Preview - Group A: IR Iran v Uzbekistan

Mon, 24 Mar, 2025

Preview - Group A: IR Iran v Uzbekistan

Tehran: Islamic Republic of Iran will expect maximum points when they host Uzbekistan in Group A of the AFC Asian Qualifiers™ - Road to 26 on Tuesday.

Team Melli only need a point to confirm a fourth consecutive appearance at the FIFA World Cup while victory for Uzbekistan will see them drawing level on 19 points with Iran.

www.the-afc.com/en/national/asian_qualifiers.html/video/afc-asian-qualifiers™-road-to-26-–-matchday-8-preview

Preview - Group B: Palestine v Iraq

Mon, 24 Mar, 2025

Preview - Group B: Palestine v Iraq

Amman: Iraq will be desperate to get back to winning ways when they face Palestine in Group B of the AFC Asian Qualifiers™ - Road to 26 on Tuesday.

Two late goals salvaged a 2-2 draw with Kuwait on Thursday, a result which saw Iraq relinquish second spot to Jordan with only the top two teams to advance automatically to the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Preview - Group C: China PR v Australia

Mon, 24 Mar, 2025

Preview - Group C: China PR v Australia

Hangzhou: China PR and Australia will spare no effort in their bid for maximum points when they face off in Group C of the AFC Asian Qualifiers™ - Road to 26 on Tuesday.

Australia will head into the tie second in the standings while China PR, despite being rooted at the bottom, still have an outside of qualifying automatically for next year's FIFA World Cup.

Preview - Group A: Kyrgyz Republic v Qatar

Mon, 24 Mar, 2025

Preview - Group A: Kyrgyz Republic v Qatar

Bishkek: Luis Garcia will expect another three points when Qatar travel to face Kyrgyz Republic for their AFC Asian Qualifiers™ - Road to 26 Group A tie on Tuesday.

It is a match both sides have to win with Qatar still having a chance of bagging an automatic qualifying spot while Kyrgyz Republic need to finish a minimum fourth to advance to the playoffs.

Preview - Group B: Korea Republic v Jordan

Mon, 24 Mar, 2025

Preview - Group B: Korea Republic v Jordan

Suwon: Korea Republic will be on a redemption mission when they welcome Jordan to the Suwon World Cup Stadium for their AFC Asian Qualifiers™ - Road to 26 Group B tie on Tuesday.

A disappointing display saw Korea Republic having to settle for a 1-1 draw with Oman on Tuesday with head coach Hong Myung-bo describing the performance as the worst under his tenure.

Preview - Group C: Japan v Saudi Arabia

Mon, 24 Mar, 2025

Preview - Group C: Japan v Saudi Arabia

Saitama: Saudi Arabia will know they can expect no favours from Japan when the sides meet in Group C of the AFC Asian Qualifiers™ - Road to 26 on Tuesday.

Japan confirmed an eighth consecutive appearance at the FIFA World Cup with a 2-0 win over Bahrain on Thursday while Saudi Arabia are in a battle to win the second automatic spot from the group.

Qualifiers - Final Round: MD1 Preview

Mon, 24 Mar, 2025

Qualifiers - Final Round: MD1 Preview

Kuala Lumpur: The AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ Qualifiers Final Round kicks off on Tuesday with 24 teams divided into six groups.

Only the six group winners will qualify, joining the 18 teams who sealed their spots after advancing to the AFC Asian Qualifiers™ - Road to 26.

With 12 matches to be played across the continent, the-AFC.com previews Matchday One, with the Qualifiers to run till March, 2026.

Chang celebrates Wuhan’s defensive resilience

Mon, 24 Mar, 2025

Chang celebrates Wuhan’s defensive resilience

Kumagaya: Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC head coach Weiwei Chang credited his team’s defensive resilience after they edged Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies 6-5 on penalties in the AFC Women's Champions League™ 2024/25 quarter-finals on Sunday.

The tense encounter in Kumagaya ended goalless after 120 minutes, with substitute goalkeeper Chen Chen emerging as the hero in the shootout.

Matricciani applauds Melbourne City’s tactical discipline

Mon, 24 Mar, 2025

Matricciani applauds Melbourne City’s tactical discipline

Melbourne: Melbourne City head coach Michael Matricciani was full of praise for his team’s disciplined performance after their 3-0 victory over Taichung Blue Whale Women's Football Team in the AFC Women's Champions League™ 2024/25 quarter-finals on Sunday.

Melbourne City’s dominance was evident from the start with Mariana Speckmaier netting the opener before an own goal from Li Pei-Jung put the Australian side two goals up with Holly McNamara securing the points in the second half from the penalty spot.

Al Muraiki: We are carrying the expectations of Oman

Mon, 24 Mar, 2025

Al Muraiki: We are carrying the expectations of Oman

Pattaya: Yahya Al Muraiki is fully aware of the expectations back home and that is spurring Oman at the AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup™ Thailand 2025.

The 2015 champions defeated Malaysia 6-3 on Sunday to clinch their quarter-final spot from Group D and Al Muraiki understands the demands of fans who want to see Oman reach the great heights of a decade ago, saying the responsibility brings a sense of motivation more than a burden.

Hossein proud of IR Iran’s depth

Mon, 24 Mar, 2025

Hossein proud of IR Iran’s depth

Pattaya: Naderi Hossein was an extremely pleased head coach after eight out of his 12 players found the back of the net in Islamic Republic of Iran’s 14-0 success against Afghanistan in their AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup™ Thailand 2025 Group C match on Sunday.

To add to his delight, the win also secured the defending champions' place in the knockout stage with United Arab Emirates the other qualified team from Group C.

Double delight for Vietnam’s Phan Dat

Mon, 24 Mar, 2025

Double delight for Vietnam’s Phan Dat

Pattaya: Vietnam’s Phan Dat expressed his delight as his brace helped Vietnam defeat Bahrain 4-2 in Group D of the AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup™ Thailand 2025 on Sunday.

The win marked Vietnam’s first-ever triumph in the competition’s history, and Dat believes it will fuel the team’s ambitions to fight for a place in the quarter-finals.

UAE’s mindset reason for impressive win, says Walid

Mon, 24 Mar, 2025

UAE’s mindset reason for impressive win, says Walid

Pattaya: Striker Walid Mohammed said the United Arab Emirates’ mindset of not underestimating opponents was the reason for their impressive 6-1 win over Indonesia in their AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup™ Thailand 2025 Group C tie on Sunday. 

The forward, who scored the first goal in Sunday’s victory, said he was pleased with the way the two-time champions controlled the game as they advanced to the knockout stage with a match to spare.