Skorza takes blame for Urawa's defeat

Sat, 23 Dec, 2023

Skorza takes blame for Urawa's defeat

Jeddah: Maciej Skorza said he was to blame for Urawa Red Diamonds' defeat to Al Ahly FC in their FIFA Club World Cup Saudi Arabia 2023 bronze medal playoff tie on Friday.

Three-time AFC Champions League™ winners Urawa fought back from 2-0 down to level the tie, only for Egypt's Al Ahly to walk away with the win.

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Urawa denied by Al Ahly

Sat, 23 Dec, 2023

Urawa denied by Al Ahly

Jeddah: Urawa Red Diamonds finished fourth in the FIFA Club World Cup Saudi Arabia 2023 after losing 4-2 to Egypt’s Al Ahly in the third place playoff at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium on Friday.

It was a heartbreaking end for the Japanese side after having fought their way back from 2-0 down to draw level. 

Player to Watch: Alisher Dzhalilov (Tajikistan)

Fri, 22 Dec, 2023

Player to Watch: Alisher Dzhalilov (Tajikistan)

Kuala Lumpur: Playmaker Alisher Dzhalilov has emerged as the creative fulcrum for Tajikistan in the four-and-a-half years since making his debut for the Central Asian nation, the diminutive midfielder using his guile and skill to open opposing defences.

Although born near Dushanbe, Dzhalilov initially progressed through the Russian system and represented the European nation as a youth, from under 17 level through to the country’s under 21 team.

Player to Watch: Omar Khrbin (Syria)

Fri, 22 Dec, 2023

Player to Watch: Omar Khrbin (Syria)

Kuala Lumpur: Syria’s hopes of reaching the AFC Asian Cup™ knockout stage for the first time in their history rest on the shoulders of a number of key players, prime among them is the only Syrian to have won the AFC Player of the Year award.

Despite six previous participations in the competition, most recently in the UAE 2019, The Eagles of Qasioun have not been able to advance past the group stage, but if that’s to change in a tough group that includes Australia, Uzbekistan and India, then star striker Omar Khrbin will be vital.

Arnold springs surprises in 'exciting' Australian squad

Fri, 22 Dec, 2023

Arnold springs surprises in 'exciting' Australian squad

Sydney: Australia head coach Graham Arnold said he was "excited by the potential" of his players at the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ after announcing a fresh-faced squad on Friday, with a host of veterans cast aside.

The 2015 champions will be among the favourites at the tournament - which kicks off on January 12 - after reaching the last 16 of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

Join the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ Match Predictor now and stand to win exclusive prizes

Fri, 22 Dec, 2023

Join the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ Match Predictor now and stand to win exclusive prizes

Kuala Lumpur: With just three weeks to go to Asia’s grandest ever showpiece, passionate fans from across the globe can now share their predictions for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ by playing the Match Predictor game on the-AFC.com or the AFC LIVE app for a chance to win exclusive prizes. 

The game allows fans to enter their predictions for all 51 AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ matches and change their predictions up until the kick-off of each match. For each prediction, fans will accumulate points based on how accurate their predictions are in terms of the outcome of the match and the first team to score (during the Knockout Stage).

Japan lead AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ cast

Thu, 21 Dec, 2023

Japan lead AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ cast

Kuala Lumpur:  Japan will head to the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ as the top ranked Asian side.

The four-time AFC Asian Cup winners maintained their 17th spot in the latest FIFA World Ranking issued on Thursday.
 
Facing them in Group D at Qatar 2023 will be Iraq (ranked 63), Vietnam (94) and Indonesia (146).