Sharp Indonesia defeat Thailand to lift title

Tue, 06 Oct, 2026

Sharp Indonesia defeat Thailand to lift title

Jakarta: Indonesia emerged as the inaugural champions of the FIFA ASEAN Cup after a titanic tussle with Thailand, the hosts edging it 4-2 in a penalty shoot-out after the final ended 2-2.

Thailand fought back from going a man down and a goal behind to force extra-time but Sarach Yooyen’s penalty hit the post before Emil Audero saved Nattapong Sariya’s defining spot-kick to hand John Herdman’s side the trophy.

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#U17WAC Qualifiers - MD1 Results & Reports

Tue, 06 Oct, 2026

#U17WAC Qualifiers - MD1 Results & Reports

Kuala Lumpur: Matchday 1 of the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup China 2027™ Qualifiers concluded on Monday after an eventful round of action.

Split across eight groups to contest a single round-robin centralised league, only the group winners advance to join the quartet of teams that have qualified directly as the top four finishers from 2026: defending champions DPR Korea, runners-up Japan, and semi-finalists Australia and China PR.

The teams will be back in action on Thursday so make sure to stay updated on all the action with the-AFC.com.

Japan edge New Zealand

Mon, 05 Oct, 2026

Japan edge New Zealand

Tokyo: Japan ramped up their preparations for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ with a 2-1 win over New Zealand on Monday in the final of a four-team friendly football tournament in Tokyo.

Ritsu Doan scored a 71st-minute winner for Japan after New Zealand's Ben Old cancelled out Ayase Ueda's opener in the first half.

Japan are looking to win the AFC Asian Cup for the first time since 2011 when the tournament kicks off in Saudi Arabia in January.

Player to watch: Mohamed Marhoon (BHR)

Sun, 04 Oct, 2026

Player to watch: Mohamed Marhoon (BHR)

Kuala Lumpur: Mohamed Marhoon has long been one of Bahrain’s most influential attacking players and the versatile midfielder will again have a major role to play when they compete at the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™.

Comfortable operating as an attacking midfielder or out wide, Marhoon combines creativity with an eye for goal and is an important figure for both club and country.

Player to watch: Eldor Shomurodov (UZB)

Fri, 02 Oct, 2026

Player to watch: Eldor Shomurodov (UZB)

Kuala Lumpur: If Uzbekistan are to excel at the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™, there will be no doubt that Eldor Shomurodov will play a pivotal role in making that happen.

Closing in on a century of caps for the Central Asian side, the forward has already inspired the team to new heights and it will come as no surprise should Uzbekistan make it deep in the upcoming edition.

UAE, Saudi Arabia advance to title decider

Sun, 04 Oct, 2026

UAE, Saudi Arabia advance to title decider

Jeddah: Margins were tight at the Gulf Cup 2026 as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia claimed semi-final victories on Saturday.

Both ties witnessed hard-fought matches as UAE defeated Oman 1-0 while Saudi Arabia needed penalties to edge Qatar 3-2.