West & Central Asia Wrap: Al Shorta edge closer, Pahktakor at the top

Mon, 26 Jun, 2023

West & Central Asia Wrap: Al Shorta edge closer, Pahktakor at the top

Basra: Al Shorta FC took a giant step towards securing their second successive title after an emphatic 5-0 win over Al Najaf with closest rivals Air Force Club slipping to a 1-0 defeat in the Iraqi Premier League.

Pakhtakor assumed the lead in the Uzbekistan Super League following their 2-1 win over Bunyodkor with Navbahor losing ground after drawing 0-0 against Neftchi Fergana.

Join the-AFC.com as we take a look at the domestic action across West and Central Asia following the recent international break.

Q-final: Cool Japan hold off Australia

Tue, 27 Jun, 2023

Q-final: Cool Japan hold off Australia

Pathum Thani: Japan held off a resurgent Australia to seal their place in the AFC U17 Asian Cup™ Thailand 2023 semi-finals with a 3-1 win in their last eight tie at the Pathum Thani Stadium on Monday.

Japan, three-time AFC U-16 Championship winners, will play Islamic Republic of Iran in the semi-finals on Thursday as they also booked their FIFA U17 World Cup Indonesia 2023 Finals ticket.

Shoot-out hero Shakouri eyes title

Mon, 26 Jun, 2023

Shoot-out hero Shakouri eyes title

Pathum Thani: Arsha Shakouri declared the title is his target after his heroics secured Islamic Republic of Iran a 4-2 penalty shoot-out victory in their AFC U17 Asian Cup™ Thailand 2023 quarter-final against Yemen on Sunday.

The goalkeeper, who has had an outstanding campaign, first denied Haitham Al Salami before pulling off another fine save to stop Abdulrahman Al Khadher with Nima Andarz then netting the winning spot-kick.

Yun promises a more attacking approach in semi-finals

Mon, 26 Jun, 2023

Yun promises a more attacking approach in semi-finals

Pathum Thani: Yun Do-young is confident an even more lethal Korea Republic will appear in the AFC U17 Asian Cup™ Thailand 2023 semi-finals.

Yun, together with Kim Myung-Jun, Kim Hyun-Min and Kang Min-Woo, scored as Korea Republic defeated Thailand 4-1 in their quarter-final at the Pathum Thani Stadium on Sunday. 
 
The victory also secured the young Taeguk Warriors a FIFA U-17 World Cup Indonesia 2023 berth and the 16-year-old felt that with this achievement under their belt, the Koreans will be even deadlier in the semi-finals, with the East Asian side to face either Saudi Arabia or Uzbekistan next.

Al Hilal sign Senegal captain Koulibaly

Mon, 26 Jun, 2023

Al Hilal sign Senegal captain Koulibaly

Riyadh: Al Hilal SFC have further strenghtened their squad with the signing of Kalidou Koulibaly.

The Senegal captain joins the two-time AFC Champions League™ winners from English Premier League side Chelsea.

ASEAN Wrap: KL City make cup final; Cong An Hanoi assume lead

Mon, 26 Jun, 2023

ASEAN Wrap: KL City make cup final; Cong An Hanoi assume lead

Kuala Lumpur: Kuala Lumpur City FC defeated Terengganu on penalties on Sunday to book a place in the title decider of the FA Cup in Malaysia which will be their first final appearance in the competition since winning their third title in 1999.

Last season’s second division champions Cong An Hanoi became the new frontrunners in Vietnam’s top flight after they defeated Hong Linh Ha Tinh 4-2 on Saturday and former leaders Thanh Hoa’s dip in form continued as they dropped points in a goalless draw with Nam Dinh. 
 
In Singapore, reigning champions Albirex Niigata (S) maintained a three-point lead at the top of the table with a 4-0 defeat of Tanjong Pagar United on Saturday while matches also took place in Myanmar, Laos and Brunei Darussalam, so join the-AFC.com as we review the week’s action from across ASEAN. 

Abdi grateful for IR Iran win, Yemen make Ali Albaadani proud

Mon, 26 Jun, 2023

Abdi grateful for IR Iran win, Yemen make Ali Albaadani proud

Pathum Thani: Head coach Hossein Abdi expressed his delight after Islamic Republic of Iran defeated Yemen 4-2 on penalties in their AFC U17 Asian Cup™ Thailand 2023 quarter-final on Sunday.

Arsha Shakouri made two brilliant saves before Nima Andarz hit the winning penalty as Iran not only stayed on course to win the title but also booked their ticket to the FIFA U17 World Cup Indonesia 2023. 

Despite dominating, Abdi’s side were left frustrated with only one of their 15 shots on target, allowing Yemen to come within a whisker of advancing to the semi-finals.

Byun delighted by Korea Republic’s U17 World Cup qualification

Mon, 26 Jun, 2023

Byun delighted by Korea Republic’s U17 World Cup qualification

Pathum Thani: An assured performance from Korea Republic on Sunday saw them run out 4-1 victors against Thailand to progress to the semi-finals of the AFC U17 Asian Cup Thailand 2023, as well as seal a berth at the FIFA U-17 World Cup Indonesia 2023.

The quarter-final triumph at the Pathum Thani Stadium confirmed a seventh U-17 FIFA World Cup qualification for the East Asians, which gives them the opportunity to better their run to the last eight at the previous edition in 2019. 

East Asia Wrap: FC Tokyo back to winning ways; Gwangju down Jeonbuk

Mon, 26 Jun, 2023

East Asia Wrap: FC Tokyo back to winning ways; Gwangju down Jeonbuk

Hong Kong: Australian manager Peter Cklamovski began life at FC Tokyo by bagging all three points as the capital city club defeated high-flying Nagoya Grampus 2-0 on Saturday with Brazilian striker Diego Oliveira’s brace ending the side’s four-game winless run in Japan. 

Lee Soon-min and Lee Kun-hee were on target as Gwangju FC inflicted a 2-0 defeat on Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in new head coach Dan Petrescu’s first game in charge, leaving last season’s runners-up 20 points behind leaders and reigning champions Ulsan Hyundai. 

Shanghai Port, Shanghai Shenhua and defending champions Shandong Taishan are all through to the fourth round of the FA Cup in China PR while there were also matches taking place in Macau and Mongolia, so join the-AFC.com as we review the week’s action from across East Asia.

Qatar fall to late Haiti goal

Mon, 26 Jun, 2023

Qatar fall to late Haiti goal

Houston: Qatar's 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup campaign started with a 2-1 defeat to Haiti on Sunday, with the winning goal scored in the seventh minute of added time.

It was a stunning victory for Haiti, who came from behind to clinch the three points. Mexico defeated Honduras 4-0 in the other Group B tie.