Group H: Melbourne City (AUS) 0-0 Ventforet Kofu (JPN)

Fri, 22 Sep, 2023

Group H: Melbourne City (AUS) 0-0 Ventforet Kofu (JPN)

Melbourne: Japanese second division club Ventforet Kofu made an impressive debut in the AFC Champions League™ after they held Melbourne City of Australia to a goalless draw in their Group H opener on Wednesday.

Yoshiyuki Shinoda’s Ventforet did well to keep Melbourne quiet and created the best of the chances – including a Kazuhiro Sato free-kick late in the first half which struck the crossbar.

Kohei Matsumoto and Yoshiki Torikai also had opportunities to score the Japanese team’s first-ever goal in the competition, but goalkeeper Jamie Young helped the A-League side secure a point against the debutants.

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Castro pleased with Al Nassr's resilience in victory against Persepolis

Wed, 20 Sep, 2023

Castro pleased with Al Nassr's resilience in victory against Persepolis

Tehran: Luis Castro sported a satisfied look after his Al Nassr side defeated Persepolis FC 2-0 in their opening AFC Champions League™ 2023/24 Group E tie on Tuesday.

With Islamic Republic of Iran's Persepolis having a rich history in the competition and playing in the Azadi Stadium, Al Nassr knew they were in for a tough 90 minutes but their patient approach and Milad Sarlak's sending off early in the second half turned the tide in the Saudi Arabian side's favour.
 
Abdulrahman Ghareeb slotted home the opener in the 62nd minute with left-back Mohammed Qassem confirming the win 10 minutes later.

F. Marinos' defensive frailties disappoint Muscat

Wed, 20 Sep, 2023

F. Marinos' defensive frailties disappoint Muscat

Yokohama: Kevin Muscat was left to rue Yokohama F. Marinos' defensive frailties after the Japanese side suffered a shock defeat to Incheon United in their AFC Champions League™ 2023/24 Group G tie on Tuesday.

Second half substitute Hernandez turned the game in Incheon United’s favour as the Brazilian came off the bench to score twice in the final 15 minutes to earn the debutants from Korea Republic a 4-2 win.
 
The result is an early blow for Japanese champions F. Marinos, with head coach Muscat having targeted an extended run in the competition.

Win delights Kawasaki’s Oniki, JDT’s Solari finds positives

Wed, 20 Sep, 2023

Win delights Kawasaki’s Oniki, JDT’s Solari finds positives

Johor Bahru: A spectacular Marcinho overhead kick gave Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale a winning start in Group I of the AFC Champions LeagueTM 2023/24, much to the delight of head coach Toru Oniki.

The 1-0 victory on Tuesday saw Kawasaki maintain their unbeaten record at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium against Johor Darul Ta’zim, having won one and drawn one in last year’s edition at the group stage.

Qualifiers Round 2 - Group B: Australia 6-2 Philippines; Bangladesh 0-2 Vietnam

Wed, 20 Sep, 2023

Qualifiers Round 2 - Group B: Australia 6-2 Philippines; Bangladesh 0-2 Vietnam

Hanoi: Australia came back from two goals down to defeat the Philippines 6-2 in their AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup™ Indonesia 2024 Qualifiers Group A tie at National Youth Football Training Centre on Wednesday.

Vietnam were also victorious, defeating Bangladesh 2-0 to close on in a place in the Finals.

Group G: Stallion Laguna FC (PHI) 2-5 Bali United FC (IDN)

Wed, 20 Sep, 2023

Group G: Stallion Laguna FC (PHI) 2-5 Bali United FC (IDN)

Binan: Indonesia’s Bali United secured a 5-2 win away at Philippines’ Stallion Laguna to open their AFC Cup™ 2023/24 campaign in impressive fashion on Wednesday.

Stefano Cugurra’s Bali were on top throughout the match at Binan Football Stadium and will take this as a confidence booster ahead of matches against Australia’s Central Coast Mariners and Malaysia’s Terengganu FC in Group G.

Group E: Persepolis FC (IRN) 0-2 Al Nassr (KSA)

Thu, 21 Sep, 2023

Group E: Persepolis FC (IRN) 0-2 Al Nassr (KSA)

Tehran: Al Nassr marked Cristiano Ronaldo’s debut in the AFC Champions League™ with a 2-0 away victory against Persepolis FC at Azadi Stadium in Group E of the 2023/24 edition on Tuesday.

The hosts suffered an early blow as experienced forward Mehdi Torabi had to be stretched off inside the opening 10 minutes following an injury, being replaced by Shahab Zahedi.