Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Abu Dhabi: A limited-edition one Dirham coin, stamped with Mansour, the official mascot of the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019, has been created by the Central Bank of the UAE in celebration of the biggest-ever Continental showpiece in history.
The commemorative Dirham is the first-of-its-kind to be manufactured since 2012 as the host nation continues to throw its support behind the 24-nation tournament.
Tournament Director for the Local Organising Committee, His Excellency Aref Hamad Al Awani, commented: “The Dirham is engrained as a symbol of the UAE, so to have a commemorative coin for the AFC Asian Cup shows how significant this tournament is to sport in the country.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Dubai: With nine scoreless matches in the green and gold behind him, Jamie Maclaren shared his relief at scoring his first international goal; one which the striker credits with setting the tone for Australia's 3-0 win over Palestine at Rashid Stadium on Friday.
The 25-year-old came into the crucial tie under pressure following Australia's 1-0 defeat to Jordan and a series of quiet displays for the national team, but he silenced his critics with a superb 18th-minute header which was followed by further goals to Awer Mabil and Apostolos Giannou in their AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 Group B tie.
Maclaren told the-AFC.com the early goal made for a vastly different experience than the one endured against the Jordanians.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Dubai: Australia head coach Graham Arnold gave his charges a resounding tick of approval, but insists there is still plenty of room for improvement after they revived their AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 knockout stage hopes with a consummate 3-0 win over Palestine.
Early goals from Jamie Maclaren and Awer Mabil got the ball rolling for the defending champions, before Apostolos Giannou came off the bench to add a layer of gloss to the scoreline in the final moments.
Australia's showing was a vast improvement from their 1-0 Matchday One defeat to Jordan, with the the inclusion of Chris Ikonomidis and Jackson Irvine paying instant dividends for Arnold's men.
Speaking after the match, Arnold paid tribute to his side, but warned that he expects their performances to become even stronger as the tournament goes on.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Abu Dhabi: Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President on Friday praised the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 in Abu Dhabi for capturing the imagination of a Continent and the tournament was a reward for four years of unity and stability.
At the AFC Executive Committee meeting at the UAE capital, Shaikh Salman said: “Tomorrow we will witness the kick-off of the biggest-ever AFC Asian Cup when hosts, the United Arab Emirates, take on Bahrain.
“The AFC would like to thank the UAE Government, the Local Organising Committee - and all those involved in delivering this tournament - for their hard work during the past four years.
“History will be made with so many new initiatives for the AFC Asian Cup, which over the months have been introduced for this AFC Asian Cup.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Al Ain: Paulo Bento was left frustrated by his team’s performance even as Korea Republic notched up a 1-0 win over Kyrgyz Republic that took the two-time champions into the knockout stage of the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019.
Kim Min-jae scored the only goal of a game Bento’s team dominated to ensure the Koreans join China in advancing to the Round of 16 from Group C. The two nations face off on Wednesday with top spot in the group on the line.
“We didn’t make a very good performance but I think that we won the game fairly,” said the Portuguese coach, who has now won five and drawn three of his first eight games in charge of the Taeguk Warriors.
“Even though we didn’t have a good performance we created a lot of opportunities to score and I think that we could have finished the game earlier. But with 1-0 the opponents have the hope to score and until the end we suffered a little bit because we didn’t score the second goal.”
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Abu Dhabi: After seeing China PR qualify for the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 knockout phase, head coach Marcello Lippi believes his side’s growing confidence could prove crucial as they move deeper into the Continental showpiece.
China edged towards the Round of 16 with Friday’s 3-0 win over the Philippines, progress which was subsequently assured when Korea Republic beat Kyrgyz Republic 1-0 in Group C’s later game.
The victory was China’s second of the campaign following their Matchday One defeat of Kyrgyz Republic, a run of form that Lippi feels will only serve to inspire the 1984 and 2004 AFC Asian Cup runners-up.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Manama: Defending champions Jordan made it two wins from two, while Palestine and the United Arab Emirates cancelled each other out on Matchday Three of the WAFF Women's Championship in Bahrain on Friday.
JORDAN 3-1 LEBANON
Refreshed after a four-day break, Al Nashmiyat came flying out of the blocks and ultimately held on for a comfortable 3-1 win against steadily-improving Lebanon.
Fresh from her opening day brace against United Arab Emirates, Raya Hina gave the Jordanians the lead with a sweet half-volley in the eighth minute, and Anfal Al Sufy doubled the advantage when she poked home Shanaz Jebreen's cross just four minutes later.