ASEAN & East Asia Wrap: Melbourne City go six points clear; Persija close in on leading trio

Mon, 09 Jan, 2023

ASEAN & East Asia Wrap: Melbourne City go six points clear; Persija close in on leading trio

Hong Kong: Frontrunners Melbourne City continued to rack up the wins in Australia as they posted a commanding 4-0 victory over Western United over the weekend, while five-time champions Sydney FC’s slide continued as they went down 1-0 to Wellington Phoenix. 

In the only league fixture played in Indonesia last week, Persija Jakarta moved to within one point of leaders PSM Makassar after they overcame PSS Sleman 2-0 away from home. 
 
And after booking a place in the Senior Shield final last month, Eastern Long Lions are through to the semi-finals of the FA Cup in Hong Kong following their win over Hong Kong FC, so join the-AFC.com as we review the week’s action from ASEAN and East Asia.

Preview – Semi-final, 2nd Leg: Vietnam v Indonesia

Mon, 09 Jan, 2023

Preview – Semi-final, 2nd Leg: Vietnam v Indonesia

Hanoi: Vietnam and Indonesia will face off for a place in the 2022 AFF Cup final on Monday when the pair meet in the second leg of the semi-finals at My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi.

The first leg at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on Friday ended goalless in a game that saw plenty of chances but with neither side able to break the deadlock.
 
Indonesia shaded the match but found Vietnam goalkeeper Dang Van Lam in fine form to keep them at bay when they had a number of chances to open the scoring in the first half.

Faisal rallies Malaysia, Thailand's Polking relishing return leg

Sun, 08 Jan, 2023

Faisal rallies Malaysia, Thailand's Polking relishing return leg

Kuala Lumpur: Match-winner Faisal Halim has urged Malaysia to be at their best for their 2022 AFF Cup semi-final return leg against Thailand on Tuesday.

Faisal's 11th minute goal separated the two teams at the end of the first leg on Saturday which saw Thailand dominating with 73 percent possession and 24 attempts to Malaysia's six chances. 
 
The only stat that mattered, however, at the end of the 90 minutes at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium was the score and Faisal said Malaysia will do their best to advance to their fifth AFF Cup final. 

Wenger to help India develop talent

Sun, 08 Jan, 2023

Wenger to help India develop talent

New Delhi: Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will work with India to develop football talent as the All India Football Federation attempts to overhaul its "identity and philosophy", the organisation revealed on Saturday.

"We will have a data driven scouting system in place for the national team," AIFF general secretary Dr. Shaji Prabhakaran said. "We are going to work on this project with FIFA and Arsene Wenger is personally going to devote his time."

Bahrain, Qatar sizzle against UAE, Kuwait

Sun, 08 Jan, 2023

Bahrain, Qatar sizzle against UAE, Kuwait

Basra: Defending champions Bahrain kicked off their 2023 Gulf Cup campaign with a 2-1 win over United Arab Emirates on Saturday.

Qatar, meanwhile, also got off to a perfect start with a 2-0 triumph over Kuwait in the group's later match.