Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Riyadh: The 2021 AFC Champions League gets underway in an expanded new format with 40 clubs competing in 10 groups and we take look at the six venues that will be hosting the centralised West Groups A to E over the next three weeks.
Following the success of the 2020 competition held in Qatar, this year’s group stage takes place in a centralised format but across four cities in three different countries as the AFC continues to find solutions for the beautiful game in the continent to navigate the challenges of the pandemic.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and - for the first time - India are hosting the 2021 AFC Champions League group stage games. the-AFC.com profiles the host grounds.
www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/sharjah_stadium_2.html
www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/king_fahd_stadium_aerial_1.html
www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/king_saud_university_stadium_riyadh _25000_-_al_hilal.html
www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/king_abdullah_sport_city_stadium.html
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: With the 2021 AFC Champions League kick off just around the corner, the-AFC.com takes a look at the strikers who are poised to make a difference in the western side of the continent.
With no shortage of attacking talent on display, we shine the spotlight on six frontmen who are on fire in their clubs’ domestic campaigns and could be set to bring those hot streaks onto the Asian stage in this year's continental club competition.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: With the newly expanded AFC Champions League 2021 group stage just around the corner, the-AFC.com picked six up and coming youngsters who could be set to break through in this year’s edition of the competition.
Some of these starlets are established players for their club sides and some have even appeared in previous AFC Champions League seasons, while several are just breaking into the starting XI, but those U23 players are all eyeing a milestone campaign over the next three weeks.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: The 2021 AFC Champions League will get underway in West Asia on Wednesday with 20 sides facing two weeks of intense action as they battle it out for qualification to the knockout rounds.
With the 20 remaining teams from East Asia set to begin their continental campaigns a little later in the year, the-AFC.com looks at some of the numbers that stand out ahead of the start of the 19th edition of the AFC Champions League.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Sharjah: Group B of the 2021 AFC Champions League brings a heart-warming story of a reunion after 15 years as Tractor FC head coach Rasoul Khatibi and captain Masoud Shojaei return to their old stomping ground.
At the age of 36, Shojaei is just six years his manager’s junior. Both men were part of the Islamic Republic of Iran squad that competed in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. That summer after their return from Germany, young midfielder Shojaei (20) and forward Khatibi (26) were recruited by UAE side Sharjah FC.
While Khatibi lasted just half a season at Sharjah, scoring four goals before moving to fellow UAE side Emirates Club, Shojaei stayed put, establishing himself as a fan favourite at Sharjah Stadium and becoming one of the league’s finest midfielders over two seasons before earning a big money move to Spanish La Liga side Osasuna where he would go on to make over 100 appearances.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Suzhou: China PR head coach Jia Xiuquan praised his players for the spirit they showed in defeating Korea Republic to claim the final Asian ticket to the Tokyo Olympic women’s football tournament on Tuesday.
In a thrilling, see-sawing second leg, China watched their 2-1 first leg lead evaporate thanks to two Korean goals just before half-time but managed to reach extra-time when Yang Man touched a Wang Shuang free-kick into the net with 20 minutes remaining, before Player of the Match Wang finally broke the deadlock with a 103rd minute strike to make it 4-3 on aggregate.
It was an epic encounter between two desperate teams, with suspended Chinese captain Wu Haiyan's tears of joy indicative of her side's relief as they celebrated in front of 13,500 fans.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Nijmegen: Australia’s women’s national team’s difficult return to international football continued on Tuesday as they fell to a 5-0 loss in their friendly against the Netherlands.
Eager to improve on Saturday’s 5-2 defeat in Germany, the Matildas suffered an even heavier loss as the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup runners-up ruthlessly punished a series of individual errors to put their visitors to the sword.
Five different players got on the scoresheet for the Netherlands, handing Australia their heaviest defeat in more than a decade and leaving them to look ahead to the June international window for some much-needed form ahead this summer’s Olympics.