Sepahan's Morais rues red card, Al Hilal's Jesus lauds players

Fri, 16 Feb, 2024

Sepahan's Morais rues red card, Al Hilal's Jesus lauds players

Isfahan: Mohammad Daneshgar's red card was the reason for Sepahan FC's late collapse against Al Hilal SFC on Thursday, said head coach Jose Morais.

The first leg of the AFC Champions League™ 2023/24 Round of 16 tie looked set to end in a 1-1 stalemate but Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal took full advantage of Ghorbani's sending off to strike twice in added time to take a hefty lead going into next week's rematch in Riyadh.

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Gallardo: Ittihad will get the job done at home

Fri, 16 Feb, 2024

Gallardo: Ittihad will get the job done at home

Qarshi: Marcelo Gallardo expects Al Ittihad to get the job done when they host Navbahor in the return leg of their AFC Champions League™ 2023/24 Round of 16 tie next week.

Thursday's first leg ended in a goalless draw, leaving Al Ittihad in a good position going into the return leg, with the Saudi Pro League champions seeking a third continental title.

Hong pleased Ulsan excelled in Ventforet test

Fri, 16 Feb, 2024

Hong pleased Ulsan excelled in Ventforet test

Ulsan: Head coach Hong Myung-bo was happy to see Ulsan Hyundai FC getting their season off to a resounding start after defeating Ventforet Kofu 3-0 in their AFC Champions League™ 2023/24 Round of 16 first leg match on Thursday.

Fielding three new signings in Kim Min-woo, Ko Seung-beom and Hwang Seok-ho in his starting line-up, Hong’s gamble paid off handsomely as the two-time AFC Champions League winners look well placed for a fifth appearance in the quarter-finals of the continental showpiece. 

Hong was also delighted for Joo Min-kyu, who scored twice before the break at the Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium and is hopeful the 33-year-old forward will enjoy a big season.

UAE enjoy dream start; IR Iran fight back to beat Spain

Fri, 16 Feb, 2024

UAE enjoy dream start; IR Iran fight back to beat Spain

Dubai: United Arab Emirates kicked off their FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup UAE 2024 Dubai Group A campaign with a 2-1 win over Egypt on Thursday.

Islamic Republic of Iran also got off to a victorious start, defeating Spain 3-1 on penalties after their opening Group B tie ended in a sensational 6-6 draw with the Central Asian side coming back from 5-2 down to snatch the win.

Late strikes give Al Hilal edge over Sepahan

Fri, 16 Feb, 2024

Late strikes give Al Hilal edge over Sepahan

Isfahan: Al Hilal SFC came from behind to beat 10-man Sepahan FC 3-1 in the first leg of their AFC Champions League™ 2023/24 Round of 16 meeting on Thursday at the Naghsh-e-Jahan Stadium.

The victory gives four-time Asian champions Al Hilal a healthy advantage to defend in next Thursday's return leg in Riyadh with the winners to face either Uzbekistan's Navbahor or Saudi Arabia's Al Ittihad in the quarter-finals. 

Navbahor, Al Ittihad settle for draw

Fri, 16 Feb, 2024

Navbahor, Al Ittihad settle for draw

Namangan: Two-time champions Al Ittihad and Uzbekistan’s Navbahor will go into the second leg of their AFC Champions League™ 2023/24 Round of 16 meeting in Jeddah next week with all to play for after the teams shared a 0-0 draw at Markaziy Stadium on Thursday. 

Neither side could find a way through in front of a bumper crowd in eastern Uzbekistan and the teams will have another 90 minutes – plus the possibility of extra-time and penalties – at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium next Thursday to determine who progresses.

The Saudi Pro League side, winners of the title in 2004 and 2005, were missing former France international striker Karim Benzema but featured high profile signings N’golo Kante and Fabinho in their starting line-up yet struggled against a well-drilled home team.

Ulsan Hyundai turn on the style against Ventforet

Thu, 15 Feb, 2024

Ulsan Hyundai turn on the style against Ventforet

Ulsan: Korea Republic’s Ulsan Hyundai have one foot in the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League™ 2023/24 after they posted a 3-0 win against visitors Ventforet Kofu in their Round of 16 first leg tie at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium on Thursday.

After hitting the woodwork twice in the early stages of the match, hosts Ulsan opened the scoring through Joo Min-kyu in the 37th minute before the veteran striker doubled their advantage from the penalty spot just before the interval. 

Full-back Seol Young-woo then added a third goal for Ulsan just past the hour mark to seal the victory and put Hong Myung-bo’s side in a commanding position ahead of next week’s return leg in Tokyo. 

Qatar, Jordan surge following AFC Asian Cup™ runs

Thu, 15 Feb, 2024

Qatar, Jordan surge following AFC Asian Cup™ runs

Kuala Lumpur: Qatar and Jordan are Asia's biggest movers in the latest FIFA World Ranking released on Thursday.

Qatar moved up 21 spots following their successful defence of their AFC Asian Cup title on Saturday while Jordan, who emerged runners-up in the continental showpiece, improved 17 spots.