Jane Fernandez led Football Australia’s successful joint bid to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 and was subsequently appointed as Head of the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 Office (Australia). In addition, she was Head of Sport for the Australian Olympic Committee and Tournament Director of the AFC Asian Cup 2015.

Jane Patterson has worked on sports events across Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia and the UK, including a wide range of world championships in netball, BMX, para-swimming and taekwondo and major events including the Ironman Triathlon and the New Zealand Open golf tournament. She was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2016 in recognition of her achievements in service to sport and worked for New Zealand Football as Project Director for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.

As the kick-off date for the historic 2021 edition approaches, the-AFC.com looks back at the 2020 tournament which turned out to be a thrilling affair despite the challenging circumstances.

We kicked off the series in style, with fans voting Persepolis FC's Mehdi Abdi Qara as the winner of Best Headers of 2020. Our next installment looks at the fabulous goals scored from free-kicks and invite you, the fan, to tell us which was your favourite.

Hailing from a uniquely passionate footballing nation but - with a few notable exceptions - one which has tended to keep its top players on home soil, Indonesia’s youth brigade of 2021 is travelling far and wide in a bid to enhance their prospects of stardom.

So, who are these ambitious youngsters, where are they playing, and what should we expect?

Join the-AFC.com as we profile eight Indonesian players abroad aged 21 or younger – five based in Europe and three in Asia – and let us know which one has the greatest potential.

Marc Klok, Persija Jakarta’s Dutch-Indonesian midfielder, has walked the same path, only in reverse, and is well-positioned to analyse the pressures and possibilities Indonesia’s youngsters will soon grow accustomed to.

In a wide-ranging interview, Klok reveals the benefits of breaking through one’s comfort zone, Bagus Kahfi’s chances of thriving in his former home of Utrecht and his own triumphs and struggles as a footballer navigating a lost year, but with an eye on a bright future

The latest match schedule for Match Days 7 and 8 of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and AFC Asian Cup China 2023™ Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2, which is scheduled to take place on March 25 and 30, 2021 is as follows:

Japan's position at the top of the Asian rankings, however, will come under threat in the coming weeks as national team football is set to return with the resumption of the Asian Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023.

Mehdi Taremi and Sam Kerr continued their relentless scoring sprees, Jafar Salmani and Allahyar Sayyadmanesh showed the future is bright, while Musa Al Taamari and Tom Rogic made the most of returns to their club's respective starting line-ups.

But who was Asia’s standout performer outside the continent this week? Study the shortlist below, based on performances from February 10 to 16, and vote for the player you consider the most deserving.