ASEAN Wrap: Sailors lift Singapore Cup; Buriram, Persib stay in charge

Mon, 12 Jan, 2026

ASEAN Wrap: Sailors lift Singapore Cup; Buriram, Persib stay in charge

Kuala Lumpur: Lion City Sailors FC picked up their first silverware of the season by defeating Tampines Rovers in the Singapore Cup final.

Buriram United and Persib Bandung registered crucial victories in Thailand and Indonesia respectively to stay clear at the top.

In Malaysia, Johor Darul Ta’zim left it late to maintain their perfect record while the title race in Cambodia remained finely poised, so join the-AFC.com as we look back at another exciting week of action across ASEAN.

Mohammed proud of young Iraq side; Thawatchai happy with Thailand’s spirit

Mon, 12 Jan, 2026

Mohammed proud of young Iraq side; Thawatchai happy with Thailand’s spirit

Riyadh: Iraq head coach Emad Mohammed was proud of his young team for putting in maximum effort in the 1-1 stalemate with Thailand in their AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026™ Group D match on Sunday.

The result left Group D wide open, with Iraq on two points - two behind China PR and one adrift of Australia. Thailand are a point behind Iraq, with Matchday Three to decide the teams advancing to the knockout round.

Puche applauds China PR’s ‘historic’ win

Mon, 12 Jan, 2026

Puche applauds China PR’s ‘historic’ win

Riyadh: China PR head coach Antonio Puche did not try to hide his elation following his side’s 1-0 win against Australia in their AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026™ Group D clash on Sunday.

The East Asian side, who played out a goalless opening draw with Iraq, rekindled their hopes of a quarter-final slot with a 43rd-minute strike by defender Peng Xiao, which came against the run of play.

Preview - Group A: Saudi Arabia v Vietnam

Tue, 13 Jan, 2026

Preview - Group A: Saudi Arabia v Vietnam

Jeddah: Saudi Arabia will spare no effort in their search for a win against Vietnam in their final AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026™ Group A tie on Monday.

Vietnam lead the standings with a maximum six points with Saudi Arabia and Jordan three adrift with all three teams in contention for the quarter-finals.

Luigi Biagio expects his Saudi Arabia side to bounce back from Friday’s disappointing 3-2 loss to Jordan with victory against Vietnam to take the deciding of the top two finishers into a likely head-to-head tiebreak.

Preview - Group A: Jordan v Kyrgyz Republic

Tue, 13 Jan, 2026

Preview - Group A: Jordan v Kyrgyz Republic

Jeddah: Jordan will be on a mission to secure their place in the quarter-finals when they take on Kyrgyz Republic in their final AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026™ Group A tie on Monday.

The West Asian side will go into the match buoyed by a morale-boosting 3-2 comeback victory over Saudi Arabia on Matchday Two, a result that revived their campaign following an opening day defeat to Vietnam. 

Japan’s Ozeki showcases his talent again

Sun, 11 Jan, 2026

Japan’s Ozeki showcases his talent again

Jeddah: Yuto Ozeki continued his rise as one of Japan’s most promising talents with a spectacular display in the 3-0 win over the United Arab Emirates in their AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026™ Group B tie on Saturday.

A standout performance at the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2025™ was followed by an instrumental display in Kawasaki Frontale’s thrilling 3-2 victory over Al Nassr Club in the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League Elite™ Finals Jeddah 2025, which showed there is nothing Ozeki can’t do. 

Against UAE on Saturday, Ozeki was at the heart of Japan’s attacking play - scoring with a brilliant long-range strike to double Japan’s advantage following Brian Nwadik’s penalty.