Group B: Malaysia roar; Thailand cruise

Sat, 25 Jul, 2026

Group B: Malaysia roar; Thailand cruise

Yangon: Two goals in five second-half minutes from captain Paulo Josue earned Malaysia a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Myanmar in Yangon on Saturday as Tan Cheng Hoe’s side made a winning start to Group B in the ASEAN Championship 2026.

Thailand, meanwhile, began their bid to reclaim the title with an impressive 5-0 defeat of Laos.

https://www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/3185291

https://www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/3185293

Group A: Winning starts for Vietnam, Singapore

Fri, 24 Jul, 2026

Group A: Winning starts for Vietnam, Singapore

Chonburi: Vietnam made a winning start to their defence of the ASEAN Championship title on Friday as Kim Sang-sik’s side handed Timor-Leste a 7-0 defeat in Group A in Chonburi while Singapore registered a last-gasp 2-1 win over Cambodia in Phnom Penh.

Nguyen Dinh Bac scored a hat-trick for the three-time champions while Do Hoang Hen struck twice and Nguyen Xuan Son was also on target before an own goal by Liam Farrugia completed the scoring.

Asian Review: Japan

Sat, 25 Jul, 2026

Asian Review: Japan

Kuala Lumpur: Japan's FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign may have ended at the first knockout stage but they exited the tournament with their heads held high after producing strong performances.

A late Gabriel Martinelli goal meant a 2-1 defeat to Brazil in their Round of 32 showdown but head coach Hajime Moriyasu remains firmly convinced that the trajectory that Japan are on will lead them to the world title in the near future.

That Japan can hold their own against the biggest teams in the world can no longer be disputed, with the Samurai Blue having defeated Brazil and England in friendly matches leading up to the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Asian Review: IR Iran

Fri, 24 Jul, 2026

Asian Review: IR Iran

Kuala Lumpur: Islamic Republic of Iran may not have progressed past the group stage but the Central Asian side showed tremendous resolve throughout what was a challenging FIFA World Cup 2026 for them.

Amir Ghalenoei's side missed out on a place in the knockout stage by the slimmest of margins but can hold their heads high after completing their campaign undefeated.

Asian Review: Iraq

Thu, 23 Jul, 2026

Asian Review: Iraq

Kuala Lumpur: Iraq knew from the start that their return to the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 40 years would be a huge challenge.

Drawn in Group I, the West Asian side had France, Norway and Senegal to contend with and despite losing all three matches, Graham Arnold was proud with the determination and grit shown by his players.

Japan 2026 Draw finalised

Fri, 24 Jul, 2026

Japan 2026 Draw finalised

Kuala Lumpur: Defending champions Korea Republic will face Saudi Arabia and Qatar in the Asian Games 2026 men’s tournament following the draw in Nagoya, Japan on Thursday.

The men's competition features 15 teams following Iraq's withdrawal, with the top two from each group advancing to the quarter-finals.

The women’s draw saw holders Japan drawn alongside Chinese Taipei, Vietnam and Thailand.