LATEST NEWS - FAS

Group A: Vietnam, Singapore share spoils; Indonesia power on

Fri, 31 Jul, 2026

Group A: Vietnam, Singapore share spoils; Indonesia power on

Hanoi: Singapore frustrated defending champions Vietnam to draw 0-0 with Kim Sang-sik’s side in Hanoi on Friday to remain in pole position in Group A of the ASEAN Championship 2026 standings as Indonesia picked up a second victory with a 3-0 win over Timor-Leste.

The Vietnamese dominated throughout at My Dinh National Stadium but were unable to find a way past Singapore goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud as the title holders struggled to turn their superiority into clear-cut chances.

Sailors capture Phaeton; Ko inks Dewa deal

Thu, 30 Jul, 2026

Sailors capture Phaeton; Ko inks Dewa deal

Kuala Lumpur: Lion City Sailors have bolstered their attacking ranks with the signing of Guadeloupe international Matthias Phaeton, while Korea Republic defender Ko Myeong-seok has completed a move to Indonesia’s Dewa United.

David Aizawa has also left J.League outfit Vissel Kobe for Division 2 side Oita Trinita on loan, with Melbourne City adding Brazilian midfielder Matheus Rossetto to their squad.

Preview: MD3

Thu, 30 Jul, 2026

Preview: MD3

Kuala Lumpur: The race is set to intensify as teams in the ASEAN Championship 2026 look to strengthen their claim for semi-final spots while others will be aiming to reignite their campaign when matches resume on Friday.

Singapore and Malaysia lead Group A and Group B respectively but with plenty of matches still to be played, a lot could change in the coming days as the-AFC.com looks at what’s in store in the next round of matches.

AFC Grassroots Day 2026 unites Asia’s football communities – Part 3

Wed, 22 Jul, 2026

AFC Grassroots Day 2026 unites Asia’s football communities – Part 3

Kuala Lumpur: The 13th Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Grassroots Day brought communities together across the Continent as 45 Member Associations (MAs) celebrated the beautiful game and engaged thousands of participants in a showcase of football's power to inspire, connect and include.

Held annually on May 23, this year's events once again coincided with FIFA's World Football Week, reinforcing the AFC's support for the United Nations' Football for the Goals initiative and its shared commitment to advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through football.
 
Join us at the-AFC.com for the third and final part of a series (Part 1 can be found here and Part 2 is here) that highlights how MAs embraced the AFC Grassroots Day 2026 with creativity and enthusiasm.

Group A: Singapore stay perfect; roaring start for Indonesia

Mon, 27 Jul, 2026

Group A: Singapore stay perfect; roaring start for Indonesia

Singapore: Ilhan Fandi and Song Ui-young were on target as Singapore continued their perfect start to the ASEAN Championship 2026 on Monday with a 2-0 win over Timor-Leste in Group A as Indonesia kicked off their campaign with a 5-1 win over Cambodia in Bogor.

Ilhan, who scored his side’s stoppage time winner against the Cambodians on Friday, put Singapore in front with a perfectly placed header four minutes before the interval at Jalan Besar Stadium.

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.

Preview - Stage set for battle for regional supremacy

Wed, 22 Jul, 2026

Preview - Stage set for battle for regional supremacy

Kuala Lumpur: Southeast Asia’s finest will go all out to achieve glory with Vietnam looking to defend the title won in 2024 when the ASEAN Championship 2026 kicks off on Friday.

Vietnam will have to navigate through a tough Group A comprising fellow AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ qualifiers Singapore and Indonesia with Cambodia and Timor-Leste completing the cast.

In Group B, Thailand head the cast with Malaysia, Philippines, Myanmar and Laos also aiming for a spot in the knockout stage.

Hwang, Araki, Ilhan and Itamura seal moves

Tue, 21 Jul, 2026

Hwang, Araki, Ilhan and Itamura seal moves

Kuala Lumpur: Korea Republic midfielder Hwang In-beom has joined Portuguese champions FC Porto, headlining a series of moves involving Japan duo Mao Itamura and Ryotaro Araki, as well as Singapore international Ilhan Fandi.

Hwang completed his Porto switch from Feyenoord on a three-year contract, with an option for a further season.

#U17WAC - Stage set for China 2027 Qualifiers

Thu, 16 Jul, 2026

#U17WAC - Stage set for China 2027 Qualifiers

Kuala Lumpur: The AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup™ China 2027 is all set for take off following the conclusion of the Qualifiers Draw at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Thursday.

The 30 teams - two more than the previous record of 28 from the 2019 Qualifiers - were divided into eight groups - six of four and two of three - to contest a single round-robin centralised league from October 5 to 11.

Each group winner will advance to the Finals, joining the quartet of teams that have qualified directly as the top four finishers from the 2026 campaign: defending champions DPR Korea, runners-up Japan, and semi-finalists Australia and China PR.

#AFCU20 China 2027 - Stage set for Qualifiers

Thu, 28 May, 2026

#AFCU20 China 2027 - Stage set for Qualifiers

Kuala Lumpur: The AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027™ Qualifiers are set to be a scintillating affair following the Official Draw at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Thursday.

To be staged between August 25 and September 6, 2026 in a centralised league system, these Qualifiers will feature the implementation of a new format as part of key reforms to the AFC’s youth competitions that were ratified earlier this year.

Designed to ensure more meaningful matches and opportunities for teams to compete against opponents of similar technical competency, a two-phase system featuring a promotion and relegation mechanism has been introduced.

ASEAN Wrap: Sydney and Auckland advance as champions celebrate across the region

Mon, 18 May, 2026

ASEAN Wrap: Sydney and Auckland advance as champions celebrate across the region

Kuala Lumpur: Sydney FC survived a dramatic penalty shootout against Newcastle Jets to book their place in the A-League grand final alongside Auckland FC, while Vietnam’s Cong An Ha Noi celebrated the V.League 1 title with victory over Thanh Hoa.

Persib Bandung moved to the brink of the Indonesia Super League crown after a dramatic late win, while Johor Darul Ta’zim’s dominance in Malaysia continued as Kuching City strengthened their grip on second place.
 
Singapore’s Lion City Sailors suffered defeat despite already being crowned champions, while Cambodia’s Svay Rieng were also beaten after sealing the title.
 
There was further movement in the Philippines title race as One Taguig climbed to the summit ahead of Manila Digger. The-AFC.com takes a look at the past week’s domestic action across ASEAN.

#AsianCup2027 - The Groups

Mon, 11 May, 2026

#AsianCup2027 - The Groups

Riyadh: Fans can expect a scintillating AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ following Saturday's Final Draw in Riyadh.

While the usual teams will start as the pre-tournament favourites, the continental showpiece has a tendency of producing surprises and the-AFC.com takes a look at what can be expected from the groups.