Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: Persepolis and Kashima Antlers have the AFC Champions League final in their sights as they take one-goal leads into the second legs of their semi-finals against Al Sadd and Suwon Samsung Bluewings respectively.
Iranian side Persepolis host 2011 winners Al Sadd of Qatar on Tuesday, before Japan’s Kashima travel to Korea Republic to face Suwon on Wednesday as the teams get set to square off for the fourth time in the current campaign.
www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/kashima_v_suwon_2.html
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Seoul: Seo Jung-won has returned to helm K League 1 club Suwon Samsung Bluewings just 48 days after he quit the job.
Suwon said on Monday that they've rehired Seo, who had announced his resignation on August 28, and that Seo will lead the team for the rest of this season.
When Seo resigned, Suwon were in fourth place in the K League 1 standings.
However, they struggled after the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia break, collecting only five wins, two draws against five losses, which pressured Seo to step down.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kashima: Atsuto Uchida hailed the part played by Kashima Antlers' home fans in helping the team's stunning 3-2 comeback win in Wednesday's first leg of their AFC Champions League semi-final against Suwon Samsung Bluewings.
To go two goals down after just six minutes of play was not the way Kashima Antlers had planned to begin their first-ever continental semi-final, admitted Japanese star Uchida, but the J.League club roared back to record an impressive come-from-behind victory at Kashima Soccer Stadium.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Doha: Persepolis assistant coach Zlatko Ivankovic was full of praise for his team’s efforts after the Iranian giants notched up a hard-fought 1-0 away win over Al Sadd in the first leg of the AFC Champions League semi-finals at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium on Tuesday.
The visitors were on the back foot for most of the game, happy to absorb the pressure from Al Sadd. However, they managed to score against the run of play after being awarded a late penalty that was duly dispatched by Ali Alipour.
The result gives Persepolis a vital advantage going into the second leg in Tehran on October 23, when they will be aiming to reach the AFC Champions League final for the first time in their history.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: With the AFC Champions League semi-finals taking place this week across Asia, the-AFC.com looks back at the reactions of the key players involved in the exciting first leg ties.
I'd like to say thank you to our supporters for coming out to cheer for us. There was a lot of noise for us tonight from the stands and we felt it. Please continue to support us for the games to come as you did today!
Serginho hails the passionate Kashima Antlers support after the J.League side came back from two goals down to beat Suwon Samsung Bluewings 3-2 in the first leg at Kashima Soccer Stadium.
Tue, 30 Nov, -0001
Kuala Lumpur: There were more thrills and spills in the AFC Champions League last week as Kashima Antlers and Persepolis won the first legs of their semi-finals against Suwon Samsung Bluewings and Al Sadd respectively.
A stunning comeback saw Kashima come from two down to claim a 3-2 win over Suwon, while it was smash-and-grab for Persepolis as they scored a late penalty to see off Al Sadd 1-0 in Doha. Here's our look back at the week in numbers.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
With five continental titles before arriving at Al Ittihad in 2005, Ahmed Al Dokhi was already among the most decorated players in Asia. The defender went on to be part of an AFC Champions League-winning team that remain the only side to defend their title.
Only one side have succeeded in defending the AFC Champions League title since its inception in 2002-03, the all-conquering Al Ittihad team that were crowned continental kings in 2004 and 2005. Right-back Ahmed Al Dokhi, who scored in the 2005 final, remembers a historic campaign for the Saudi Arabian team.
The ascension of Mansour Al Balawi to chairman at Al Ittihad in 2003 signalled a new dawn for the Jeddah-based club.
Already six-time Saudi champions and one of the country’s most popular sides, the new boss was determined to take his beloved team to greater heights.