International Wrap: Thailand lift King’s Cup

Tue, 15 Oct, 2024

International Wrap: Thailand lift King’s Cup

Kuala Lumpur: Thailand won the 2024 King’s Cup after they defeated Syria 2-1 in a hard-fought match in Songkhla on Monday.

Thailand lifted the trophy for the first time since 2017 and it was also their first triumph outside of Bangkok.

Preview - Group A: IR Iran v Qatar

Wed, 16 Oct, 2024

Preview - Group A: IR Iran v Qatar

Dubai: Islamic Republic of Iran and Qatar are set for a blockbuster clash when they meet in Group A of the AFC Asian Qualifiers™ - Road to 26 on Tuesday.

Iran lead the standings together with Uzbekistan while a win for Qatar will see the two-time AFC Asian Cup™ champions drawing level with Tuesday's opponents.

Preview - Group A: Uzbekistan v United Arab Emirates

Tue, 15 Oct, 2024

Preview - Group A: Uzbekistan v United Arab Emirates

Tashkent: Uzbekistan will have a great opportunity to boost their hopes of an inaugural appearance at the FIFA World Cup when they host the United Arab Emirates in Group A of the AFC Asian Qualifiers™ - Road to 26 Group A tie on Tuesday.

The Central Asian side lead the standings ahead of Islamic Republic of Iran on goal difference and victory against UAE will see them opening a six-point gap against Tuesday's opponents.

Preview - Group A: Kyrgyz Republic v DPR Korea

Tue, 15 Oct, 2024

Preview - Group A: Kyrgyz Republic v DPR Korea

Bishkek: It will be a meeting between two teams desperately in need of a win when Kyrgyz Republic welcome DPR Korea to the Dolen Omurzakov Stadium for their AFC Asian Qualifiers™ - Road to 26 Group A tie on Tuesday.

Debutants Kyrgyz Republic have yet to register points on the board while DPR Korea only have two from their previous three matches.

Preview - Group B: Jordan v Oman

Wed, 16 Oct, 2024

Preview - Group B: Jordan v Oman

Amman: Jordan will look to recover from their recent slump when they face Oman in their AFC Asian Qualifiers™ - Road to 26 Group B clash in Amman on Tuesday.

With four points from three games, Jordan sit third - three points behind joint leaders Korea Republic and Iraq following a 2-0 defeat to the East Asian side on Matchday Three.

Preview - Group B: Palestine v Kuwait

Wed, 16 Oct, 2024

Preview - Group B: Palestine v Kuwait

Doha: Palestine and Kuwait will both be aiming to bounce back when they lock horns in their AFC Asian Qualifiers™ - Road to 26 Group B fixture at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on Tuesday.

Palestine started their campaign on a promising note with a 0-0 draw against Korea Republic, but back-to-back defeats – 3-1 to Jordan and a hard-fought 1-0 loss to Iraq – have left them at the bottom of the table.

Preview - Group B: Korea Republic v Iraq

Tue, 15 Oct, 2024

Preview - Group B: Korea Republic v Iraq

Yongin: Korea Republic will be confident of claiming a third straight victory when they host Iraq in their AFC Asian Qualifiers™ - Road to 26 Group B clash at the Yongin Mireu Stadium on Tuesday.

The home side are enjoying a positive run of form and lead the group ahead of Iraq, with both on seven points. 

Preview - Group C: Saudi Arabia v Bahrain

Wed, 16 Oct, 2024

Preview - Group C: Saudi Arabia v Bahrain

Jeddah: The pressure is on for Roberto Mancini as he looks to navigate Saudi Arabia back to the winning trail when they meet Bahrain in their AFC Asian Qualifiers™ – Road to 26 Group C match on Tuesday.

A full spectrum of results from their opening three matches sees Saudi Arabia level on four points with Australia with Bahrain with Indonesia only a point adrift. 

The experienced Italian has a conundrum on his hands with the match sharpness of his players a big concern for the 2020 European Championship winning coach.

Preview - Group C: Japan v Australia

Tue, 15 Oct, 2024

Preview - Group C: Japan v Australia

Saitama: On-fire Japan will look to make it four wins in a row when they face Australia in their AFC Asian Qualifiers™ – Road to 26 Group C tie on Tuesday.

Hajime Moriyasu’s side came through their toughest test so far in winning 2-0 away at Saudi Arabia on Thursday and will be brimming with confidence for this encounter at Saitama Stadium 2002.

Preview - Group C: China PR v Indonesia

Tue, 15 Oct, 2024

Preview - Group C: China PR v Indonesia

Qingdao: China PR face a make or break situation when they take on Indonesia in the AFC Asian Qualifiers™ – Road to 26 on Tuesday.

Three defeats from as many matches have left China PR rooted at the bottom of Group C and Branko Ivankovic’s side must start picking up points if they are to keep their FIFA World Cup 2026 hopes alive.

Despite being the lowest ranked team in the group, Indonesia have yet to be beaten and Ivankovic knows China PR cannot be complacent.