Central & South Asia Wrap: Persepolis maintain grip; Pakhtakor stretch lead

Mon, 08 May, 2023

Central & South Asia Wrap: Persepolis maintain grip; Pakhtakor stretch lead

Tehran: Persepolis left it late to seal a 1-0 win over Paykan in the Iran Pro League, while Pakhtakor extended their  lead at the summit after defeating Navabor 1-0 in the Uzbekistan Super League.

The Church Boys claimed top spot in the Nepal Top Division, while  Bashundhara Kings and Abahani Limited claimed empathic wins in the Bangladesh Premier League.
 
Join the-AFC.com as we take a look at the latest domestic action in Central and South Asia.

Test Your AFC Asian Cup™ Knowledge!

Sun, 07 May, 2023

Test Your AFC Asian Cup™ Knowledge!

Kuala Lumpur: The draw for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ will be held at the Katara Opera House in Doha on Thursday.

As excitement peaks and the teams eager to know their opponents, the-AFC.com asks you - the fans - to test your knowledge on the continent’s premier national team tournament.

West Asia Wrap: Shabab Al Ahli clinch UAE title

Mon, 08 May, 2023

West Asia Wrap: Shabab Al Ahli clinch UAE title

Doha: Shabab Al Ahli defeated Baniyas 2-1 to win the 2022-23 UAE Pro League title with a match to spare on Sunday.

In Qatar, the race for the title goes down to the final day after Al Duhail SC's setback against Al Sadd SC.
 
Al Ittihad, meanwhile, suffered defeat in the Saudi Pro League as the title race took another twist so join the-AFC.com as we review the latest round of domestic action in West Asia.

ASEAN Wrap: Sydney test for Premiers City; Tampines stumble

Mon, 08 May, 2023

ASEAN Wrap: Sydney test for Premiers City; Tampines stumble

Kuala Lumpur: The semi-final contests in the A-League are confirmed after Adelaide United and Sydney FC both posted victories in the elimination finals over the weekend in Australia to join Premiers Melbourne City and second-placed Central Coast Mariners in the final four. 

Title-chasing Tampines Rovers suffered their first defeat of the season in Singapore when they fell to Balestier Khalsa on Friday while defending champions and league leaders Albirex Niigata (S) recorded their fifth successive victory by overcoming Hougang United 5-0 on Saturday.
 
It’s a three-way battle between Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen United and PT Prachuap to avoid relegation in Thailand while there were first wins of the season for Lun Bawang and MS ABDB in Brunei Darussalam, so join the-AFC.com as we review the week’s action from across ASEAN. 

East Asia Wrap: Kitchee champions of Hong Kong; Marinos close in

Mon, 08 May, 2023

East Asia Wrap: Kitchee champions of Hong Kong; Marinos close in

Hong Kong: Kitchee SC secured their third consecutive Hong Kong Premier League crown by salvaging a point in a 2-2 draw against title challengers Lee Man FC on Sunday in a nail-biting final game of the season that saw them finish two points clear at the top.

Yokohama F. Marinos are within two points of Vissel Kobe at the top of the standings in Japan after the defending champions posted back-to-back wins against Sagan Tosu and Kyoto Sanga while the leaders threw away a two-goal lead against high-flying Nagoya Grampus last Wednesday. 

In Korea Republic, reigning champions Ulsan Hyundai increased their advantage at the top of the standings to eight points with a 3-0 defeat of Daegu FC and there were also matches in China PR, Chinese Taipei, Macau and Guam, so join the-AFC.com as we review the week’s action from across East Asia.

Andersen determined to defy odds again

Mon, 08 May, 2023

Andersen determined to defy odds again

Hong Kong: Jorn Andersen became a celebrity in Hong Kong, China after guiding the territory’s representative team to the AFC Asian Cup™ for the first time in more than half a century. 

Ahead of Thursday's highly anticipated draw in Doha, The Norwegian tells the-AFC.com what it means to qualify and his hopes for Hong Kong at the Finals in Qatar.