East Asia Wrap: Redemption for Sanfrecce; Bluewings face relegation battle

Mon, 24 Oct, 2022

East Asia Wrap: Redemption for Sanfrecce; Bluewings face relegation battle

Hong Kong: Cypriot attacker Pieros Sotiriou came off the bench to score twice in stoppage time as Sanfrecce Hiroshima defeated Cerezo Osaka 2-1 to lift their maiden J.League Cup in Japan – a feat that erased some of the pain of last week's Emperor’s Cup final defeat to Ventforet Kofu. 

In Korea Republic, four-time domestic champions Suwon Samsung Bluewings are at real risk of dropping down a division after they, along with Gimcheon Sangmu, were confined to the relegation playoffs following the final round of fixtures in K League 1. 
 
Elsewhere, there were games in Hong Kong, Mongolia and Chinese Taipei, so join the-AFC.com as we review the action from around East Asia. 

This is just the beginning, says Al Seeb’s Rasheed Jabar

Sun, 23 Oct, 2022

This is just the beginning, says Al Seeb’s Rasheed Jabar

Kuala Lumpur: Al Seeb Club opened a new chapter in Omani football history after becoming the first club from the West Asian country to lift the AFC Cup™ trophy, and head coach Rasheed Jabar is confident Saturday’s triumph heralds the start of more success for the club.

Three players found the back of the net to secure Al Seeb a 3-0 win over Kuala Lumpur City FC in the final at the National Stadium Bukit Jalil, a result which the Omani side richly deserved.

Hodak: Lack of cutting edge cost Kuala Lumpur City

Sun, 23 Oct, 2022

Hodak: Lack of cutting edge cost Kuala Lumpur City

Kuala Lumpur: There was no fairy tale ending for Kuala Lumpur City FC following their 3-0 defeat to Al Seeb Club of Oman in the AFC Cup™ 2022 Final at the National Stadium Bukit Jalil on Saturday.

The visitors led from start to finish with Ali Al Busaidi and Abdulaziz Al Muqbali providing a two-goal cushion going into the break before Muhsen Al Ghassani scored the third as Al Seeb became the first side from Oman to win the AFC Cup.

Experienced Faghani relishing Qatar 2022 adventure

Fri, 21 Oct, 2022

Experienced Faghani relishing Qatar 2022 adventure

Kuala Lumpur: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) match officials continue to shine on the world stage with 19 match officials selected for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, an additional three from the last edition.

A well-respected international match official, Alireza Faghani has taken charge of a number of high-profile matches in Asia and beyond and is widely regarded as amongst the best in the world of refereeing.
 
In this exclusive interview with the-AFC.com, Faghani shares his insights on being selected for the FIFA World Cup for the third time and talks about his preparations leading up to the showpiece.

Saudi Arabia edge North Macedonia

Sun, 23 Oct, 2022

Saudi Arabia edge North Macedonia

Abu Dhabi: Saudi Arabia defeated North Macedonia 1-0 in an international friendly on Saturday as the West Asian side continued their preparations for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 at their Abu Dhabi training camp.

Saleh Al-Shehri scored the only goal of the match as head coach Herve Renard used the friendly to test his players ahead of their Qatar 2022 challenge.