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.

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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.

Resounding starts for China PR, Korea Republic

Tue, 19 Sep, 2023

Resounding starts for China PR, Korea Republic

Hangzhou: Korea Republic began their Hangzhou Asian Games challenge with a 9-0 win over Kuwait on Tuesday.

Hosts China PR were equally impressive in their win over India while four-time gold medallists Islamic Republic of Iran had to be satisfied with a draw against Saudi Arabia while 

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.

Group B: Al Wehdat SC (JOR) 2-0 Al Ittihad Al Ahli Aleppo SC (SYR)

Wed, 20 Sep, 2023

Group B: Al Wehdat SC (JOR) 2-0 Al Ittihad Al Ahli Aleppo SC (SYR)

Amman: Jordan’s Al Wehdat put on a dominant display to defeat Syria’s Al Ittihad Al Ahli Aleppo 2-0 in their AFC Cup™ 2023/24 match at Amman International Stadium to go top of the standings in Group B.

Anas Hammad was the star of the show for the three time AFC Cup semi-finalists, as Al Ittihad struggled to cope with his tricks and skills, with the Jordanian side unlucky not to win by a bigger margin.