Ten-man Nasaf shock Pakhtakor in Uzbekistan Cup final

Sun, 05 Dec, 2021

Ten-man Nasaf shock Pakhtakor in Uzbekistan Cup final

Samarkand: FC Nasaf produced a minor miracle to win the Uzbekistan Cup final on Saturday, coming from a goal and a man down to defeat Pakhtakor 2-1 at Dinamo Stadium.

Pakhtakor went ahead through a fearsome Odiljon Hamrobekov drive, and their position was further strengthened by the sending off of Nasaf’s Oybek Bozorov shortly after, but Nasaf levelled through Bakhrom Abdurakhimov before Golib Gaybullaev headed home a late winner.
 
The fourth piece of silverware in the club’s history, Nasaf’s win means the Karshi outfit will feature in the Preliminary Round of the 2022 AFC Champions League.

“A milestone for Indian football” – India 2022’s impact excites legendary Oinam Bembem Devi

Sat, 04 Dec, 2021

“A milestone for Indian football” – India 2022’s impact excites legendary Oinam Bembem Devi

Delhi: One of the most decorated figures in the history of Indian women’s football, Oinam Bembem Devi will be among the millions watching on as India welcomes Asia’s best for a historic AFC Women’s Asian Cup in early 2022.

Ever since representing the Mainpur state team as a 13-year-old in 1993, there has been something remarkable about Oinam Bembem Devi.
 
Having overcome tremendous difficulties along the way, her achievements in a senior international career spanning more than 20 years made her an icon of the Indian women’s game, with her contribution recently recognised with the highly prestigious civilian honour, the Padma Shri.
 
With less than two months until India welcomes some of the world’s best players, the-AFC.com discussed women’s football’s progress in India, how the hosts might fare in the Finals, and the impact India 2022 could have on a generation of Indian girls.

AFF Cup: ASEAN rivals target regional glory

Sun, 05 Dec, 2021

AFF Cup: ASEAN rivals target regional glory

Kuala Lumpur: The most eagerly awaited tournament in Southeast Asian football is set to kick off on Sunday when the AFF (ASEAN Football Federation) Cup gets underway in Singapore. 

The competition, initially scheduled for 2020 but postponed due to COVID-19, sees 10 teams split into two groups with four semi-final places up for grabs. 

Vietnam enter as defending champions, while Thailand will be among the main challengers and Singapore boast home advantage. The-AFC.com takes a closer look at the teams involved.

Jordan slip up against Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Palestine share points

Sun, 05 Dec, 2021

Jordan slip up against Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Palestine share points

Doha: Jordan suffered a 4-0 defeat against Morocco on Matchday Two of the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021 Group C at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on Saturday.

Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, came from behind to salvage a point against Palestine as the race to join Morocco in the quarter-finals goes down to the final day of Group C matches on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia, on one point, play Morocco while Jordan face Palestine. Jordan are on three points while Palestine have one.

UAE stay perfect, Syria stun Tunisia

Sat, 04 Dec, 2021

UAE stay perfect, Syria stun Tunisia

Doha: United Arab Emirates made it two wins out of two after edging Mauritania 1-0 in Group B of the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021 on Friday.

Syria, meanwhile, revived their hopes with a surprise 2-0 win over Tunisia to keep the race for the two quarter-final spots wide open.

Dramatic winner sends Qatar into quarter-finals; Bahrain, Iraq share spoils

Sat, 04 Dec, 2021

Dramatic winner sends Qatar into quarter-finals; Bahrain, Iraq share spoils

Doha: Qatar reached the quarter-finals of the FIFA Arab Cup 2021 after a 2-1 victory over Oman, thanks to a stoppage time own goal, while Bahrain and Iraq played out a 0-0 draw in their Group A ties on Friday.

The victory took Qatar’s points tally to six from two victories in as many matches with the Felix Sanchez-coached side having defeated Bahrain 1-0 in their opening match.

Iraq, meanwhile, are on two points while Oman and Bahrain are on one point each.   

Li Xiaopeng takes charge of China PR

Fri, 03 Dec, 2021

Li Xiaopeng takes charge of China PR

Beijing: Li Tie has resigned as head coach of the China PR national team and been replaced by former Shandong Luneng coach Li Xiaopeng, the Chinese Football Association announced on Friday.

China PR are currently in fifth place in Group B of AFC Asian Qualifiers - Road to Qatar with five points from their opening six games and 11 points behind leaders Saudi Arabia, having won just once since the start of the final phase of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 preliminaries.