Central & South Asia Wrap: Esteghlal maintain lead; Mohun Bagan in red hot form

Mon, 19 Feb, 2024

Central & South Asia Wrap: Esteghlal maintain lead; Mohun Bagan in red hot form

Tehran: Esteghlal secured their 10th Iran Pro League victory with 1-0 win over Sanat Naft to maintain a four-point lead at the top while defending champions Persepolis suffered a setback following a 1-0 loss to Aluminium Arak.

Mohun Bagan Supergiant are in a rich vein of form, posting wins against FC Goa and Northeast United FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) while Bashundhara Kings lead the race in Bangladesh.

ASEAN Zonal Final: 3 Classic Match-ups

Mon, 19 Feb, 2024

ASEAN Zonal Final: 3 Classic Match-ups

Kuala Lumpur: The AFC Cup™ 2023/24 saw Australian teams enter for the first time and they have excelled with Central Coast Mariners and Macarthur FC set to contest in the ASEAN Zonal final on Thursday with a place in the Inter-Zone semi-finals on the line. 

It was back in 2017 when the Zonal format was introduced, intensifying the regional rivalry with clubs from Southeast Asia needing to progress from the group stage and then win two knockout round ties to be crowned ASEAN champions before advancing to the next phase of the continental tournament. 
 
With the fifth ASEAN Zonal final just days away, the-AFC.com looks back at some of the most memorable ties over the years.

Oman back on track, Japan suffer setback

Sun, 18 Feb, 2024

Oman back on track, Japan suffer setback

Dubai: Oman revived their FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup UAE 2024 Dubai hopes with a 5-2 win over Mexico in Group D on Sunday.

Japan, however, suffered a 3-1 defeat to Belarus in Group C action.

R16 2nd leg: 5 things to look out for

Sun, 18 Feb, 2024

R16 2nd leg: 5 things to look out for

Kuala Lumpur: The AFC Champions League™ 2023/24 returned with a bang last week as the  remaining sides in the continental competition faced off in the first leg of the Round of 16. 

And the return meetings come hot on the heels as the teams get set to face off again in the second legs between Tuesday and Thursday when the quarter-finalists will be confirmed. 
 
Ahead of the eight match-ups across the continent, the-AFC.com has selected five things to look out for. 

Preview - West Zonal SF 2nd Leg: Al Nahda (OMA) 1 v 1 Al Riffa (BHR)

Tue, 20 Feb, 2024

Preview - West Zonal SF 2nd Leg: Al Nahda (OMA) 1 v 1 Al Riffa (BHR)

Muscat: Al Nahda will be aiming to get the job done when they host Al Riffa in the second leg of their AFC Cup™ 2023/24 West Zonal semi-final on Monday.

The teams drew 1-1 in last week's first leg and Al Nahda will be counting on home ground advantage to take them through to the West Zonal final.

#ACL Round of 16 1st Leg: What They Said

Sun, 18 Feb, 2024

#ACL Round of 16 1st Leg: What They Said

Kuala Lumpur: The AFC Champions League™ 2023/24 knockout stage kicked off this past week with a series of action-packed first leg encounters in the Round of 16.

Solid teamwork, challenges overcome, injuries suffered, and comebacks achieved all feature as the-AFC.com talks to those involved in the latest edition of the continent's most prestigious club competition.

Segrt leaves Tajikistan

Sun, 18 Feb, 2024

Segrt leaves Tajikistan

Dushanbe: The Football Federation of Tajikistan has confirmed Petar Segrt’s tenure as head coach of the national men’s team has come to an end. 

Segrt, who assumed the post in March 2022, took Tajikistan to historic highs by qualifying for the AFC Asian Cup™ for the first time and breaking into the top 100 of the FIFA World Ranking.

Tajikistan’s rise continued in the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™, where they advanced to the quarter-finals before losing 1-0 to Jordan in the quarter-finals.