale on Tuesday.

Al Hilal fight back to stay on course

Fri, 23 Feb, 2024

Al Hilal fight back to stay on course

Riyadh: Al Hilal SFC booked their place in the AFC Champions League™ 2023/24 quarter-finals with a 3-1 win over Sepahan FC at Kingdom Arena in the second leg of their Round of 16 tie on Thursday.

Just like they did in the first leg in Isfahan, Al Hilal came from a goal down to overcome Sepahan who once more found themselves finishing the game with 10 men, the Saudis advancing with a 6-2 aggregate score to a quarter-final meeting with domestic rivals Al Ittihad.

Al Ittihad edge Navbahor to advance

Fri, 23 Feb, 2024

Al Ittihad edge Navbahor to advance

Jeddah: Two-time champions Al Ittihad came from a goal down to defeat Uzbekistan’s Navbahor 2-1 and advance to the AFC Champions League™ 2023/24 quarter-finals at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium on Thursday.

The two teams had played out a goalless draw in Namangan a week ago, and it was an unlikely combination of two own goals from strikers Karim Benzema and Toma Tabatadze separated by an Abderrazak Hamdallah strike which decided the return leg.

Determination steered Mariners to win, says Jackson

Fri, 23 Feb, 2024

Determination steered Mariners to win, says Jackson

Sydney: Head coach Mark Jackson hailed the persistence shown by Central Coast Mariners after they were made to work hard to beat Macarthur FC 3-2 for a place in the AFC Cup™ 2023/24 Inter-Zone semi-finals.  

Tied at 2-2 after 90 minutes, Ronald Barcellos’ goal in the 120th minute sealed the win for the Mariners on Thursday and in a game in which his side blew hot and cold, Jackson was pleased to see the battling spirit produced by his players.

Nepal, Palestine through to knockout stage

Fri, 23 Feb, 2024

Nepal, Palestine through to knockout stage

Jeddah: Nepal and Palestine booked their West Asian Football Federation Women's Championship 2024 semi-final spots in contrasting fashions on Thursday.

Nepal cruised to a 5-0 win over Iraq, with Sabitra Bhandari netting all five goals while Palestine defeated Syria 1-0. The two pacesetters meet on Saturday to determine the Group B winners.

Preview - Qualifiers Round 3

Fri, 23 Feb, 2024

Preview - Qualifiers Round 3

Kuala Lumpur: The final race to win slots at the Paris Olympic Games takes place on Saturday and Wednesday in Round 3 of the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament Paris 2024™ Asian Qualifiers with two spots at stake.  

To be played over two legs, Uzbekistan host Australia on Saturday while the DPR Korea-Japan will be played in the neutral venue of Jeddah. The-AFC.com takes a look at what's in store for the hopefuls. 

IR Iran to face Brazil in semis

Fri, 23 Feb, 2024

IR Iran to face Brazil in semis

Dubai: Islamic Republic of Iran came from behind to defeat United Arab Emirates 2-1 to book their spot in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup UAE 2024 Dubai semi-finals on Thursday.

Japan, meanwhile, bowed out of the tournament after falling 8-4 to Brazil.