Japan stay top; Uzbekistan, Vietnam on the rise

Thu, 11 Dec, 2025

Japan stay top; Uzbekistan, Vietnam on the rise

Kuala Lumpur:  Japan remained Asia’s highest-ranked side after consolidating eighth place in the latest FIFA Women’s World Ranking released on Thursday.

Uzbekistan recorded the highest jump, moving three spots to 49, having posted back-to-back wins against Islamic Republic of Iran and the Philippines. 

Palestine (126th) also impressed  during the international friendly windows.

Resilient Melbourne make Vidmar proud; Seoul’s Kim disappointed

Thu, 11 Dec, 2025

Resilient Melbourne make Vidmar proud; Seoul’s Kim disappointed

Seoul: Head coach Aurelio Vidmar was proud of his side’s resilience after substitute Takeshi Kanamori’s late strike earned Melbourne City FC a 1-1 draw with FC Seoul in their AFC Champions League Elite 2025/26™ tie on Wednesday.

The point sees the Australian side sitting fourth in the East Zone standings with two matches remaining in the race for the eight Round of 16 spots.

Araki delivers as Sanfrecce give Skibbe winning farewell

Thu, 11 Dec, 2025

Araki delivers as Sanfrecce give Skibbe winning farewell

Hiroshima: Hayato Araki was pleased to play his part to give outgoing head coach Michael Skibbe a winning farewell after the defender scored the solitary goal in Sanfrecce Hiroshima’s 1-0 win against Shanghai Shenhua FC in their AFC Champions League Elite 2025/26™ match on Tuesday.

Araki rose highest in the 78th minute to thump home a corner from Naoto Araki to give Sanfrecce the third win of their first continental top tier campaign since 2019.

Hodak hails Persib’s grit; Bangkok’s Totchtawan blames fatigue for defeat

Thu, 11 Dec, 2025

Hodak hails Persib’s grit; Bangkok’s Totchtawan blames fatigue for defeat

Bandung: Head coach Bojan Hodak was all smiles after Persib Bandung secured their place in the AFC Champions League Two 2025/26™ knockout stage with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Bangkok United at the Gelora Bandung Lautan Api Stadium on Wednesday.

The victory - sealed by Ramon Tanque’s strike - saw Persib finish on 13 points to claim top spot in Group G with Bangkok United - three points adrift - also advancing.

#AFCU23: 2020 revisited

Thu, 11 Dec, 2025

#AFCU23: 2020 revisited

Kuala Lumpur: With the AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026™ kicking off in a matter of weeks, we continue our look back at the previous editions of the tournament.

The focus on the latest installment of the series is the 2020 edition, which also offered three spots to the Tokyo Olympics. 

Buriram’s Jackson, Gangwon’s Chung satisfied with stalemate

Wed, 10 Dec, 2025

Buriram’s Jackson, Gangwon’s Chung satisfied with stalemate

Buriram: Mark Jackson and Chung Kyung-ho came away relatively pleased with the 2-2 draw between Buriram United and Gangwon FC in the AFC Champions League Elite™ 2025/26 on Tuesday.

An action-packed encounter at Buriram Stadium saw the Thai side come from behind to lead 2-1 before Kim Dae-won’s 74th penalty meant a share of the points, with Jackson praising the response shown by his charges.