Greatest AFC Asian Cup teams: IR Iran (1970s)

Mon, 09 Oct, 2023

Greatest AFC Asian Cup teams: IR Iran (1970s)

Kuala Lumpur: With the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ rapidly approaching, excitement is building for the 18th edition of the continental showpiece.

As the countdown gathers pace, the-AFC.com takes a look at several teams who were simply unstoppable in previous editions of the tournament, starting with Islamic Republic of Iran. 

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Six Asian Games stars who could shine at Qatar 2023

Mon, 09 Oct, 2023

Six Asian Games stars who could shine at Qatar 2023

Hangzhou: Korea Republic retained the gold medal at the 19th Asian Games on Saturday as Hwang Sun-hong’s side handed Japan a 2-1 defeat to claim the country’s third consecutive title while also securing a record-extending sixth success at the event.

With the Asiad being held one year after it was originally scheduled due to a COVID-19 pandemic-enforced postponement, coaches were able to select players aged 24 years of age or under while also including three overage members in the squads.
 
Hwang’s team were the dominant force, seeing off hosts China PR and current AFC U20 Asian Cup holders Uzbekistan in the knockout rounds before goals from Jeong Woo-yeong and Cho Young-wook guided them to victory in the final at Huanglong Stadium.
 
With the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ on the horizon, the-AFC.com takes a look at the stand-out performers from the tournament in Hangzhou and those who could make an impact at the continental championship when it kicks off in January.

Japan dominate, new champions emerge

Sat, 07 Oct, 2023

Japan dominate, new champions emerge

Kuala Lumpur: East Asian nations had little success at the AFC Asian Cup™ in the aftermath of Korea Republic’s back-to-back title wins in the competition’s formative years. However, after a period of West Asian dominance, the tide was about to turn as Japan emerged as the continent’s dominant force.

Japan’s AFC Asian Cup win on home soil in 1992 might have come as a surprise, but on hindsight it proved to be a precursor of a period of superiority whose roots lay in the advent of professionalism in the east Asian nation and a remarkable attention to detail.
 
Until the early 1990s the Samurai Blue had been a minor player at the AFC Asian Cup but, with the arrival of the J.League in 1993 and the dawn of an era that brought with it rapid development at all levels, Japanese football was on the rise.

West Asia takes charge

Thu, 19 Oct, 2023

West Asia takes charge

Kuala Lumpur: After Korea Republic and Islamic Republic of Iran notched up multiple wins in the first six editions of the AFC Asian Cup™, the start of the 1980s brought with it another change in the landscape of the Asian game as teams from West Asia took a stranglehold on the sport.

Kuwait had signaled their status as one of the rising powers of Asian football in 1976 in reaching the final of the AFC Asian Cup in just their second appearance and, on home soil four years later, the Gulf state was to go one step further.

A New Era

Thu, 05 Oct, 2023

A New Era

Kuala Lumpur: Korea Republic claimed the first two AFC Asian Cup™ titles but, after near-misses in both 1956 and 1960, Israel sparked a shift in the balance of power in 1964, paving the way for an even more dominant force to take control.

After back-to-back runners-up finishes, persistence paid off as Israel added a new name to the AFC Asian Cup trophy as they claimed the title in front of their own fans when the country hosted the third edition of the continental championship.

Pride of Asia: The Early Years

Thu, 05 Oct, 2023

Pride of Asia: The Early Years

Kuala Lumpur: From the humblest beginnings, the AFC Asian Cup™ has grown into the greatest football show on the continent with the 18th edition, which kicks off in Qatar in just under a hundred days, set to be the best ever. 

But even in its earliest days, the prestige of claiming the continental crown brought with it fame, respect and a trip to the presidential palace. the-AFC.com retraces the AFC Asian Cup's journey through the years with the first of a four-part series.