Europe Wrap: Foord strikes for Arsenal; Ogawa scores in NEC win

Tue, 23 Jan, 2024

Europe Wrap: Foord strikes for Arsenal; Ogawa scores in NEC win

Kuala Lumpur: Australia star Caitlin Foord scored for Arsenal as they continued to pile pressure on leaders Chelsea in the Women's Super League in England with a 2-1 win against Everton on Saturday while Risa Shimizu was on target for West Ham United in a narrow loss to Tottenham Hotspur. 

Koki Ogawa and Sai van Wermeskerken scored to help NEC Nijmegen edge Go Ahead Eagles 2-1 and progress in the KNVB Cup in the Netherlands while Kyogo Furuhashi netted for holders Celtic in a 5-0 win against Buckie Thistle in the Scottish Cup. 
 
Clare Hunt supplied an assist for Paris Saint-Germain in the women’s league in France while Japanese duo Kanya Fujimoto and Daiki Hashioka also bagged assists in Portugal and Belgium respectively, so join the-AFC.com as we find out how the Asian stars performed in Europe over the past week. 

Al Haydos: Unity driving Maroons' title defence

Tue, 23 Jan, 2024

Al Haydos: Unity driving Maroons' title defence

Doha: Hassan Al Haydos believes the outpouring of joy from his teammates after his spectacular volleyed winner against China PR at Khalifa International Stadium on Monday is a sign of the togetherness uniting the Qatar squad as they look to defend their AFC Asian Cup™ title.

The veteran midfielder was thrown into the air by his fellow players having scored a goal-of-the-tournament contender in the 66th minute from more than 20 yards that ensured the Maroons advanced to the Round of 16 with a perfect record as Group A winners.

China PR frustrate Jankovic; Qatar's understudies please Lopez

Tue, 23 Jan, 2024

China PR frustrate Jankovic; Qatar's understudies please Lopez

Doha: Aleksandar Jankovic was left frustrated by China PR’s failure to score for a third AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ Group A match in a row as a 1-0 defeat at the hands of defending champions Qatar on Monday left their hopes of a place in the last 16 on a knife-edge.

The loss at Khalifa International Stadium has pushed the Chinese to the cusp of elimination, with Jankovic and his team now awaiting the outcome of the remaining group matches to determine whether they will progress to the next round.
 
With China finishing third in Group A behind winners Qatar and runners-up Tajikistan, the east Asians must now see if India can hold Syria to a goalless draw and Palestine share the points with Hong Kong, China to provide them with a chance of staying in the competition.

Segrt: Mental resilience took Tajikistan through

Tue, 23 Jan, 2024

Segrt: Mental resilience took Tajikistan through

Doha: Head coach Petar Segrt applauded the mental resilience of his players after Tajikistan came from behind to defeat Lebanon 2-1 in their AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ Group A tie on Monday.

Victory meant Tajikistan sealed a place in the knockout stage in their debut campaign, with a Round of 16 clash against the Group C runners-up on Sunday their reward. 

Group D - Japan v Indonesia: Facts & Figures

Sun, 21 Jan, 2024

Group D - Japan v Indonesia: Facts & Figures

Doha: Japan and Indonesia face a winner-takes-all battle when they face off in Group D of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ on Wednesday.

Japan's shock 2-1 loss to Iraq on Matchday Two means they have work to do if a fifth AFC Asian Cup title is to be won while Indonesia revived their knockout stage hopes with a 1-0 win over Vietnam.

Group D - Iraq v Vietnam: Facts & Figures

Sun, 21 Jan, 2024

Group D - Iraq v Vietnam: Facts & Figures

Doha: Already qualified Iraq will be aiming to conclude their AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ Group D campaign with a perfect record when they meet Vietnam on Wednesday.

Vietnam, on the other hand, will be determined to take the points after two consecutive losses ended their tournament prematurely. 

#AsianCup2023 smashes historic 1.5 billion engagement mark

Mon, 22 Jan, 2024

#AsianCup2023 smashes historic 1.5 billion engagement mark

Digital engagement at the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ nearly doubles from last edition after just 10 days of ongoing tournament

Doha: The AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ has engaged with more fans than ever before after just 10 days of competition with impressions on the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)’s digital channels exceeding the 1.5 billion mark – making it the first AFC competition to reach the breakthrough milestone.