Moroccan Zaki named Jordan head coach

Mon, 20 Jul, 2026

Moroccan Zaki named Jordan head coach

Kuala Lumpur: Moroccan Badou Zaki has taken charge of the Jordan national team, with the former goalkeeper signing a one-year contract.

Zaki, 67, replaces compatriot Jamal Sellami, who guided Jordan in their recent FIFA World Cup debut campaign.

https://www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/3184654

Tuchel: England closing gap with elite teams

Sun, 19 Jul, 2026

Tuchel: England closing gap with elite teams

Miami: Thomas Tuchel said England had taken their first step in closing the gap on the top football nations after edging a 10-goal thriller against France to finish third at the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick in an entertaining 6-4 win in the heat of Miami while France's Kylian Mbappe became the leading scorer in tournament history by netting twice.

Tuchel spoke on the eve of the match about the pain of England's 2-1 semi-final defeat by Argentina on Wednesday, stressing the need to close the gap to the defending champions as well as France and Spain.

Departing Deschamps looks back on 'wonderful' France journey

Sun, 19 Jul, 2026

Departing Deschamps looks back on 'wonderful' France journey

Miami: France head coach Didier Deschamps said he had experienced a "truly wonderful adventure" with his players as he bid farewell to the job on Saturday after 14 highly successful years in charge.

Deschamps guided France to FIFA World Cup glory in Moscow in 2018, becoming one of only three men to have won it as both coach and player.

He led Les Bleus back to the final in Doha in 2022, where they lost to Argentina in a penalty shootout.

#U17WAC - Stage set for China 2027 Qualifiers

Thu, 16 Jul, 2026

#U17WAC - Stage set for China 2027 Qualifiers

Kuala Lumpur: The AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup™ China 2027 is all set for take off following the conclusion of the Qualifiers Draw at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Thursday.

The 30 teams - two more than the previous record of 28 from the 2019 Qualifiers - were divided into eight groups - six of four and two of three - to contest a single round-robin centralised league from October 5 to 11.

Each group winner will advance to the Finals, joining the quartet of teams that have qualified directly as the top four finishers from the 2026 campaign: defending champions DPR Korea, runners-up Japan, and semi-finalists Australia and China PR.