League Cup success for Istaravshan

Thu, 28 Oct, 2021

League Cup success for Istaravshan

Kairakum: FC Istaravshan claimed a rare trophy, picking up pre-season silverware with a 2-1 win over CSKA Dushanbe in the final of the Tajikistan Football League Cup at Bakhoristion Stadium on Wednesday.

Goals from Zufar Akbaraliev and Ilkhomjon Baratov proved decisive for Istaravshan, who appear poised for a competitive campaign when the 2020 Tajik League campaign begins next month.

Istaravshan’s title is their first trophy since lifting the second tier Tajikistan First League title in 2018, and comes less than three years after their promotion from regional football.

www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/fc_istaravshan_-_cska_dushanbe_2_-_league_cup_2020.html

Central Asia Domestic Wrap: Derdiyok delivers, Dordoi dominate

Thu, 28 Oct, 2021

Central Asia Domestic Wrap: Derdiyok delivers, Dordoi dominate

Bishkek: Star Pakhtakor signing Eren Derdiyok scored his first Uzbekistan Super League goal, while Kyrgyz Premier League holders FC Dordoi piled on half a dozen against FC Ilbirs.

Elsewhere, Tajikistan’s Football League Cup tournament reached its semi-final stage, while Turkmenistan’s Altyn Asyr kicked off their 2020 campaign.

Join the-AFC.com for all the key news and results from Kokand to Kayrakkum Reservoir.

ASEAN & East Domestic Wrap: Ho Chi Minh City FC move top

Thu, 28 Oct, 2021

ASEAN & East Domestic Wrap: Ho Chi Minh City FC move top

Kuala Lumpur: Defending V-League champions Hanoi FC suffered a first defeat of the season in Vietnam as Ho Chi Minh City FC won their second successive game to come out of the weekend as the only team with a 100% record. 

Elsewhere in ASEAN, A-League leaders Sydney FC drew with Perth Glory, Malaysian champions Johor Darul Ta'zim were held at home and Persib Bandung maintained their lead at the top of Indonesia's Liga 1.

There was also plenty of action in Cambodia and Singapore while in East Asia there were FA Cup quarter-finals in Hong Kong and a pair of huge scores in Guam, so join the-AFC.com as we review the latest rounds of fixtures from the two regions.

West Asia Domestic Wrap: Leaders stay ahead 

Thu, 28 Oct, 2021

West Asia Domestic Wrap: Leaders stay ahead 

Riyadh: Major leagues in West Asia came to a halt due to the widespread of the Covid-19 in several countries in the region as leaders in Saudi Arabia and UAE maintained their position at the top of the standings.

Al Duhail and Al Sadd will square off in the semi-finals of the Qatar Amir Cup while Al Hidd continued their dominance in Bahrain while Al Seeb shared a draw with Dhofar in the top match of the Oman Pro League. the-AFC.com reviews the latest domestic action in West Asia.

South Asia Domestic Wrap: ATK seal title in style

Thu, 28 Oct, 2021

South Asia Domestic Wrap: ATK seal title in style

Mumbai: ATK FC made it a record-setting hat-trick of Indian Super League titles while the end-of-season awards were also presented.

Abahani Dhaka and Abahani Chittagong continue to set the pace in the Bangladesh Premier League. Join the-AFC.com as review last week’s domestic action in South Asia.

The Story Behind: Club Nicknames 

Thu, 28 Oct, 2021

The Story Behind: Club Nicknames 

Kuala Lumpur: With much of the Continental game on hiatus due to the current Covid-19 outbreak, the-AFC.com introduces a new weekly series, The Story Behind, where we delve deeper to reveal some of Asian football's fascinating flavour.

For the first edition, we look at six different clubs from across the breadth of the Asian Football Confederation and explore the meaning behind their unique team nicknames.

AFC Cup: Marañón leads all-time top scorers

Thu, 28 Oct, 2021

AFC Cup: Marañón leads all-time top scorers

Kuala Lumpur: Bienvenido Marañón's brace in Ceres Negros' 4-0 victory over Bali United on Wednesday not only helped the Filipino side to three points, it also saw the Spaniard leapfrog Jordanian Mahmoud Shelbaieh to become the competition's all-time leading scorer on 35 goals.  

Having begun the 2020 tournament on 30 goals, last year's top scorer wasted no time in picking up where he left off, with two goals in an opening-day victory over Cambodia's Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng FC, before a penalty against Vietnam's Than Quang Ninh saw him move within a goal of former Al Wehdat striker Shelbaieh.

Marañón's double against Bali saw the prolific striker move into pole position and there will likely be many more to follow if he continues in this form. The-AFC.com looks back at his achievement, as well as those of the iconic AFC Cup scorers who the 33-year-old has overtaken in recent years.