AFC Elite Referee Instructors’ Certification concludes successfully

Mon, 18 Nov, 2024

AFC Elite Referee Instructors’ Certification concludes successfully

Kuala Lumpur: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) conducted the AFC Elite Referee Instructors’ Certification 2024 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from November 11 to 15, 2024.

Spanning five days, the course brought together 22 refereeing technical instructors from 15 Member Associations (MAs), as well as eight refereeing fitness instructors from six MAs who participated in multiple activities designed to enhance officiating standards across the Continent.

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Moriyasu promises that Japan will remain focused

Sat, 16 Nov, 2024

Moriyasu promises that Japan will remain focused

Jakarta: Hajime Moriyasu has vowed to continue taking a game-by-game approach to the AFC Asian Qualifiers™ – Road to 26 even as his Japan side opened up a seven point gap at the top of Group C at the halfway stage with a 4-0 win over Indonesia in Jakarta on Friday.

The Japanese continued their unbeaten start to the campaign with another comprehensive win that featured a fourth clean sheet for the Samurai Blue, who have only conceded once since the current phase of qualifying started in September.

Bento praises UAE’s strong performance; Lisitsyn reflects on costly errors

Sat, 16 Nov, 2024

Bento praises UAE’s strong performance; Lisitsyn reflects on costly errors

Abu Dhabi: United Arab Emirates head coach Paulo Bento lauded his side’s performance in their commanding 3-0 victory over Kyrgyz Republic in their AFC Asian Qualifiers™ – Road to 26 Group A tie on Thursday.

The win moved UAE to seven points at the midway stage, while Kyrgyz Republic remained on three.

Oman’s Jabar wants more after success against Palestine

Sat, 16 Nov, 2024

Oman’s Jabar wants more after success against Palestine

Muscat: Head coach Rasheed Jabar has challenged his Oman team to build on the momentum gained from Thursday’s 1-0 win over Palestine to boost their FIFA World Cup 2026 dreams.

The hard-fought victory in their AFC Asian Qualifiers™ – Road to 26 Group B match came courtesy of Muhsen Al Ghassani’s opportunistic winner in the 83rd minute with Jabar hoping that this will serve as a confidence booster for Oman in their remaining matches.

Casas plays down Iraq's nervy display against Jordan

Sat, 16 Nov, 2024

Casas plays down Iraq's nervy display against Jordan

Basra: Head coach Jesus Casas was not too disheartened despite his Iraq side being held to a goalless draw by Jordan in their AFC Asian Qualifiers™ – Road to 26 Group B tie on Thursday.

Iraq took a long time to settle into the match, and it wasn’t until after the break that they were able to put some form of pressure on their opponents with Casas taking positives from the improvements shown in the second half.

Group C: Indonesia 0-4 Japan

Sat, 16 Nov, 2024

Group C: Indonesia 0-4 Japan

Jakarta: Japan moved seven points clear at the top of Group C of the AFC Asian Qualifiers™ – Road to 26 on Friday as Hajime Moriyasu's side weathered an early storm to hand Indonesia a 4-0 defeat at a sold-out Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.

A Justin Hubner own goal in the 35th minute gave the Japanese the lead and Takumi Minamino doubled the advantage with a crisp first-time finish five minutes later.

Goals from Hidemasa Morita and Yukinari Sugawara in the 49th and 69th minutes respectively put the seal on another emphatic win for the Samurai Blue.

Victory moves Moriyasu's side further ahead of the chasing pack in the quest for one of the two automatic berths available at the 2026 Finals with Japan now on 13 points from five games as the qualifiers reach the halfway point.