Tita returns as Syria head coach

Fri, 19 Nov, 2021

Tita returns as Syria head coach

Damascus: Syria Football Association announced on Thursday the appointment of Romanian Valeriu Tita as head coach of the national team.

The 55-year-old replaces Nizar Mahrous, who was dismissed on Tuesday following the recent poor results in the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar, with Syria having lost 3-0 to Islamic Republic of Iran on Matchday Six.

Tita will arrive in Damascus on Tuesday as Syria prepare to take part in the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup where they are in Group B along with Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Mauritania.

Al Hilal SFC: A glorious Asian history revisited

Fri, 19 Nov, 2021

Al Hilal SFC: A glorious Asian history revisited

Kuala Lumpur: Al Hilal SFC will be dreaming of becoming the only club in Asia to win a fourth premier Asian title when they take on Korea Republic’s Pohang Steelers - who hold the same ambition - in the 2021 AFC Champions League final on Tuesday.

Over the course of their history, Al Hilal have established themselves as the joint most successful club in the competition, with their record of two Asian Club Championship and one AFC Champions League victories only matched by their Tuesday opponents. The-AFC.com takes a trip down memory lane to revisit all three of Al Hilal’s triumphs.

Pohang Steelers: A glorious Asian history revisited

Fri, 19 Nov, 2021

Pohang Steelers: A glorious Asian history revisited

Kuala Lumpur: When Pohang Steelers meet Al Hilal SFC in the 2021 AFC Champions League Final in Riyadh on Tuesday, the game will see the sides battle it out to win Asia’s biggest club competition for an unprecedented fourth time.

For Pohang Steelers, it marks a return to the continent’s most prestigious club game for the first time since winning the 2009 AFC Champions League as the current edition has brought back memories of glorious years gone by. 

While Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Ulsan Hyundai have achieved notable success on the continent over the past decade, no Korean team can match the triumphs of Pohang, who also claimed back-to-back Asian Club Championships in 1996-97 and 1997-98.

Ahead of the 2021 showpiece event, the-AFC.com looks back at their proud history. 

Five Classic Saudi Arabia-Korea Republic AFC Champions League clashes

Fri, 19 Nov, 2021

Five Classic Saudi Arabia-Korea Republic AFC Champions League clashes

Riyadh: Tuesday’s 2021 AFC Champions League final between Al Hilal SFC and Pohang Steelers revives a long history of thrilling continental footballing battles between clubs from Saudi Arabia and Korea Republic. 

While Al Hilal and Pohang Steelers are the two most successful club sides with two Asian Club Championship titles to add to their AFC Champions League triumphs in 2019 and 2009 respectively, their countries also hold the record for most appearances in the final of the competition, with Korean sides making 18 appearances and their Saudi counterparts following closely with 14.
 
The-AFC.com looks at five of the most exciting AFC Champions League encounters between clubs from the two countries.

2021 AFC Champions League Final - The Venue: King Fahd International Stadium

Fri, 19 Nov, 2021

2021 AFC Champions League Final - The Venue: King Fahd International Stadium

Riyadh: One of Asia’s most iconic stadiums, the King Fahd International Stadium, is set to host the spectacle of the 2021 AFC Champions League final on Tuesday.

Facing Korea Republic’s Pohang Steelers, home side Al Hilal SFC will be contesting their eighth continental final at the stadium across all AFC competitions, while the Koreans have also played at King Fahd International Stadium, losing to the same opponents in the 1997 Asian Super Cup first leg with Sami Al Jaber scoring the only goal of the game back then.