Central & South Asia Wrap: NorthEast qualify for ISL playoffs; Iran Pro League remains tight

Mon, 10 Mar, 2025

Central & South Asia Wrap: NorthEast qualify for ISL playoffs; Iran Pro League remains tight

Mumbai: NorthEast United claimed the fifth spot in the Indian Super League playoffs, leaving Mumbai City and Odisha to battle it out for the final berth as the league wraps up this week.

There was no change in the Iran Pro League as Tractor FC and Sepahan continued their tussle for the top while the domestic leagues in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyz Republic all kicked off with wins for their defending champions bar Turkmenistan’s FC Arkadag, whose match was postponed.

Join the-AFC.com as we take a look at the domestic action across Central and South Asia this past week.

ASEAN Wrap: Nam Dinh halted; Phnom Penh close gap on leaders

Mon, 10 Mar, 2025

ASEAN Wrap: Nam Dinh halted; Phnom Penh close gap on leaders

Kuala Lumpur: Nam Dinh suffered a setback in their title challenge in Vietnam while Phnom Penh Crown FC took a significant step in the Cambodian Premier League.

Selangor FC secured second place in Malaysia while there were also matches in Indonesia, Laos, Philippines and Singapore so join the-AFC.com in our review of the past week’s domestic action across ASEAN.

West Asia Wrap: Al Ittihad's lead reduced; Al Duhail stay ahead

Mon, 10 Mar, 2025

West Asia Wrap: Al Ittihad's lead reduced; Al Duhail stay ahead

Doha: Al Ittihad had to settle for a 1-1 draw with Al Qadisiyah as their advantage at the top of the Saudi Pro League was cut to four points.

The two-horse race for the title in Qatar remains hot with Al Duhail SC just a point ahead of Al Sadd SC.
 
There were also matches in Bahrain, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and Oman so join the-AFC.com in our weekly review of the West Asian domestic scene.

East Asia Wrap: Kashima go top; Daejeon, Ulsan maintain pace

Mon, 10 Mar, 2025

East Asia Wrap: Kashima go top; Daejeon, Ulsan maintain pace

Hong Kong: The lead changed hands again in Japan with Kashima Antlers taking pole position after an impressive win over Kashiwa Reysol.

Defending champions Ulsan HD kept pace with Daejeon Hana in Korea Republic while Tai Po maintained a two-point lead in Hong Kong.

Join the-AFC.com in our weekly review of the East Asian domestic action.

Preview - R16 (2nd Leg): Al Nassr Club (KSA) 0 v 0 Esteghlal FC (IRN)

Tue, 11 Mar, 2025

Preview - R16 (2nd Leg): Al Nassr Club (KSA) 0 v 0 Esteghlal FC (IRN)

Riyadh: Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to be back powering Al Nassr Club when they host Esteghlal FC in the return leg of their AFC Champions League Elite™ 2024/25 Round of 16 tie on Monday.

The match at Riyadh's King Saud University Stadium promises to be a thriller, with last week's first leg having ended in a goalless stalemate. 

Preview - R16 (2nd Leg): Al Sadd SC (QAT) 1 v 1 Al Wasl FC (UAE)

Tue, 11 Mar, 2025

Preview - R16 (2nd Leg): Al Sadd SC (QAT) 1 v 1 Al Wasl FC (UAE)

Doha: After two draws already this season between them, Al Sadd SC and Al Wasl FC know there has to be a winner when they square off in the return leg of their AFC Champions League Elite™ 2024/25 Round of 16 match-up on Monday.

Last week's first leg draw followed their League Stage encounter, which had also ended 1-1.

Asani issues rallying cry as Gwangju chase Kobe comeback

Sat, 08 Mar, 2025

Asani issues rallying cry as Gwangju chase Kobe comeback

Kobe: Jasir Asani has called on his Gwangju FC teammates to put on the performance of their careers against Vissel Kobe on Wednesday when the K-League outfit look to overturn a 2-0 first leg deficit in the last 16 of the AFC Champions League Elite™ 2024/25.

Asani, the tournament’s joint-top scorer with seven goals, believes the competition debutants must avoid making the mistakes that saw them concede goals to Yuya Osako and Haruya Ide in nine first half minutes to allow the J1 League side to take control of the tie.

#ACLElite - R16 (1st Leg): Facts & Figures

Fri, 07 Mar, 2025

#ACLElite - R16 (1st Leg): Facts & Figures

Kuala Lumpur: The first leg of the AFC Champions League Elite™ 2024/25 Round of 16 lived up to expectations with all eight ties fiercely contested affairs.

With the quarter-final cast to be decided in the coming days, the-AFC.com highlights some interesting facts and figures from the first leg.

Klimala: Job not done yet for Sydney

Fri, 07 Mar, 2025

Klimala: Job not done yet for Sydney

Yongin: Patryk Klimala wants Sydney FC to stay focused despite their impressive 2-0 victory over Korea Republic’s Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in their AFC Champions League Two™ 2024/25 quarter-final first leg tie on Thursday.

Klimala’s brace put Sydney on the cusp of making the semi-finals for the first time, but the Polish forward warned his team against being complacent.