Al Sadd confirm deal agreed with Barcelona for Xavi

Sat, 06 Nov, 2021

Al Sadd confirm deal agreed with Barcelona for Xavi

Doha: Barcelona are set to announce Xavi Hernandez's dramatic return to the club as coach, after Qatar champions Al Sadd SC confirmed on Friday a deal has been agreed between the clubs.

Al Sadd said in a statement Barca had paid the release clause for Xavi, who has been coaching in Qatar since 2019 and now rejoins the club where he enjoyed huge success as a player.

Australia's Mooy, Rogic to miss Saudi Arabia, Oman ties

Fri, 05 Nov, 2021

Australia's Mooy, Rogic to miss Saudi Arabia, Oman ties

Sydney: Australia will be without key midfield duo Aaron Mooy and Tom Rogic when they take on Saudi Arabia and China PR in their crucial AFC Asian Qualifiers - Road to Qatar 2022 encounters later this month.

Head coach Graham Arnold named a 24-man squad on Friday and was forced to exclude the pair – as well as Cerezo Osaka striker Adam Taggart – as Australia seek to consolidate their position in the automatic qualification berths in Group B for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

Al Ramtha end 39-year wait for Jordan league title

Fri, 05 Nov, 2021

Al Ramtha end 39-year wait for Jordan league title

Amman: Al Ramtha were crowned Jordanian Pro League champions for the third time in their history after a 1-1 draw with Al Jazeera in the final round of matches on Thursday.

Al Ramtha finished level on points with Al Wehdat – on 47 -but claimed the title on a superior head-to-head with the 2020 champions.
 
Al Ramtha, who defeated Al Wehdat twice in the league this season, had previously won the title back-to-back in 1981 and 1982.

Shahrdari Sirjan primed for success, says confident Motevalli

Sat, 06 Nov, 2021

Shahrdari Sirjan primed for success, says confident Motevalli

Aqaba: Melika Motevalli is confident of winning the 2021 AFC Women’s Club Championship crown with Shahrdari Sirjan following the club’s maiden title winning season in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Shahrdari Sirjan came out tops in the 2021 Kowsar Women Football League regular season, netting 48 goals to advance to the Final Round, where they pipped seven-time champions Bam Khatoon Football Club to the title.

Moriyasu includes Kawasaki Frontale defensive trio for Japan's Vietnam, Oman challenges

Sat, 06 Nov, 2021

Moriyasu includes Kawasaki Frontale defensive trio for Japan's Vietnam, Oman challenges

Tokyo: Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu has called up J-League winning defensive trio Shogo Taniguchi, Miki Yamane and Reo Hatate for the country’s clashes in the AFC Asian Qualifiers - Road to Qatar 2022 against Vietnam and Oman later this month.

The trio helped Toru Oniki’s Kawasaki Frontale side win their fourth J-League title in five seasons on Wednesday and are among six changes to Moriyasu’s squad from the one that faced Saudi Arabia and Australia in October.

Stage set for AFC Women’s Club Championship 2021 - Pilot Tournament (West) in Jordan

Sat, 06 Nov, 2021

Stage set for AFC Women’s Club Championship 2021 - Pilot Tournament (West) in Jordan

Amman: The AFC Women’s Club Championship 2021 – Pilot Tournament (West) is set for another milestone when the Jordan Football Association (JFA) hosts the upcoming edition from November 7 to 13, 2021.

Four women’s clubs will participate in the tournament including hosts Amman Club, FC Bunyodkor from Uzbekistan, Islamic Republic of Iran’s Shahrdari Sirjan and Gokulam Kerala FC from India.
 
As part of efforts to prepare for the impending launch of the game-changing AFC Women’s Champions League, the pilot editions demonstrate the AFC’s commitment and determination to strengthen the foundations for the development and professionalism of women’s football clubs in Asia.
 
The opening match at the Aqaba Development Corporate Stadium will see an exciting encounter between reigning Uzbekistan champions FC Bunyodkor and Shahrdari Sirjan, who clinched the domestic Women’s Football League for the first time.
 
Meanwhile, first-time Indian Women's League winners Gokulam Kerala FC will face Amman Club, who recently clinched their fifth Jordan Women's Football League title. 
 
The four teams will compete in a round-robin league format over three match days – November 7, 10 and 13 – with the top team lifting the title of the AFC Women’s Club Championship 2021 - Pilot Tournament (West).
 
The AFC will also test the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) Light concept in the tournament with the aim of creating more affordable VAR systems which can be used at all levels in football.
 
The first pilot of the AFC Women’s Club Championship was held in 2019 in Yongin, Korea Republic, and won by Nippon TV Beleza of Japan.

AFC Cup Final: Five players who shone on the biggest stage

Fri, 05 Nov, 2021

AFC Cup Final: Five players who shone on the biggest stage

Kuala Lumpur: The 2021 AFC Cup will draw to its conclusion on Friday when former winners Muharraq Club of Bahrain and Uzbekistan’s FC Nasaf meet in the final in Arad. 

Nasaf’s Khusain Norchaev is the competition’s leading scorer, with seven strikes to his name, and he will look to continue his stunning form in the grand finale and etch his name into the history books. 

Over the years, the final has seen some standout individual performances, with career-defining goals living long in the memory. Ahead of Friday's showdown, the-AFC.com looks back at five players who left their mark when it mattered most.