East Asia Wrap: Chengdu leave it late; Ulsan stun leaders Seoul

Sun, 26 Jul, 2026

East Asia Wrap: Chengdu leave it late; Ulsan stun leaders Seoul

Seoul: Chengdu Rongcheng salvaged a dramatic point to remain top of the Chinese Super League while Ulsan HD handed FC Seoul a surprise defeat in Korea Republic.

In Macau, Shao Jiang tightened their grip on first place with a commanding seven-goal victory so join the-AFC.com as we review the past week's domestic action across East Asia.

Central & South Asia Wrap: Alga remain unbeaten; Durand Cup kicks off

Mon, 27 Jul, 2026

Central & South Asia Wrap: Alga remain unbeaten; Durand Cup kicks off

Bishkek: Five-time champions Alga Bishkek, who last won in 2002, continued their unbeaten run in the Kyrgyz Premier League while titleholders Neftchi Fergana held steady in the Uzbek Super League.

Last season’s Indian Super League champions East Bengal SC lost in their opening Durand Cup 2026 clash while the Sri Lanka Super League kicked off, so join the-AFC.com as we take a look at the past week's domestic action across Central and South Asia.

Premier League for Maeda, Lee returns to Spain

Sun, 26 Jul, 2026

Premier League for Maeda, Lee returns to Spain

Kuala Lumpur: Ipswich signed Japan forward Daizen Maeda from Scottish champions Celtic while Korea Republic international Kang-In Lee has joined Atletico Madrid from France’s Paris Saint-Germain.

Maeda agreed a three-year contract with the newly-promoted Premier League club after four and a half years with Celtic where he lifted five Scottish titles, three Scottish Cups and two Scottish League Cups.

The 28-year-old scored 79 goals in 212 appearances for Celtic and was a member of the Japan squad that reached the last 32 at the FIFA World Cup 2026 before losing to Brazil.

Syria lift second title

Mon, 27 Jul, 2026

Syria lift second title

Amman: Syria produced a stirring fightback before defeating Lebanon 4-3 on penalties following a 2-2 draw in Sunday’s final to clinch the WAFF U-17 Girls’ Championship title for the second time.

The triumph added to Syria’s maiden triumph secured in 2023.

Asian Review: Jordan

Sun, 26 Jul, 2026

Asian Review: Jordan

Kuala Lumpur: Jordan will look back on their FIFA World Cup debut with pride after producing respectable performances in all three of their group stage matches.

Drawn in a tough Group J with defending champions Argentina, Austria and Algeria their challengers, the West Asian side did not let the occasion overawe them and left North America with the respectable record of having scored in all their matches.

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.