Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Sydney: Socceroos head coach Graham Arnold has announced the 23 players who have been selected to represent Australia for their defence of the AFC Asian Cup.
Arnold’s squad, which has an average age of 26, will assemble in the United Arab Emirates for Australia’s pre-tournament training camp from December 26, and will open their AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 campaign against Jordan at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain on January 6.
Australia’s squad for the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 features a strong A-League flavour, with three current players – Josh Risdon (Western Sydney Wanderers FC), Rhyan Grant (Sydney FC), and Chris Ikonomidis (Perth Glory FC) – receiving call-ups for the prestigious competition.
www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/rhyan_grant.html
www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/chris_ikonomidis.html
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: Head coach Aleksander Krestinin is confident Kyrgyz Republic will be ready for Marcello Lippi's China PR when the pair face off in their AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 opener in Al Ain on January 7.
The Central Asians will be making their first-ever appearance at the AFC Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates and China PR will be their first opponents in Group C, with Krestinin confident he can take his team into the last 16 on their debut.
While FIFA World Cup winner Lippi leads a squad who regularly play and train alongside some of the finest talent in the sport, Krestinin believes the number of foreign players in Chinese football may not necessarily be an advantage for the Italian coach’s team.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: Oman have only made it to the AFC Asian Cup Finals three times prior to the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019, with the Gulf nation never surpassing the group stages.
However, with the tournament hosted by neighbours UAE and expanded to include a Round of 16, there are high hopes for Oman to make history, especially after their 2017 Gulf Cup triumph.
One of the Reds' brightest hopes in the attacking third is winger Jameel Al Yahmadi. The youngster was drafted into the first team in 2017 and grew into one of the nation's best attacking players.
Nationality: Oman
Date of birth: 27/07/1996
Position: Midfielder
Current club: Al Wakrah (Qatar)
Previous clubs: Al Shabab (Oman)
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Dubai: It is time to discover the UAE's cultural heart, Sharjah, as we continue our series of venue guides, exploring the four 2019 AFC Asian Cup host cities.
Sitting on the northern border of Dubai, is a haven for art, history and culture enthusiasts. Sharjah, known as the UAE's cultural capital, offers some stunning examples of Islamic architecture and is not short of family-friendly entertainment options.
City: Sharjah
Population: 1.7 million
Local Clubs: Sharjah FC
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Prague: Turkmenistan midfielder Ruslan Mingazov wants to follow in his father's footsteps and exceed expectations as the Central Asians get set to appear in the AFC Asian Cup for the first time since 2004.
Ruslan’s father, Kamil, played in the Central Asians' maiden appearance in the competition 15 years ago when the country gained arguably the biggest result in their history by scoring late to secure a dramatic 2-2 draw with continental heavyweights Saudi Arabia.
Since then, Turkmenistan have failed to progress to the competition but, after advancing from the third round of qualifying, they will take their place amongst Asia’s elite alongside Japan, Uzbekistan and Oman in Group F.
Sat, 25 Sep, 2021
Abu Dhabi: More young females are taking up football with opportunities thriving throughout the UAE. This was the major takeaway as the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) delivered another coaching session for young girls in Abu Dhabi, showing first-hand the benefits of taking up the sport and inspiring the next generation of football stars.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: Omar Al Somah has urged his Syrian teammates to make the most of a once in a generation opportunity and produce a performance to remember at the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019.
The Qasioun Eagles have never survived the group stage at the Continental Finals, but the current Syrian side is one with ample reason to believe they are capable of going to the knockout stage and beyond.
Prolific striker Al Somah and 2017 AFC Player of the Year Omar Khribin are the spearheads of a talented Syrian squad, which went within 180 minutes of qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup before losing a play-off thriller to reigning Asian champions Australia 3-2 over two legs.
Syria are set to face the Australians again in the UAE but Al Somah isn't interested in looking back, preferring to focus on a competition he believes his side are capable of winning.