Semi-Automated Offside Technology to debut at AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™

Mon, 18 Dec, 2023

Semi-Automated Offside Technology to debut at AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™

Kuala Lumpur: Match officials at the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ will be able to enhance their decision-making process with the Semi-Automated Offside Technology (SAOT) system, which will be implemented at all 51 matches of the tournament.

This marks the first time that SAOT will be in place at an Asian Football Confederation (AFC) competition and makes the AFC the first Confederation in world football to apply the system at the Continental Men’s national team level, which further underscores the AFC’s commitment towards improving accuracy and integrity of decision-making by its match officials.

www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/2998612.html

Player to Watch: Oday Dabbagh (Palestine)

Tue, 19 Dec, 2023

Player to Watch: Oday Dabbagh (Palestine)

Kuala Lumpur:  Within eight years of making his professional debut with his hometown club Hilal Alquds, Oday Dabbagh has already written his name in the conversation for the honour of Palestine’s greatest-ever footballing product.

Just like Jordan’s Musa Al Taamari, Dabbagh went from scoring goals in the AFC Cup™ to playing in top European leagues and carrying the hopes of his nation ahead of the AFC Asian Cup™ Qatar 2023.

Player to Watch: Jameel Al Yahmadi (Oman)

Mon, 18 Dec, 2023

Player to Watch: Jameel Al Yahmadi (Oman)

Kuala Lumpur: Four years after making his AFC Asian Cup™ debut as part of the Oman squad that reached the Round of 16 in the UAE, Jameel Al Yahmadi returns as a key member of the team, now that he is in the peak years of his career.

Al Yahmadi broke into the forefront of Omani football as a 20-year-old when the nation hosted the 2017 CISM World Football Cup. He was the standout performer as Oman reached the final and he scored one of the penalties in the shootout win over Qatar to bring home the title for the first time in Oman’s history.
 
Since then, the midfielder, plying his trade at domestic minnows Al Shabab at the time, chose a different path than that typical for Omani players, opting to move to Qatar where he has been playing since 2018, representing the likes of Al Wakrah, Al Shahania and Al Markhiya, before moving to his current club Al Kharaitiyat.

Join the Excitement: Celebrate AFC Asian Cup™'s Magical Moments!

Mon, 18 Dec, 2023

Join the Excitement: Celebrate AFC Asian Cup™'s Magical Moments!

Kuala Lumpur: As the countdown to the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ ticks away with just under 26 days left, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) invites football enthusiasts to partake in the exhilarating Magic Moments Bracket Challenge Contest presented by Visit Saudi. 

Unfolding across four gripping rounds starting on 18 December 2023, this contest invites fans to relive the glory of Asian Cup history by voting for their most cherished moments. In each round, fans engage in head-to-head matchups, casting votes for their favorite moments, with the winning magic moment progressing to the next stage. 

Player to Watch: Arif Aiman (Malaysia)

Fri, 15 Dec, 2023

Player to Watch: Arif Aiman (Malaysia)

Kuala Lumpur: At the tender age of 21, exciting Malaysian winger Arif Aiman Hanapi is already establishing himself as one of the rising stars of Southeast Asian football.

He has been labelled a “genius” by his coach at Johor Darul Ta’zim, Esteban Solari, with his trickery on the right proving to be a devastating weapon for both club and country as he has shone domestically and on the international stage.

Player to Watch: Son Heung-min (Korea Republic)

Thu, 14 Dec, 2023

Player to Watch: Son Heung-min (Korea Republic)

Kuala Lumpur: Son Heung-min will line-up in Qatar for his fourth crack at leading Korea Republic to their first AFC Asian Cup™ title since 1960 in some of the best form of his career.

The 31-year-old returns to the scene of his first appearance at the continental championship and to where he scored his first goal in his nation’s colours, after coming off the bench to strike in a 4-1 group stage win over India back in 2011.
 
That campaign ended at the semi-final stage for the Koreans and while the nation’s continental drought has continued, Son has flourished to become one of Asian football’s best known faces.

Countdown to Qatar 2023 gathers pace

Wed, 13 Dec, 2023

Countdown to Qatar 2023 gathers pace

Kuala Lumpur: With just under 30 days to go before the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ kicks off, the 24 teams are finalising their preparations for the continent's premier national team tournament.

The pace is expected to intensify in the coming days and the-AFC.com takes a look at five key things ahead of what promises to be yet another another fiesta of Asian football.