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.

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. 

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.

Excitement, key matches and the road ahead: Asia reacts to the India 2022 draw

Sat, 30 Oct, 2021

Excitement, key matches and the road ahead: Asia reacts to the India 2022 draw

Kuala Lumpur: Among the thousands of viewers from around Asia and beyond who tuned in for Thursday’s AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022 Official Draw were players and coaches eager to discover their path to continental glory.

What they saw was a draw delivering several must-see matches, rekindling classic regional rivalries, and providing room to dream for all 12 teams at Asia’s premier women’s football event.
 
Here at the-AFC.com, we’ve been busy seeking out first-hand reactions from those who will be directly involved in the tournament, with head coaches and star players from all 12 teams sharing their views on the road ahead to India 2022, which is now just 83 days away.