Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: Turning 40 next April, evergreen striker Lee Dong-gook is still scoring goals at the continental level for club Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. We rewind the clock 18 years, to when a fresh-faced young forward from Pohang made the world take notice at the 2000 AFC Asian Cup.
Lee's impressive career, that keeps recording new milestones for goals and longevity, can be considered to have truly begun on the biggest stage at the 2000 AFC Asian Cup in Lebanon.
The prodigiously talented young forward had already shown his ability at the 1998 AFC U-19 Championship, where he was named Top Scorer and MVP, and had also helped Pohang Steelers win the 1997-1998 Asian Club Championship.
But it was in the AFC's most prestigious national team tournament that the then 21-year-old made his mark in.
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Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: Sixteen Asian nations came together as a historic edition of the AFC Asian Cup kicked-off exactly 11 years ago. The-AFC.com takes a trip down memory lane to relive three weeks of thrilling action.
The 2007 edition was a historic one for a variety of reasons; four different nations (Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam) co-hosted the AFC Asian Cup for the first and only time in the competition's history, as Australia joined the Asian Football Confederation and made their continental debut.
History was made in the final as we saw a seventh different nation crowned champions of Asia. An unfancied Iraq side beat the odds to win their maiden AFC Asian Cup title. The tournament also got its own official match ball for the first time ever with the introduction of the Nike Mercurial AC.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: A cool January evening in Doha saw Japan lift their fourth AFC Asian Cup trophy after defeating Australia in extra time. Goalscorer Tadanari Lee remembers a historic moment for him and for the Samurai Blue.
Tadanari Lee may not have been the prolific goal scorer for Japan that Kunishige Kamamoto or Kazuyoshi Miura were, but having only registered two goals for his nation, he will always have a place in history books and in the memory of Japanese football fans.
The 2007 AFC Asian Cup was the first time the Samurai Blue failed to reach the final in two decades, so when the following edition rolled around, there was an unprecedented level of determination to make amends.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: Nearly two decades after the UAE reached their only AFC Asian Cup final at home in 1996, a new generation delivered the Whites best-ever performance on foreign soil. Ali Mabkhout remembers Australia 2015 where he spearheaded the attack for the bronze medallists.
Going into the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, Omar Abdulrahman was the UAE’s most recognisable face, and he boosted his reputation as one of Asia’s finest players with a string of top performances Down Under, but arguably the biggest winner from the team’s run to the semi-finals was the then 25-year-old Mabkhout.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Dubai: With the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 just two months away, school children in the UAE were treated to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when two-time AFC Asian Cup winner Majed Abdullah paid a surprise visit to Jumeira Baccalaureate School, as the excitement grows for the AFC’s flagship competition.
AFC Asian Cup ambassador Abdullah unveiled a replica of the new AFC Asian Cup trophy, during the football activities and hosted a special question and answer session on his glistening career, which saw him clinch the Asian Footballer of the Year award on three occasions.
Bringing the celebration of the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 closer to communities, hundreds of thrilled children showcased their football passion, skills and knowledge as well as goalscoring celebrations alongside Abdullah, who netted over 70 goals for Saudi Arabia during his playing career.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Al Ain: The AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 has launched the “It’s My Game” programme with the goal of inspiring women across the UAE to embrace different roles in football and the wider sports industry.
With women breaking down sporting barriers, "It's My Game" aims to encourage women participation in football as athletes, fans and sports leaders and leave a lasting legacy of the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019.
The programme was kicked off with a panel discussion exploring ways women can play a more active role in the football industry.
The “It’s My Game” programme will host a series of events across the Emirates in the next four weeks, with some of the country’s biggest and most influential opinion leaders taking part in the conversation.
In Al Ain, the discussion was followed by football action on the pitch of Al Ain’s renowned Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium which also provided participants with an opportunity to enjoy a friendly game of football.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Manila: The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) has hired former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson to take charge of the national team for the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 and 2018 AFF Cup.
Swede Eriksson will work alongside Scott Cooper, who handled the Azkals in their previous two matches. Eriksson and Cooper worked together at English club Leicester City in 2010-2011.
Azkals manager Dan Palami told Philippines media that Eriksson, who managed England in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, has signed a six-month contract with the PFF.