Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Bandar Seri Begawan: Brunei Darussalam will be without nine players from clubside DPMM FC for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup 2023 Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1 clash against Mongolia on Thursday.
The nine players not part of the 23-member squad for the Asian Qualifiers are Abdul Mu’iz Sisa, Fakharazzi Hassan, Azwan Salleh, Azwan Ali Rahman, Hendra Idris, Azizi Ali Rahman, Najib Tarif, Shafie Effendy and Nurikhwan Othman.
Head coach Robbie Servais said he had planned on building the squad around the players from DPMM, who play in the Singapore Premier League and currently top the standings.
www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/mongolia-training1.html
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Ulaanbaatar: In Mongolia, football’s popularity lags behind that of sumo wrestling and archery. But for the game to reach its full potential the country’s technical director Hatem Souissi believes progress to the second round of qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup is essential.
Mongolia have never advanced beyond the first phase of qualifying for either tournament and take on Brunei Darussalam over two legs on Thursday and Tuesday hoping to notch up a victory that secures the country a place in the draw for Qatar 2022 and the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.
The winners will join the likes of Australia, Japan, Korea Republic, Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia in the second phase and the prospect of facing one of the Continent’s giants, believes Souissi, will give the game a much-needed boost in the landlocked East Asian nation.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: With the kick off to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup 2023 Qualifiers - Preliminary Joint Qualification Round just three days away, the 12 teams in the fray first are leaving no stone unturned in their preparations.
At stake is a place in the second round of the Asian Qualifiers and Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Guam, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste are all intent on sealing a place in the July 17 draw.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia warmed up for their impending FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Qualifiers with a 2-0 victory over Nepal, while Uzbekistan were beaten by the same margin against Turkey, in friendly internationals played on Sunday.
MALAYSIA 2-0 NEPAL
Malaysia defeated Nepal 2-0 as the Southeast Asians enter the final phase of their preparations for the first round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar Qualifiers.
Malaysia, who will face regional rivals Timor-Leste in the first round of the Qualifiers, turned on the power in the second half with Safawi Rashid and Shahrul Saad finding the back of the net at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Hagatna: No continent is as diverse or as sprawling as Asia. The world’s most populace region covers a massive area and is home to countless varied cultures.
Guam are about to get a short sharp taste of that next week when they open their 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar Qualifiers, as Round 1 action kicks off on Thursday. The remote northern Pacific island nation was drawn against Bhutan in April, and it soon became apparent that the football contest is just one part of the challenge.
Guam will leave the cloying humidity of their tropical homeland behind and head for the kingdom perched high up in the Himalayas. There they will find a unique almost magical place, with its distinctive Changlimithang stadium a fitting display of local traditional design.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: Four months after the end of the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019, national teams from across Asia are making personnel changes both on the pitch and in the dugout. The-AFC.com looks at how some sides are approaching this international break.
Evolution, not revolution for Uzbekistan
After his first tournament in charge of Uzbekistan, the AFC Asian Cup, ended in a Round-of-16 exit at the hands of Australia, Hector Cuper made nine changes to his squad ahead of friendlies with Turkey, DPR Korea and Syria.
Following the retirement of iconic goalkeeper Ignatiy Nesterov, it was Pakhtakor’s Eldor Suyunov who was handed the starting spot between the sticks in Antalya as the Uzbeks fell to a 2-0 defeat on Sunday.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Bishkek: Kyrgyz Republic have named their final squad for next Tuesday’s friendly match against Palestine, the Central Asian side’s first fixture since January’s successful AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 campaign.
The 22-strong squad is dominated by national champions FC Dordoi, with 13 players provided by the Bishkek-based club, which is also coached by national team boss Alexander Krestinin.
The Akshumkar provided one of the feel-good stories of January’s Continental Finals, reaching the knockout stage on their tournament debut before losing to hosts United Arab Emirates in the Round of 16.