Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Isa Town: Bahrain's buildup to the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 received another boost as they defeated DPR Korea 4-0 in an international friendly at the Khalifa Sports City Stadium on Saturday.
Bahrain, who will play hosts UAE in the opening match of the Continental showpiece on January 5, took the lead through Mohammed Al Romaihi in the ninth minute.
Ahmad Jumaa doubled Bahrain's advantage in the 35th minute.
Jamal Rashed added the third for Bahrain, who defeated Lebanon 1-0 in a friendly on December 26, in the 65th minute before Kameel Al Aswad sealed an emphatic win for Miroslav Soukup's side just a minute later.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Doha: It has been only four months that Srecko Katanec has taken charge of the Iraqi football team. But within such a short time the Slovenian has managed to forge such a strong bond with the players and turn them into a fighting fit unit that he believes they will give their all to excel at the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019.
Katanec represented Yugoslavia at the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games besides the European Championship in 1984 and the FIFA World Cup in 1990. He is considered one of the greatest players from Yugoslavia and among the new nations to emerge after its break-up. He has also played for Slovenia, besides coaching them for more than eight years in two stints.
In this exclusive chat with the-AFC.com, the former defensive midfielder talks about Iraq’s chances in the AFC Asian Cup.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: There are just seven days until the big kick-off of the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019, with teams and fans beginning to descend on the United Arab Emirates.
As ever, the group stage will throw up a number of intriguing clashes between the nations, so, next in the '10 of the Best' series, the-AFC.com has picked out 10 standout fixtures to keep an eye out for.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: With a number of veterans either retiring or left out by coach Moriyasu Hajime, 24-year-old Shoya Nakajima will be looking to impress as one of the stars of the next generation in the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019.
He might be the shortest player in the Japan squad, but less than a year after making his senior debut, Nakajima has grown into one of the most influential players in the Samurai Blue setup as they seek a record-extending fifth AFC Asian Cup title.
Nationality: Japan Date of birth: 23/08/1994 Position: Midfielder Current club: Portimonense (Portugal) Previous clubs: Tokyo Verdy, FC Tokyo, Kataller Toyama (All Japan)
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Doha: Qatar head coach Felix Sanchez has stressed he will adopt a ‘one game at a time’ approach as his team prepare to launch their challenge for the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 title next month.
The Spaniard, whose side have been drawn to face Lebanon, DPR Korea and three-time winners Saudi Arabia in Group E, will kick off their campaign in Al Ain on January 9 against the Lebanese and Sanchez is refusing to look beyond the meeting at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Doha: Vital Borkelmans is a positive guy who likes to emphasise over and over again that he is also a “happy coach”. Less than four months in the hot seat as coach of Jordan, the two-time Belgian World Cupper feels he has grown into the job and is brimming with confidence as he heads into his first AFC Asian Cup.
“Since I took over in September I have been trying a lot of things. My focus is on developing a system and so far I am very happy with the progress the team and I have made,” former Belgian international Borkelmans told the-AFC.com in an exclusive interview.
“The players have responded well to my methods. In fact, credit to them that they made my job of selecting the team very difficult!”
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: The last time the AFC Asian Cup was played in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia arrived in Abu Dhabi with their chances being written off.
A disappointing Gulf Cup performance saw head coach Ze Mario replaced with Nelo Vingada as expectations plummeted. Three weeks later, the trophy was heading back to Riyadh.
The mood was downbeat and the hopes low when Nelo Vingada led his team off the flight from Riyadh to Abu Dhabi in the days leading up to start of the 11th edition of the AFC Asian Cup.