Krestinin steps down as Dordoi coach, to focus on Kyrgyz Republic

Tue, 02 Nov, 2021

Krestinin steps down as Dordoi coach, to focus on Kyrgyz Republic

Bishkek: Alexander Krestinin stepped down as head coach of FC Dordoi on Monday, a week after leading the Bishkek club to a fourth consecutive Kyrgyz Premier League title.

The 43-year-old will remain at the helm of the Kyrgyz Republic national team after successfully juggling the two roles since May 2017.

Krestinin won eight trophies in four-and-a-half years in charge at Dordoi, lifting Kyrgyz Republic Cups in 2017 and 2018 and the 2019 and 2021 Super Cups in addition to their run of league success.

AFC Cup Final: When Central meets West

Tue, 02 Nov, 2021

AFC Cup Final: When Central meets West

Kuala Lumpur: The stage is set for the 2021 AFC Cup Final between Bahrain’s Al Muharraq and FC Nasaf of Uzbekistan on Friday.

The two former winners will square off at Sheikh Ali Bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Stadium, with Al Muharraq looking to add to the title they won in 2008 and Nasaf aiming to win the AFC Cup a decade after being crowned 2011 champions. 

Match officials for AFC Champions League Final confirmed

Mon, 01 Nov, 2021

Match officials for AFC Champions League Final confirmed

Kuala Lumpur: Mohammed Abdulla Hassan Mohamed from the United Arab Emirates has been selected to referee the eagerly anticipated AFC Champions League 2021 Final between Al Hilal SFC of Saudi Arabia and Korea Republic’s FC Pohang Steelers, which will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on November 23, 2021. 

No stranger to the big occasion, Abdulla will be supported by Assistant Referees Mohamed Ahmed Yousef Abdulla Alhammadi and Hasan Mohamed Hasan Abdulla Almahri, who also oversaw the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018™ Group C tie between France and Peru, which saw the eventual champions edge their South American opponents 1-0 at the Ekaterinburg Arena.
 
The Emirati trio was also selected to officiate the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019™ Quarter-finals between Japan and Vietnam, which was the first-ever match to implement the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system in the history of the Continent’s premier men’s national team tournament.
 
Additionally, compatriots Adel Ali Ahmed Khamis Alnaqbi and Ahmed Saeed Ahmed Alasal Alrashdi have been appointed as fourth and fifth officials respectively. 
 
Meanwhile, the VAR role has been assigned to Ammar Ali Abdulla Jumaa Aljneibi, also from the UAE, who will be assisted by fellow countryman Omar Mohamed Ahmed Hassan Alali as well as Hanna Hattab from Syria. 

East Asia Wrap: Nagoya Grampus clinch maiden J.League Cup crown

Tue, 02 Nov, 2021

East Asia Wrap: Nagoya Grampus clinch maiden J.League Cup crown

Hong Kong: Goals from Naoki Maeda and Sho Inagaki saw Nagoya Grampus defeat Cerezo Osaka to win their first-ever J.League Cup title on Saturday.

The 2021 K League 1 season is set to go down to the wire after Ulsan Hyundai defeated Suwon FC to stay level on points with Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, while Kitchee stayed perfect after two rounds of fixtures in the Hong Kong Premier League.

Join the-AFC.com as we take a look at all the action from East Asia.

West Asia Wrap: Damac stay ahead in Saudi Arabia, Al Sadd unstoppable in Qatar

Tue, 02 Nov, 2021

West Asia Wrap: Damac stay ahead in Saudi Arabia, Al Sadd unstoppable in Qatar

Dubai: Damac held on to top spot in the Saudi Pro League as their closest rivals dropped points while Al Sadd SC made it eight wins out of eight in the Qatar Stars League.

Al Ain's lead at the top of the UAE Pro League was reduced to two points while there was also action in Iraq and Oman.

Join the-AFC.com as we review the domestic action in the week gone by.

ASEAN Wrap: Persib maintain unbeaten start

Tue, 02 Nov, 2021

ASEAN Wrap: Persib maintain unbeaten start

Kuala Lumpur: A fourth consecutive win in Liga 1 for Persib Bandung over the weekend helped them move to within three points of league leaders Bhayangkara in Indonesia’s top flight. 

Buriram United continue to lead the charge in Thailand, while defending champions BG Pathum United and Chonburi also tasted victories. And the 2021 Malaysia Cup also returned, so join the-AFC.com as we review all the latest action from Southeast Asia.

AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar: Kim vying late Korea Republic call-up

Mon, 01 Nov, 2021

AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar: Kim vying late Korea Republic call-up

Seoul: Two-time AFC Champions League-winning defender Kim Young-gwon will be given the opportunity to prove his fitness and could be a late call-up for Korea Republic’s upcoming matches with the United Arab Emirates and Iraq in the AFC Asian Qualifiers -Road to Qatar.

The former Guangzhou Evergrande defender was left out of Paulo Bento’s 25-man squad with an unspecified injury when it was announced on Monday, but the Portuguese coach is still hopeful the Gamba Osaka centre-half can link up with his teammates.