West Asia Wrap: Unbeatable Al Sadd; Al Ittihad stay hot

Mon, 14 Mar, 2022

West Asia Wrap: Unbeatable Al Sadd; Al Ittihad stay hot

Dubai: Al Sadd SC made it two consecutive undefeated seasons as the 2021-22 Qatar Stars League concluded last week.

Al Ittihad, meanwhile, are 11 points clear at the top of the Saudi Pro League with just six matches remaining.

Join the-AFC.com as we review the latest domestic action across West Asia.

Preview: 2022 AFC Champions League™ Playoffs (WEST)

Mon, 14 Mar, 2022

Preview: 2022 AFC Champions League™ Playoffs (WEST)

Dubai: The last three places at the 2022 AFC Champions League™ group stage (West) will be up for grabs as six sides contest the qualifying playoffs on Tuesday with the winners completing Groups A, D and E.

Sharjah FC will look to make it a third consecutive appearance in the competition when they face Al Zawraa SC, while Al Taawoun FC will be eager not to miss out on a place in Group D which they host as they take on Al Jaish SC while Baniyas Club and FC Nasaf battle out for a return to the group stage for the first time since 2012 and 2018 respectively. 

Preview: 2022 AFC Champions League™ Playoffs (EAST)

Mon, 14 Mar, 2022

Preview: 2022 AFC Champions League™ Playoffs (EAST)

Kuala Lumpur: The final three places from the 2022 AFC Champions League™ group stage’s East Zone will be confirmed on Tuesday, with three mouthwatering games to be held in Japan and Korea Republic.

In total, four countries will be represented with two sides from Korea Republic and Thailand, and a team apiece from Australia and Japan, all aiming to secure their places in the competition proper.

Central and South Asia Wrap: Pakhtakor, Abdysh-Ata lead the way, ISL playoffs set for gripping finale

Mon, 14 Mar, 2022

Central and South Asia Wrap: Pakhtakor, Abdysh-Ata lead the way, ISL playoffs set for gripping finale

Bishkek: Dragan Ćeran remains the headline act in the Uzbekistan Super League, while Abdysh-Ata’s scorching start to the 2022 season continued in Kyrgyz Republic in another busy week of Central and South Asian football.

Elsewhere, there were big first leg wins for Hyderabad and Kerala Blasters in the Indian Super League playoff semi-finals, three more points for unstoppable Esteghlal, plus big victories for the league leaders in Bangladesh and Maldives.

Join the-AFC.com for all the key news and results from Kerala to Kant.

ASEAN Wrap: Western and Melbourne City draw; Persib claim crucial wins

Mon, 14 Mar, 2022

ASEAN Wrap: Western and Melbourne City draw; Persib claim crucial wins

Kuala Lumpur: The top two in Australia’s A-League met at the weekend with Melbourne City coming from two goals down to draw 2-2 against Western United as the pair remained level on points.

It’s level pegging at the top of Indonesia’s Liga 1, too, as Persib Bandung secured two wins in a week to keep the pressure on Bali United in what now appears to be a two-horse race. 

Elsewhere, there were games in Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia, so join the-AFC.com as we review the best of the action from around ASEAN.

East Asia Wrap: Kawasaki go clear; Jeju stun Jeonbuk

Mon, 14 Mar, 2022

East Asia Wrap: Kawasaki go clear; Jeju stun Jeonbuk

Hong Kong: The J1 League already has a familiar look to it as Kawasaki Frontale’s 1-0 win over Nagoya Grampus on Saturday took them two points clear at the top of the standings. 

The K League 1, on the other hand, looks anything but familiar after Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors’ 2-0 loss to Jeju United left them second from bottom following their third successive defeat. 

Macau’s Liga de Elite was also in action, so join the-AFC.com as we wrap up the latest round of fixtures from across East Asia. 

Recent matches, top scorers and more: The ultimate 2022 AFC Champions League™ playoff form guide

Sat, 12 Mar, 2022

Recent matches, top scorers and more: The ultimate 2022 AFC Champions League™ playoff form guide

Kuala Lumpur: It’s the night where AFC Champions League dreams are made and broken, and we’ve got the lowdown on all 12 teams in action on what looms as an unmissable Tuesday across Asia. 

The stakes could scarcely be higher. Success on the night will take the winning club to the pinnacle of the Asian club game for six matches against the continent’s best, while failure means AFC Champions League ambitions stopped dead in their tracks for at least another year.

With six winner-takes-all matches ahead – three in the East, and three in the West – we have examined the recent fortunes of each team, including their league positions, latest matches and top scorers.

Join the-AFC.com as we break down the contenders ahead one of the key nights on the 2022 ACL calendar. 

Kim Young-gwon: It’s an honour to be coached by Hong Myung-bo

Wed, 09 Mar, 2022

Kim Young-gwon: It’s an honour to be coached by Hong Myung-bo

Ulsan: Two AFC Champions League winners’ medals, multiple league titles, an AFC Asian Cup final appearance and a goal in a historic FIFA World Cup victory over Germany – Kim Young-gwon has enjoyed a storied career but one in which, perhaps surprisingly, he had never played for a club in his native Korea Republic.

That was until January this year when, after a trophy-laden seven seasons at Guangzhou FC in China PR was sandwiched in between a pair of three-year spells in Japan’s J1 League, the 32-year-old finally opted to return home.