ASEAN & East Asia Wrap: Sydney win Australia Cup; Jeonbuk end Seoul hopes

Mon, 09 Oct, 2023

ASEAN & East Asia Wrap: Sydney win Australia Cup; Jeonbuk end Seoul hopes

Kuala Lumpur: Fabio Gomes came off the bench to score a double and help Sydney FC secure their first piece of silverware since their A-League triumph in 2020 as Steve Corica’s side came from behind to defeat Brisbane Roar 3-1 in the final of the Australia Cup on Saturday.

In Korea Republic, the regular season concluded with Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors defeating FC Seoul 2-0 to pip their opponents to a top-half finish, while Kawasaki Frontale and Kashiwa Reysol booked their places in the Emperor's Cup final in Japan.
 
Only one point separates Borneo FC and Madura United at the top of the table in Indonesia while matches also took place in Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Mongolia, so join the-AFC.com as we review the week’s action from ASEAN and East Asia.

#ACL – What They Said: Matchday Two

Fri, 06 Oct, 2023

#ACL – What They Said: Matchday Two

Kuala Lumpur: Historic first goals, epic comebacks and meaningful celebrations were all on display on Matchday Two of AFC Champions League™ 2023/24.

The-AFC.com looks back at what some of those involved had to say after their Matchday Two encounters.  

#ACFutsal2024 Qualifiers - MD1 Results & Reports

Sat, 07 Oct, 2023

#ACFutsal2024 Qualifiers - MD1 Results & Reports

Kuala Lumpur: The road to ultimate hardcourt glory on the Continent begins on Saturday when the AFC Futsal Asian Cup™ Thailand 2024 Qualifiers get underway.

Eight groups – six of four teams and two comprising three – will be played in a single round-robin format over three matchdays between October 7 and 13 at centralised venues to determine the final cast for the 17th edition of the tournament, set to be staged in Thailand from April 17 to 28, 2024.
 
Fifteen teams will join hosts Thailand in the Finals so stay updated on all the action with the-AFC.com.

Bandovic leaves Hanoi FC

Sun, 08 Oct, 2023

Bandovic leaves Hanoi FC

Hanoi: Head coach Bozidar Bandovic has parted ways with Hanoi FC, the V League 1 club announced on Saturday.

Hanoi FC, who are competing in Group J of the AFC Champions League™ 2023/24, will temporarily be handled by Le Duc Tuan.

Japan dominate, new champions emerge

Sat, 07 Oct, 2023

Japan dominate, new champions emerge

Kuala Lumpur: East Asian nations had little success at the AFC Asian Cup™ in the aftermath of Korea Republic’s back-to-back title wins in the competition’s formative years. However, after a period of West Asian dominance, the tide was about to turn as Japan emerged as the continent’s dominant force.

Japan’s AFC Asian Cup win on home soil in 1992 might have come as a surprise, but on hindsight it proved to be a precursor of a period of superiority whose roots lay in the advent of professionalism in the east Asian nation and a remarkable attention to detail.
 
Until the early 1990s the Samurai Blue had been a minor player at the AFC Asian Cup but, with the arrival of the J.League in 1993 and the dawn of an era that brought with it rapid development at all levels, Japanese football was on the rise.

Korea Republic make it three in a row

Sun, 08 Oct, 2023

Korea Republic make it three in a row

Hangzhou: Korea Republic retained the gold medal at the 19th Asian Games on Saturday as Hwang Sun-hong’s side handed Japan a 2-1 defeat at Hangzhou’s Huanglong Sports Centre Stadium to seal a third consecutive title and six in total.

Cho young-wook hit the winner for the Koreans in the 56th minute after Jeong Woo-yeong had cancelled out Kotaro Uchino’s second minute opener as the Japanese fell in the final to their near-neighbours for the second tournament in a row.
 
Korea Republic had prevailed in the 2018 final in Jakarta having also won the title in Incheon four years earlier and this year’s success comes after victories in 1986 as well as in 1978 and 1970, when they shared the gold with DPR Korea and Myanmar respectively.