Ronaldo says not done yet after 50th goal this year

Tue, 12 Dec, 2023

Ronaldo says not done yet after 50th goal this year

Riyadh: Cristiano Ronaldo said he had more left in him this year after scoring his 50th goal of 2023 in Al Nassr's 5-2 Saudi King's Cup victory over rivals Al Shabab.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward lashed home from close range with his right foot in the 74th minute.

Player to Watch: Takefusa Kubo (Japan)

Tue, 12 Dec, 2023

Player to Watch: Takefusa Kubo (Japan)

Kuala Lumpur: Takefusa Kubo burst onto the global football scene with bags of potential and the 22-year-old Japanese winger has been truly delivering on that promise in recent times. 

After guiding Real Sociedad to a fourth-place finish in La Liga and helping them qualify for the UEFA Champions League during his debut campaign, Kubo has maintained his fine form for the Basque club by weighing in with goals and assists in the Spanish top flight so far this season. 
 
Kubo's impressive numbers will be music to the ears of Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu as the Samurai Blue look to go one step further at the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ after finishing as runners-up at the 2019 edition.

Al Kahrabaa's Salah eyes title

Tue, 12 Dec, 2023

Al Kahrabaa's Salah eyes title

Basra: Head coach Luay Salah wants Al Kahrabaa Club to aim for the title after they secured progression to the AFC Cup™ 2023/24 West Zonal semi-finals on Monday.

Three goals in the final 13 minutes powered the Iraqi club 3-1 past Al Ittihad Al Ahli Aleppo of Syria as Al Kahrabaa finished top of Group B with 13 points. 

Odisha hero Fall dedicates goal to new-born twins

Tue, 12 Dec, 2023

Odisha hero Fall dedicates goal to new-born twins

Bhubaneswar: Mourtada Fall dedicated his goal to his new-born twins after the Senegalese's solitary effort steered Odisha FC into the AFC Cup™ 2023/24 Inter-Zone semi-finals for the first time on Monday. 

Fall scored with a powerful header in the 61st minute as India's Odisha edged Bashundhara Kings 1-0 to finish as the Group D winners on 12 points, two ahead of their Bangladeshi opponents. 

Group B: Al Kahrabaa book spot in style

Tue, 12 Dec, 2023

Group B: Al Kahrabaa book spot in style

Basra: Al Kahrabaa Club celebrated their qualification to the West Zonal semi-Finals with a late show to defeat Al Ittihad Al Ahli Aleppo 3-1 in the AFC Cup™ 2023/24 at Basra International Stadium on Monday.

The win confirmed Iraq's Al Kahrabaa as the Group B winners, finishing three points better than Jordan’s Al Wehdat SC, who were held to a 1-1 draw by Kuwait SC, to seal a place in the knockout stage.

Group B: Nervous wait for Al Wehdat after Kuwait SC stalemate

Tue, 12 Dec, 2023

Group B: Nervous wait for Al Wehdat after Kuwait SC stalemate

Amman: Al Wehdat and Kuwait SC drew 1-1 in the conclusion of Group B of the AFC Cup™ 2023/24 at the King Abdullah Stadium on Monday.

The result sees Al Wehdat finish second in the group with 10 points, with the Jordanian side's fate now dependent on how the other two West zone groups end, while three-time AFC Cup winners Kuwait SC concluded their campaign in third place with seven points.

Radulovic returns as Lebanon head coach

Tue, 12 Dec, 2023

Radulovic returns as Lebanon head coach

Beirut: Miodrag Radulovic, who was head coach between 2015 and 2019, is back in charge of Lebanon. 

The Lebanon Football Association said the 56-year-old former Montenegro head coach replaces Nikola Jurcevic, who stepped down on Saturday after two months in the job. 

Europe Wrap: Son shines for Spurs

Tue, 12 Dec, 2023

Europe Wrap: Son shines for Spurs

Kuala Lumpur: Captain Son Heung-min came up with a goal and two assists to help Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur bounce back from a four-match winless run by beating Newcastle United 4-1 on Sunday while his compatriot Hwang Hee-chan also netted in England earlier in the week. 

Takefusa Kubo bagged a goal and an assist in Real Sociedad’s 3-0 win against Villarreal on Saturday, taking his tally to six goals and three assists in Spain this season, while Australian midfielder Jackson Irvine was again on the scoresheet for FC St Pauli in the German second division. 
 
Philippines winger Gerrit Holtmann scored his first goal in Turkey since his loan move to Antalyaspor while Hong Hyun-seok was on the mark for Gent in Belgium, so join the-AFC.com as we look at how the Asian stars performed in Europe over the past week.